My office currently does not have a standards or project checklist. Three of my coworkers are in their 60s and just know how to do things and what the process is. I've worked here since graduating in 2019 so I have no experience with other offices but my boss asked me if I could put together a project checklist. Since we're going to have a wave or retirees in the next few years, we want to make sure information isn't lost and new hires have some sort of reference on how to set up sheets, what should be included and called out on each sheet, etc.

Does anyone have any resources / templates on what this checklist should include or look like?

Hey I'm attempting to DIY a brick patio in my backyard. I'm in subtropical QLD for reference. I have a large backyard and want to put a little 3 x 4 meter patch of brick pavers in the corner

From my foray into YouTube videos I've devised a very basic idea of what I'll be doing: A) dig down to an appropriate level B) add a layer of gravel + compact it C) add a layer of sand + compact it D) level the sand E) lay the bricks F) add another level of sand on top and compact it to hold brick in place

Number 1 question is what type of gravel and sand can I use? Any particular grade or type that's best?

Number 2 any hot tips?

I am thrifty + eco conscious, so will be on the hunt for leftovers from residential projects, so knowing what types of gravel/sand I can go for will be great (also I will not be using concrete no matter how good an argument is made :) )

Thanks!

Hey everyone, So i started my first year of my MLA and wow is it ever tough. I feel like i am adapting-ish but have kind of started to feel burnt out. Not even burnt out tired but in that something i was and have been SO passionate about, the constant critiques and stress from the program put my brain into survival crisis mode where i have stopped caring about doing as well to the point it has me worried. Since i started feelingvthis way i haven't been handing in projects on time, the quality of what i had in is garbage compared to my peers and i think i just got to a point of such intense dysregulation that my brain decided we were done and i am steuggling to get back on track.

Adhd in this program is so hard there is no time for extensions or breaks, you are constantly working against a ticking clock, everything is detail oriented, you are constantly being critiqued, sleeping is limited. There is quite literally no time. I hate my work in comparison to my peers- literally a couple of guys in my cohort snicker at my work all the time. Which makes the motivation to start new projects worse because i think it will be terrible. I'm not working and spend all my time, so much time on school- easily 3x as much time on projects compared to my peers and my grades still aren't as good.

So do any of you have executive dysfunction disprders? If so how do you do it!? I'm scared now that i don't have the passion pushing me that everything is going to be worse. I am going into first semester finals and care so much that i can't start and don't feel like trying.

Any advice on how to manage better- despite having a calendar and not getting disracted from my work, my work is not as good as my peers.

I have a question regarding everyone’s experiences with vacation and sick time.

I’m a recent graduate working at my first firm. I was talking to some of my former classmates (both within and outside of my major) about my benefits. I receive 80 hours of vacation time and 40 hours of sick leave, in addition to paid time off for Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, a half-day on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Labor Day, the 4th of July, and Memorial Day. However, almost everyone told me that my PTO package is pretty poor. I’m also not allowed to roll over any vacation or sick time to the next year.

I’m trying to figure out if this is typical in the industry. Did my friends get lucky, or is my PTO package below average? I thought I got extremely lucky.

Just to clarify, this policy applies to all employees, not just new hires. The only exception is that every 5 years, you get an additional 30 hours of vacation time.

Thanks in advance for any insights!

The Green Meridian Podcast is a wide ranging discussion hosted by me - Alan Burke, asla - on a variety of Landscape Architectural topics, focusing primarily on residential design-build, best business practices, IPM, innovation and unexpected indusindustry controversy. Check it out!

And please let us know if you have any ideas for topics or interviews. Thanks!

https://open.spotify.com/show/3gXuYlSM9LaDcWNYCRv0K7?si=rKrkmj__Q-6ixDmxM-928g

Please use this thread to discuss whats going on at your school or place of work this week. Run into an interesting problem with a site design and need to hash it out with other LAs? This is the spot. Any content is welcome as long as it Landscape Architecture related. School, work, personal garden? Its all good, lets talk.

New York based role. You’d need 10 yrs of experience and LEED certification.

Salary seems great! Hope this helps someone.

https://jobs.silkroad.com/HOK/Careers/jobs/5301?source=LinkedInJobs

Hey everyone. I was hoping to get some input on some thoughts I've had over recent years. I work in local city government as an urban forester. This department is a separate entity from the parks and Rec department, but obviously has overlap. I have a 4 year degree from a good university in the field of forestry. I really like my job and consider myself good at it, but I do sometimes have some issues with certain aspects. For example: There's not much room for upward movement (in terms of pay or responsibilities), the work is obviously pretty niche and can therefore be monotonous at times, with it being so niche - I'm limited on places I can move to and find similar jobs, and it comes with far less respect and ability to actually effect change and take on cool projects compared to parks jobs.

