Roland Beinert

I see where you’re going with this. And now that I have a (non-landscape arch.) job again, maybe I can save up enough money to take the LARE then transer my license to other states. But there’s still the whole 4 year barrier to overcome. It seems like when I finished my bachelors degree everyone said entry level was 0-2 years, but everyone wanted…[Read more]

This would be perfect for me if I had two more years of experience and a license. Then again, if I had two more years of experience an a license, I probably would already have a job in landscape architecture.

For policy, a good one is Managing Growth in American Communities by Douglas Porter. Cities for People by Jan Gehl is probably the best book on urban design I’ve ever read. And, of course, everyone interested in planning should read The Death and Life of Great American Cities at some point.

Are you more interested in policy or design? Or both?

What’s funny is that the economy is expected to add 11.8 million new jobs, regardless of who is president. So, Romney’s not setting a very high goal, is he? I guess whoever wins gets to take credit for the coming recovery.
To me that means we should be paying attention to other issues as well as the economy. I think Obama cares more about issues…[Read more]

That remark made me lose all respect for Romney. Wasn’t he a moderate at one point?
But the fact that they are willing to accept the whole Agenda 21 nonsense means that their disregard for the idea of sustainability goes way beyond just denying climate change. They are now against smart growth, bike lanes and pretty much anything that could be…[Read more]

Plus, this: http://www.treehugger.com/urban-design/agenda-21-update-republican-convention-approves-anti-agenda-21-stand.html

You’re all making good points. I guess the reason I thought it was a bad idea to apply twice was that I read an article saying that they might blacklist you if you apply too often. Now that I really think about it, though, that doesn’t really seem like the sort of thing an LA firm would do.

I see what you’re saying, and I wonder what actual employers would say to that. I guess what I’m saying is that your portfolio doesn’t show the full range of your capabilities. Employers know what sketchup looks like, too. But they also know the difference between good sketchup work and bad sketchup work. The same goes for CAD, and so, if you’re…[Read more]

I’m no expert, since I’ve redone my portfolio four or five times with no positive results, but:
-Where’s the CAD work, Pablo? Great hand graphics and sketchup, though.
-Were any of your projects built? If so, include pictures of the finished product.
-Is all the work in your portfolio residential? You mention you did other types of projects in you…[Read more]

I still reread parts of the textbook I had to get for my landscape history class. It’s called Design on the Land by Norman Newton. It starts with ancient Egypt and goes all the way up to modern landscape architecture.
The only other history-type landscape architecturish books I have read are about the history and form of cities: The City…[Read more]

Andrew,
Actually, a three year grad program is shorter than most BLA programs, isn’t it? I spent four years at University of Wisconsin for my bachelors. The masters program at U of Idaho typically takes three or four semesters, but you still need to get a BLA first. I think U of I still gives you the option of getting just a 4 year BLA, so there’s…[Read more]

It does sound like you’re not getting a good introduction. I remember doing a lot of the same things you describe, but we got some introduction to drafting, etc. I’d say stay for the rest of the summer, then, if you aren’t getting what you want out of the program, switch to another school. If you do stay, but want a better introduction, try taking…[Read more]

It’s helpful to get your point of view on this. I can already see this will not be easy just based on the first few lessons on the Berlitz program. As you can probably tell from my answer to Bob, this is something I’m doing partly to improve my chances of getting a job (either at a large firm here that works internationally or at a firm in China…[Read more]

Bob,
I just need something to do when I’m not applying for jobs (almost all of them stateside).  I have so much time on my hands its ridiculous. I’ve done all the things you mentioned to the point that I can’t stand it anymore. I’m also in the process of redoing my portfolio for the fourth time. So, don’t worry, learning Chinese is one thing among many.

You’re probably right. I wonder if my former classmates from China would help. If they’re still here in town.

Viridian is a bluish color, right? So I guess the name of the neighborhood symbolizes that it will be under water at some point.

Here’s a link to an article supporting what I was saying: http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/story/2012-05-15/housing-fills-in-urban-areas/54979594/1

I got a graduate certificate in planning while I was getting my MLA, since I’ve always had an interest in urban and neighborhood design. And, like you said, I thought it might broaden my appeal (to employers).
I was relieved when I read about this report, partly because I’ve heard so much about the whole Agenda 21 nonsense. According to people who…[Read more]

I see what you’re saying Andrew. I’m not saying any of what you love about the old normal will disappear completely. I just think it’s time for the developed world to look back,realistically assess what we’ve done for the past several decades and refine it:
-It should be obvious that our infrastructure needs repair. No one wants bridges crumbling…[Read more]