Thomas J. Johnson

All of this technology is going to turn us into morons… Seriously, where is the line between productive and distracted? At what point do you spend more time managing your apps than you do designing? I’m all for technology but we can’t forget that we have brains. I can still calculate square footage and slope more accurately than a phone.…[Read more]

That sounds like a great approach. Very human. “Hey, you’re going on vacation. Here’s a few extra bucks. Have a great time…” I also like the idea of it being random. Surprises are nice and it probably discourages gossip within the office. Instead of everyone getting their bonus at the same time and sharing notes; get your bonus, don’t talk about…[Read more]

I once got a square of chocolate from my project manager for “all of my hard work” (several weeks of 70+hrs.including more than a few over-nighters) I used restraint and did not throw it at him/her/it.

I was just having this discussion yesterday regarding health care. Apparently “complementary” medicine is the new term for “alternative” medicine, which sounded too hippy, dippy, trippy. The Eastern “complements” the Western. It is not to be confused with “complimentary” medicine, as it is neither free of charge nor commending your good health.…[Read more]

A couple of things come to mind…
1. Grazing and wetlands do not mix. I helped gather field data, studying the effects of cattle grazing on a fen in Colorado and it was not pretty. They destroy soil structure, which invites invasive species that take over and throw the whole thing out of whack. They also stomp trails through the peat which…[Read more]

I have to vote in favor of Mr. Quakenbush’s literal definition of “aesthetic”
http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetically
However, I’m going to continue to say “aesthetically pleasing” because it’s a modern adaptation of the word. Words evolve and that’s how we use it now. It’s acceptable. In my search for a better understanding of…[Read more]

Yes! Syn-Mulch: It accessorizes and exfoliates!
Notice a patch of dry skin as you’re walking the red carpet? Good thing you wore your Syn-Mulch shawl. A casual brush of the cheek on your shoulder and it’s gone! And when you get home, you can use it as a door mat! Act now and we’ll throw in a second Syn-Mulch tree ring/door mat/ shawl for free.…[Read more]

Not a bad idea… at $35 a pop, you can probably get them wholesale for $17.50. If you can move all 24 in a week that’s $420. Not bad in these times…
And as an added bonus, since you’re going door to door anyway, if they don’t need mulch rings you can always sell them as door mats. “Yes, ma’am, I understand that you don’t need mulch rings at…[Read more]

I hate to say it but those synthetic mulch rings have the potential to be hugely popular and profitable… just think of all the plastic landscapes you could create in AZ and SoCal with synthetic mulch rings, synthetic turf and maybe some nice synthetic rocks / boulders. 
Come to think of it, rubber boulders / rocks would be pretty cool. Like…[Read more]

What are you gacking about the impatiens or the Hamptons 😉

There seems to be a lot of opportunity for LA’s to do work associated with energy. Visual impact studies, site planning, remediation. Very specialized (gov’t and big industry contacts required) but it would be a good thing to be involved in.

Agreed! If landscape architecture is a blend of art and science then we should embrace the mad scientist / artist approach to work. It doesn’t always start at 8am and sometimes inspiration strikes at 2am.
Traditional 9 to 5ers have a hard time wrapping their head around “off” hours… as if it’s not really work… work to them happens between 9…[Read more]

Yeah, there are gems all over the mid-west. Real American towns full of real American people.
I don’t talk about the good ones out west, because as soon as you talk about them, people go there and ruin it… small towns are great because they are small.

Reality is not exciting. Selling crap like you’re on a home and garden show, now that’s exciting… (my eyes glaze over).

While the image above creates a compelling case against mulch rings, it could just as easily read “The case against poor design”.
Mulch rings have their place. As pointed out earlier, they protect the tree from mowers/trimmers and help retain moisture. I’ve mowed a lot of lawns with a 48″ Bunton mower and a straight-shaft trimmer. You can be as…[Read more]

Personally, if I’m going to put in extra hours, I’d rather do it at one place / for one project (with pay reflecting extra time).
I’ve thought about the Co-Op thing before and I always return to the same question; How does the money work? If I can find jobs and see them through, why would I want to share the profits? It seems like the main benefit…[Read more]

Just to clarify, I did not swear in my reply… land8lounge’s spelling police just have dirty minds. I said, “We all have old projects we love and worked hard (on) but that don’t best represent our abilities.” Jeez guys… get your minds out of the gutter… and stop being such Nazis, we’re all adults here. Who cares if a little foul language…[Read more]

One of my favorite bits of wisdom a professor imparted on me was, “show them how good you are, not how bad you used to be.” That one still makes me chuckle…
We all have old projects we love and worked hard on but that don’t best represent our abilities. You seem to have a broad range of work in your portfolio but I might focus / highlight your…[Read more]

Hi Ben,
I see that you’re based in Madison. I’m down in Chicago. I love mad-town (grandfather, father, brother all attended U Madison) and I would definitely enjoy living up there. Any chance that Baird is hiring? I see a few positions on your website but they are all for engineers…
Nice thread by the way. It’s good to hear people talking the…[Read more]

I see people as being more interested in reclaiming valuable sections of T5, rather than new construction. Most of our major cities have under utilized neighborhoods immediately adjacent to T6. If I understand the Transects model, that is exactly what we should be doing. We should be concentrating on refining what’s already there instead of trying…[Read more]