Tosh K

There’s a difference btw being taught the programs and being knowledgeable.  It seems that it’s reasonable to expect exposure to the software but if someone can’t work in them fast enough, it’s not really worth the bother for an employer.  Then there’s the whole area of whether someone can use it as a meaningful design tool…

Congrats!

Unless they were the one who provided that info to wiki, etc, it’s a hard sell.  As Rob pointed out, being professionals, I think it’s fair to say that the intention for continuing ed is that we want to learn from experts in their field.  To show that the credentials have to look good first, plagiarizing just sounds awful.  

I suppose there are different ways of going about getting to any certain “goal”.  As a few of my mentors have pointed out, a job is just a way to get your next job (unless you really happen to fall into your dream job right away.  The questions to ask, in my mind, are “what can I learn from this position that I can build on” and “am I going to e…[Read more]

This is related to a thesis?  One is to understand the natural processes and cycles in project areas, and design to be “adaptable” or “resilient” (see field ecology theory) to these systems.  This should also take into account anthropological development and histories. Whether to call it “greed” or what not is less important than the issues that d…[Read more]

I do remember a time when nearly everyone at our program would sit on multiple offers at graduation. Oh the good ole days.

The winter gardens in the Commerzbank in Frankfurt-am-Main in Germany by Foster are still looking pretty good.  

Paley Park had a maintenance budget locked away when it was built.

Maintenance would depend on how well it was designed (irrigation, soils, etc), and yes, it costs money, but the flip side is if it makes for a more pleasant place,…[Read more]

The film “Women in the Dirt” covering more contemporary practitioners on the West Coast is pretty amazing.  A more historic look would indeed be great.

Best is to track down a good set from a reputable firm… though they’ll be hard to come by (being legal documents, most designers and contractors are sensitive about it changing hands).  An old copy of landscape graphic standards (and architectural graphic standards) should give you a good start.  The Details in Contemporary Landscape A…[Read more]

I know the article is an architecture article, but…  Jane Jacobs?  Beatrix Farrand – Founding member of ASLA?   I suppose LAs were more progressive, starting out with Farrand and all.

It differs by state, many allow licensure w/o an accredited degree, so all of your experience should count (some may be weighed differently).

I’d try Andropogon’s consultant/collaborator list…

Ours… when i’m done with it, j/k.  Adobe Muse has made it much easier to build your own.  I must say that the gap between the large screens firms use in house and tablet presentations makes it a tad more difficult than five years ago.
There seems to be two schools of thought on scrolling vs no scrolling; some try to keep everything visible on a…[Read more]

I’ll echo a lot of what’s been said – get a job in anything related to LA (planning, CAD work, nursery, HomeDepot, landscaping) or really anything.  Showing a good work ethic, ability to multi-task and meet deadlines is a big part of an entry level expectation; also showing some humility in taking odd jobs can be good too (a lot of hubris is…[Read more]

When I sat on the other side of the table (engineer’s side), the main reason we tended to lean towards piping was the maintenance of the bioswales (mowing, weeding, cleaning, and recommended replacement; some systems call for replacing soils every 5~10yrs, at least to get rid of fines/silt) which many clients are reluctant to commit to.  Selling…[Read more]

Must be a dissertation topic somewhere… very good question.  We’ve done a lot of greenroofs but not a whole lot of post occupancy research.
KieranTimberlake (architects) have done some research on plant distribution on their roofs (at construction and few years later to compare strengths and migration) – their research division might be looking at this?

It may help to look up firms that you’d like to work at and see where their staff graduated from or teach at.  Many practitioners hire out of programs they have close ties with: their alma mater, where they teach, or where their collaborators are at.  While the reputation of a school is important, it’s also important to note that many firms v…[Read more]

Sketchup is a good enough 3D modeling software if you can pair it with a nice renderer (Vray works well as well as the ones Eli mentioned).  Rhino allows for more robust surface modeling, and Bentley Microstation works well for solid modeling.  Generally, Photoshoping to soften an image makes it more warm and fuzzy (feathered edges make odd e…[Read more]

I suppose it would depend on finances (can you afford the 5th year/are you more likely to get financial aid in one or the other) and what type of work in transportation you want to do.  Also, the curriculum for engineering is very different from LA (any accredited program will require coursework in all areas of engineering as their gen-ed…[Read more]

Understand LA Graphics Standards front to back, but concentrate on sections that have been covered in the past (retaining walls, foundations, post foundations, decks, fences, fastening of bench to wall, etc) – in google groups there have been fastener handouts that folks have been passing around that is helpful.