QuestionHello! I'm interested in Landscape architecture/design as a career, but have limited design background (mostly theatrical - scenic and costume). I'm particularly interested in waterscapes and whatnot. I'm wondering if you can tell me a bit about what you do, what school was like, and if you have any other comments or suggestions to help me make my decision about this career path. Thanks so much in advance!
AnswerI love your question, and it is very important to know what you are getting into. Beyond what I tell you here I suggest you consider calling companies that you might want to work at and ask if you can do a 1 week internship and offer to work for free so you can see what it is all about before you commit to four or five years of schooling.
Second and probably most important, do you know how to draw and are you good at it? If you aren't you have no business in a design field without first training yourself how to draw. And I don't just mean drafting, the best designers have to be able to quickly sketch and communicate their ideas to prospective clients and colleagues. Also the most important factor in sales of any design is in a quality presentation that is appealing and effectively communicates the ideas and materials in the design.
Ok so you want to be a landscape designer or a "water shaper" (designer of water features). You have three options.
One, you may learn through experience, working your way up at a company that builds water features or does landscaping. You may have to start as a laborer and do all aspects of the work till you thoroughly understand the requirements of a good water feature or landscape. Then when you feel you are ready ( probably 3 years of field work before you really understand) offer to help with designs, assuming you already know how to draw you many have to prove yourself to senior staff or company owners in order to get what you want. There are many very good designers who never had any formal training. But this is rare and often pays less until you become proven in your area of expertise and prove you are worth your salary. This type of design job is almost certainly limited to custom single family residential work.
Two, you can get a formal education. There are several choices here. If all you want do do is work in residential landscaping you may be able to take courses at a local technical college, there may be a 2 year program. Many design build companies will hire designers who have just a few classes but have a nice portfolio showing their designs.
You may also get a four year degree from a serious college. Again the degree you choose and the school depends on where you want to work. If your interest is purely residential then don't bother with landscape architecture, instead look at degrees in landscape management, horticulture, landscape design, etc.
However, if you have interest in designing major features such as Olympic fountains, gardens for public parks, features for office parks and institutional buildings, then you may want to consider landscape architecture.
The Landscape Architecture field is very diverse and your education will cover everything from horticulture classes and soil sciences to roadway alignment, grading, civil site drainage, planning, architecture, construction, hardscapes, irrigation ,etc. Many people get into landscape architecture thinking they will be designing pretty landscapes for residential yards and they will be outside all the time. That is almost 90% wrong. Many of us sit in office behind computers 10 hours a day 50 to 60 hours a week designing in cad. Many LA's work in engineering firms and strictly design tree preservation plans for governments. Still more design subdivisions, laying out lots, and designing the entrances and amenity areas. A select few design golf courses and public parks. Even less work on major theme parks and resorts.
Finally, to legally call yourself a landscape architect in almost all states in the US, you have to first complete a bachelors degree at an accredited college. Typically five years, four of school and one internship of 6 months min. (some schools are different but most follow something along these lines).
After you complete the school and get your degree you must work for a registered landscape architect for one, two or three years(depending on state). After completing the required work (directly supervised by an LA) you may apply to take the state's test. This test is typically one to two days long and very hard to pass. Very few people pass the entire test on the first take. It took me two tries, I passed all but one section the first time and I was a straight A student in college. Once you pass this test the state will issue you a license and a stamp. Then you can call yourself and Landscape Architect.
Ok, the third way is what I strongly recommend and that is a mixture of both of the above (EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION). Book smarts will never replace field knowledge. And some things you just cant learn in the field, like drainage formulas, planning principles, etc. For these you need studio time with professors and classmates. I for one grew up in this business. My parents owned a plant nursery as a child and I have worked for, managed, and owned my own landscape companies all of my life. But even though I knew a great deal from field experience I knew that the college degree would open many more doors and give me an opportunity to make far more money. And belive me, that is important. Doing something you like is great but only if you can afford to live the life that you and your family expect. A garden designer for a small design build firm will never be able to take three or four vacations with the kids to go skiing, or to see the Grand Canyon however, a senior landscape architect running a group of 4 or 5 staff may break six figures with six or seven years or loyalty and experience.
Ok so that's a lot of info and its all over the place but I hope it helps you make a decision.
You may want to check the American Society of Landscape Architect's site at www.asla.org, you can find schools listed there as well as a lot of other info.
Best of luck. Call me up if you ever need an internship in Atlanta area.
Sean J Murphy, LA,ISA, LEED AP
Please check out my blogs and articles on landscape topics like this on my websites.
http://www.seanjmurphy.com
http://amenityarchitects.com