So with that being said- I've always been a big fan of learning and bettering myself. Both for personal satisfaction but also to better my professional career. My work offers continuing education assistance which is where I'm going with this. I work full time and have a wife and kids, so I'm not sure that I'd be interested in committing to a 5 year LA degree, but what other routes are out there?

Are there other certificates, related degrees probably revolving around design, or anything else that could help me to become more qualified for these positions that I may be interested in?

I have extensive background and education in the plant and science side of things (plant biology, soil and water science, identification, benefits, and utility of a wide variety of plants, etc) and I also have experience creating plans, grants, contracts etc. Even with that experience I still feel like it'd be hard to sell myself as someone qualified for such a position without an actual LA degree.

I see my biggest weakness as a lack of formal training in the design aspect.

So what do you guys think? I'm sort of just spitballing here, but was hoping someone would have some advice to share. Especially if you're in the municipal parks and recreation field!

Thanks in advance!

I don’t have access to land fx. What are some of the places you guys get your blocks, for plan and section elevations? I’m really not impressed with most that I see out there. Free or paid is fine I just want a good selection.

How can one start a portfolio when realistically they haven’t had any jobs or contracts yet? Can you use drawings you have made your own especially from studying to express your style of design and creativeness?

Much appreciated for any insight from professionals, thank you

https://www.usajobs.gov/job/817889600

1 position open and you can choose their 13 locations if selected.

For those working as an LA are you mainly at your desk all day or are there site visits and some field work?

I see a lot of post saying the job is primarily CAD and indoors but others saying it’s a mix. Just want to know what it’s really like or if you do work outdoors a bit more what type of place do you work at?

It seems like I used to see "land planner" jobs frequently, but they don't seem to be as common anymore. What happen to them?

Looking for some insight if we should paint this portion of lattice fence. We spent more money to have this made of cedar and it will eventually have hearty kiwi crawling all over it, but curious if people think it will look better painted...

A lot of work to support landscape architecture firms in the USA comes from grants funded by green infrastructure programs. Assuming a shift in priorities for the federal government is coming up how do you see the landscape industry adapting, sustaining or increasing its market capture without these initiatives?

I'm hoping to up my software game this winter and wanted to hear from other LAs rather than random youtubers. My main thought is to learn a rendering software to take my 3D images to the next level but I'm willing to try something totally new if it results in a better workflow!

A little about my work so I can get the best suggestions:

• I'm a small-time solo LA and have been for 6 years. My client base is upper middle class to high end homeowners. These are not multi-million dollar projects with lots of funding or extensive bidding processes.

• Keeping overhead costs low is a big priority for me as I'm such a small operation. I currently pay for LandFX planting and SketchUp Pro.

• Time efficiency is also a big priority - I have lots of time and desire to learn new software but it's probably not worth learning a software that adds tons of extra time to each project. But adding a little time to get some next level renderings would be great.

• My current workflow is inventory, concept sketches, schematics in LandFX, fine tuning in LandFX and SketchUp Pro, and finalize in both.

• Software proficiency includes CAD/LandFX, SketchUp, and Adobe CS but learning new software has never been a big hurdle for me, I enjoy learning new stuff.

• I have never used Revit or Rhino, I have dabbled in TwinMotion and Lumion.

My research so far has led me to consider keeping my current workflow but adding TwinMotion to push my 3D images to the next level but I'm wondering if I should totally scrap using SketchUp at all and change to something like Revit which a lot of architects I work with use. I've also heard Rhino getting thrown around a lot on various subreddits including this one. A lot of people seem to think SketchUp is very outdated and basic which doesn't bother me in the sense of "seeming hip" to other professionals but it does bother me if I am losing out on using better more efficient software that is within budget.

Apologies if this seems all over the place, because I'm far out of school and I work solo it's easy to just not even realize if I'm becoming stagnant or missing out on important industry standards/shifts. I would love to hear what you think, thanks!

