Sandilya Digumarthy

Matt – From what I understand, the U.S. Botanic Garden does not support the lawsuit.  I believe this to be true because out of the three organizations, the U.S. Botanic Garden has the greatest legal resources and influence.   If the USBG was unhappy with the trademark request as filed by UT, they would have joined the legal battle to stop it and w…[Read more]

Thanks for your insights.   Having worked on a Pilot Project for some time I have a great deal of respect for SITES and the comprehensive approach it brings.   I can’t believe that there is some kind of a power struggle going on over what is essentially the bookkeeping.  However, stepping back I don’t think that any one of the partners should ha…[Read more]

Matt – Currently, SITES is not a separate entity.  The Executive Committee is made up of the ASLA, the Wildflower Center which is a part of UT and the US Botanic Garden.  SITES staff who work with the various committees and lead the development of the metric and educational materials are located in Austin at the Wildflower Center.  Liz Guthrie, Ma…[Read more]

Since the petition from ASLA and press release from UT are contradictory, please help me understand what’s going on with the following questions:

• UT States: “UT has never had a formal partnership or any legal agreement with ASLA, despite our efforts over the past two years to develop one.”    ASLA states : ” The SITES trademarks were developed th…

[Read more]

In regards to the ASLA SITES Petition update,  publicly airing dirty laundry is rarely a good idea.  Particularly when it is smattered with childish comments and obviously intended to discredit a former partner.  Landscape Architects and many others in the site design industry have worked tirelessly to prove our value to the green building in…[Read more]

The legal petition from ASLA and the formal response from UT definitely tell two different sides of the story.  Regardless of which side you fall, we should all agree that litigation is not good for SITES or the profession as a whole.  SITES v2 and the reference guide are scheduled to be released in the next couple months and projects will f…[Read more]

Charles – you obviously have not read SITES closely or either don’t understand it.  It is a performance base metric – the opposite of prescriptive design.  Also, I challenge you to certify a project.  In my work, I have found that those who believe they have been “doing it for 40 years” have great difficulty meeting the minimum criteria.  

Interesting.  Two entities fighting over who will make money selling another guide to prescriptive design.  There is nothing new in the SITES project except adding points up to get to some magical level so you can pin a gold star on your wall.  We really don’t need another entity telling us how to design sustainable projects.  We have been doi…[Read more]

Hi Heather – definitely disappointing to see. Just saw the announcements; have read both press statements that describe very different points of view. What do you think the key disagreement is and what will take to resolve?

Better attitude can affect your drawing skills immensely Ever since I have changed my attitude to be better and looser, my drawing skills improved drastically. These are what I have changed: * I will no longer want to compete with my peers, just want to draw better than my wife, that is all. * I begin to realize that the more mistakes I have made…[Read more]

TIP OF THE WEEK: How to place people in a sketch
It is very easy to place people in sketches or perspectives with the following rules:
1. You must assume yourself is a 5 ft tall person and people you are drawing are all 5 ft. tall just like you.
2. Draw an eye line on paper, then sketch or trace people with their eyes located on the eye line.
3.…[Read more]

Do you have hard time drawing good looking trees?  Here are some tips:
1. Use of a black pen and outlines the tree with one of the four leaf languages –    Concave, Convex, Wendy and McDonald.
2. Don’t draw any details inside a tree, just apply it with 45 degree strokes,solid     color or leave it blank.
3. Use only one language per tree or grass,…[Read more]

Tips of the “Loose Sketch” with Marker and PenBeLoose Graphic Workshop – Mike Lin

Tips of the Loose Sketch with Marker and Pen
Often when you like make sketches to be loose and lovely with markers and pen, here are some tips to help you achieve great results and satisfactions:

• Paper: Use of paper towel, napkin or any rough texture…

[Read more]

Leo – Thank you for the information…this will help a lot.  I saw the survey on Bayt.com but all the salaries were blocked from my viewing. I am currently research cost of living as well, it seems to be fairly equal to the U.S.
Thanks again, Kelly

This might be helpful – published by Bayt.com (from anonymous employee survey) last week:
Average salary for job title “senior landscape architect”
$8832 UAE
$6987 Bahrain
$4732 Qatar
$6539 KSA
Advise you check the cost of living to know the net value.  Hope this helps.

I am currently in employment negotiations with a large firm in Qatar and am looking for information on what salaries are for LA’s there.  I just finished my masters degree, and have a BSLA with 10 yrs of experience.
If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,

Adit, Thank you very much for your response. LA Journal is a fantastic resource. Unfortunately I have discovered that it is hard to find books on LA in India.
Perhaps there are some good blogs or websites?

What are some good books / blogs / websites on landscape architecture in India?

If possible Luke, I would recommend travel sketches over travel photography.  I find sketching to be a more sought after, rare skill.  Furthermore, sketches reveal more about what you are looking at and how you interpret a scene.  I’ve brought personal sketchbooks to interviews that demonstrate the range of activities I do, where I’ve been, and my…[Read more]

what are people’s opinion about adding travel photography in one’s portfolio?