Tim Waterman

A healthy combination of pragmatism and idealism is what’s called for at the moment. I think that at present we have as strong a sense of ourselves as a profession as we have ever had, combined with the certainty that the work we do can be a tremendous force for positive change.

On the other hand, we’re in a lousy job market that no amount of…[Read more]

I have recently wrestled with a cohesive definition, having just published “The Fundamentals of Landscape Architecture”.

I began with a quote from Kathryn Gustafson – “If there’s sky, it’s mine”. I love that quote! For me, that defines it. Here is the first paragraph of my introduction for those who aren’t satisfied with a simple 5 word…[Read more]

An earlier post displayed a standard misspelling for genius loci – it’s the ‘intelligence’ of the place, hence ‘genius’, rather than the taxonomical ‘genus’.

This is where Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown got his name – speaking of the ‘capabilities’ of the place. ‘Sense of place’ is more or less the same thing, but such a hackneyed phrase that it is…[Read more]

I’m sorry I missed the conversation. This is an important topic. It might, perhaps, be more important to be vigilant about the work we already do instead of looking to ‘fringe’ markets. Building architects, many of them unemployed, are also looking to ‘diversify’ – and gosh, doesn’t the landscape look interesting. So many timely issues about…[Read more]

Thanks Adam,

I knew there would already be a bandwagon to be jumped upon! Perhaps I can help bring London on board. Google streetview has most of it covered now. I will stick myself into research as soon as my teaching duties let up a bit over summer.

Yes, definitely. It may very well need to be an interactive, but moderated project that uses a platform such as Google Earth. I think that it could get out of hand, with every firm putting all their work up, whether it was of merit/worth visiting or not, so perhaps it could be limited to award-winning, published, or historic landscapes and built…[Read more]

Kate,

I am sorry to have provoked a diatribe in this thread. You asked a simple question and deserve answers that stay on topic. I wish you best of luck with your choices. All issues aside, the UK is a great place to be.

Tim

It’s a wonderful program. I was a classmate of Matt’s, and I received my MLA in 2004. I’m now teaching and writing about landscape – and living in London where there is a small network of ex-RISD students. It is definitely hard work, and there are many times where you will be a bit lost in the dark, but it all adds up and you will be a very…[Read more]

Dear Kate,

I’m an American who has worked and practiced in the UK, and I now teach landscape architecture at the Writtle School of Design in Essex. It is worth looking carefully at all the UK schools, as they each have their own specialties and each has quite a distinct character. The education you will receive in the UK is very different from…[Read more]

Hi Lucy,

I posted the article below on Talking Landscape under the title “EGM mired in misunderstanding and mistrust”. It’s a bit long, but maybe it will help a bit:

“Last week’s Extraordinary General Meeting of the Landscape Institute’s membership was a demoralising and sorry affair, with discussion revolving around intractable absolutes based…[Read more]

The issue of landscape is quite central to the work that we do, and seeking to diminish its importance in the title could possibly be counterproductive. Will Alsop, the architect and (for better or worse) urban designer has taken the profession to task recently, stating that he consistently works with landscape architects with no understanding of…[Read more]

Gabriel,

Many thanks for your images. They’re great – and thanks also to the others who have contacted me with images.

I will be finishing up the initial image list over the weekend, but I may well come back with more requests as the book shapes up. Everyone should feel free to continue to send images over the weekend.

Best wishes,
Tim