How to Become a Landscape Architect – EnvironmentalScience

The actual term landscape architecture became common after 1863 when Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed New York's Central Park. Today, landscape architects blend science and art, vision and thought to understand how the environment works and determine how to deal with the increasingly complex relationships between the built and natural environments.

Landscape Architects work with the man-made and natural environment to create wildlife habitats, innovative spaces, install sustainable infrastructure and thriving communities. Landscape Architects work in urban and rural landscapes and require the use of design, technical skills, management, ecology, problem solving and innovation across multiple projects and tasks.

The main disciplines within landscape architecture are landscape design, landscape planning, landscape management, urban design and academia. A professional landscape architect has the skills and training to combine art and design and to consider physical, social, economic, political and cultural factors to generate creative solutions for our urban and natural environments.

Expertise is required across design, geography, science, engineering, art, horticulture, technology, social sciences, politics, history, philosophy, project management and contract law.

Landscape architects may be employed to plan, design and project manage for public and private spaces such as single and multi residential areas, public parks, playgrounds, university and government campuses, shopping centers, golf courses, waterways, public gardens, roads and highways and industrial parks. Other areas of work include visual impact assessment, expert witness, natural and resource management, parks and wildlife, urban regeneration, townscapes and streetscapes.

Landscape Architecture is an important career because it helps make the world more livable, protect the environment and has a focus on creativity and design.

Landscape Architects work for government, councils, developers, contractors, major landowners and local authorities. Projects may be of a small neighborhood scale or city region scale.

Landscape architects work in offices, studios, and outdoors. While most of the actual drawing of designs takes place in an office environment, landscape architects must also visit clients to assess sites - and gather information on soil type, pre-existing vegetation and the shape of the land. Landscape architects generally work standard office hours, however when working with deadlines they may also have to work weekends and evenings. Landscape architects often work as part of a team and also have to interact with clients, other architects, engineers, community members, contractors, and anyone else involved with a particular project.

The median salary range for a Landscape Architect is $64,180 USD per year or $30.86 per hour. Employment for Landscape Architecture is growing at a rate 14% higher than the average growth for all occupations. This growth is largely due to the planning and development of new projects globally and redevelopment of existing landscapes to accommodate increased growth.

Table data taken from BLS (http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes171012.htm)

Landscape Architects require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree in Landscape Architecture. A graduate degree in Landscape Architecture is also required to build and develop in this career.

Landscape Architects are also required to practice as a Landscape Architect. This licensing varies in each country. In the US, the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) develops and administers licenses, and also maintains current information on the various states' licensing requirements.

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How to Become a Landscape Architect - EnvironmentalScience