Landscape Architect

Overview and Key Facts

What Do They Do?

A landscape architect could…

Overview Listen to this section

Have you ever visited a new city and marveled at how nice looking it was? Perhaps the streets were wide, the public places were well organized, and the parks and gardens were green and had lots of attractive plants. Well, what you experienced was a well-balanced and designed landscape plan put together by a landscape architect. Landscape architects design everything that is outside of buildings. Their goal is to make a design that is functional, but one that is well balanced with nature and in which people feel happy and comfortable. Landscape architecture is the perfect blend of engineering, art, and nature.

Do You Have the Skills and Characteristics of a Landscape Architect?

1. Active Listening: ? Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
2. Reading Comprehension: ? Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
3. Coordination: ? Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
4. Speaking: ? Talking to others to convey information effectively.
5. Operations Analysis: ? Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.

6. Writing: ? Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
7. Judgment and Decision Making: ? Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
8. Complex Problem Solving: ? Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
9. Time Management: ? Managing one's own time and the time of others.
10. Critical Thinking: ? Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Core Tasks

Think about if you'd like the typical tasks a Landscape Architect might do:

• Confer with clients, engineering personnel, or architects on landscape projects.
• Prepare site plans, specifications, or cost estimates for land development.
• Analyze data on conditions such as site location, drainage, or structure location for environmental reports or landscaping plans.
• Develop marketing materials, proposals, or presentation to generate new work opportunities.
• Inspect landscape work to ensure compliance with specifications, evaluate quality of materials or work, or advise clients or construction personnel.
• Prepare graphic representations or drawings of proposed plans or designs.
• Present project plans or designs to public stakeholders, such as government agencies or community groups.
• Integrate existing land features or landscaping into designs.
• Manage the work of subcontractors to ensure quality control.
• Create landscapes that minimize water consumption such as by incorporating drought-resistant grasses or indigenous plants.
• Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency.
• Research latest products, technology, or design trends to stay current in the field.
• Inspect proposed sites to identify structural elements of land areas or other important site information, such as soil condition, existing landscaping, or the proximity of water management facilities.
• Develop planting plans to help clients garden productively or to achieve particular aesthetic effects.
• Identify and select appropriate sustainable materials for use in landscape designs, such as recycled wood or recycled concrete boards for structural elements or recycled tires for playground bedding.
• Design and integrate rainwater harvesting or gray and reclaimed water systems to conserve water into building or land designs.
• Collaborate with estimators to cost projects, create project plans, or coordinate bids from landscaping contractors.
• Prepare conceptual drawings, graphics, or other visual representations of land areas to show predicted growth or development of land areas over time.
• Provide follow-up consultations for clients to ensure landscape designs are maturing or developing as planned.