Hello! Just a little "I made this" post that I thought could interest landscape architects. I built a small game where you have to guess a city from satellite images. It's called unzoomed.com

I just launched a US version as well, if you like very neat grids... -> us.unzoomed.com

Let me know what I can improve and how fast you find today's :)

https://preview.redd.it/ltztr3rkdbzd1.jpg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1dba69d55a6012fa6cec13d8000f86156b11a8c3

Saw this in a parking lot in the UK. Its a metal grid like system, planted with grass instead of filled with gravel. I have tried reverse good searching this image/many other tags to find it but I am out of luck. Does anywhere here have a clue?

I'm writing my personal statement. What do I write that doesn't sound generic?

I have some urban design experience from my minor in urban planning in school, but nothing extensive

I want to create and design 3rd spaces and focus on the design aspect rather than ecology in my designs. How do I make this more personal without it being boring or cringe?

Everyone applying to mla programs wants 3rd spaces though, so how can I stand out?

I haven't had any huge barriers to education. I don't have a special reason to go into landscape architecture other than I like it and think it's interesting and like the social and design side of it. Please help me.

Edit: This is the idea I had for my statement:

The college I went to had architecture and spaces that weren't at all conducive to having viable 3rd spaces or anywhere that would foster social engagement. This is what inspired me, or at least got me thinking how I'd use spaces differently in regards to social engagement and functionality.

Would building off of that be a strong or weak statement? I don't know if having a specific focus like that in a statement is good or not.

I build tools for AR glasses, with extensive experience in commercial construction, and now I’m focused on the landscaping industry. I’m looking to understand the design and communication challenges that landscape architects face, so I can create tools that actually matter to you.

If you’re interested in innovation and open to sharing insights, I’d appreciate hearing about your experience. Would you be open to a call?

Hi everyone,

I’m a Georgia resident currently studying Landscape Architecture at the University of Georgia (UGA), and I’m starting to think about my next steps. I’m considering pursuing a master’s degree, and I could use some advice. Here are the options I’m looking at: 1. Master of City and Regional Planning (Georgia Tech) 2. Master of Science in Urban Design (Georgia Tech) 3. Master of Urban Planning & Design (UGA)

I’m leaning towards continuing my studies in Georgia, and I like the idea of the UGA Master of Urban Planning & Design because I have the option of doing a dual bachelor’s and master’s program. This would allow me to begin my master’s while finishing my undergraduate degree, which seems like a great way to streamline the process.

That said, I’m also interested in the Georgia Tech programs, particularly the Master of City and Regional Planning and the Master of Science in Urban Design. I’m wondering if these programs would offer a different set of skills or opportunities that would complement my background in Landscape Architecture.

A few things I’m considering:

• I’m passionate about the intersection of landscape, urban planning, and design.
• I want to be equipped for working on large-scale urban projects, possibly involving city planning, public policy, or sustainable urban development.

Has anyone here gone through similar decision-making processes? I’d love to hear your thoughts on the pros and cons of these programs, and if you have any advice for someone in my position.

Thanks so much for your help!

Hy! So as I wrote, I just got my Bsc in Landscape Architecture in Vienna, Austria. I never did an internship of any sort in this field, but I still gathered quite the skills during my studies. I have other plans for the future and can’t imagine myself working at an architecture firm at all! BUT for now I need an income and still want some sort of use out of these 4 years of studying. I’d appreciate some ideas or experiences as in what skills learned in this field could be monetized in other ways than becoming a landscape architect?!

I can work with autoCAD, QGIS, AdobeCloud Programms, Canva and have also worked on some web designing projects.

I would like to work remotely, but I don’t really know how to become a freelancer (although that would also be an option) and I’d also be willing to pick up other skills.

How tough are studio courses in MLA? I’ve heard a ton of people saying how they constantly pull all nighters. Is it really that intense or can you find good balance while completing your degree.

After learning a lot about what REAL landscape architects value, I’d love to be able to talk with someone about their portfolio and the softwares used.

Yes I know there are some floating around on youtube but I was hoping to get perspective from real professionals.

Great opportunity for entry level landscape designers who want to begin their career in Philadelphia at a good, stable, multidisciplinary firm. (I have no affiliation with NV5 but can attest that they hire some great people.)

https://careers-nv5.icims.com/jobs/10418/landscape-designer/job

What are you looking for in a professional portfolio as the people actually hiring and working in the field?

US Based

I’m looking to move to the Bay Area- I have 1 year of experience and have only been dreaming of moving to the Bay Area. However, I’m wondering how competitive and how hard it is to find a landscape designer job with a firm is? I’ve done some research and I’ve looked into places but I haven’t formally applied because I’m looking to move in about a year. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!