Essay on Landscape Architecture

Page 1

LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

An Essay on Landscape Architecture

Assessment 1 Essay By Darren Nankervis


LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

Contents Page

Section

Page Number

Contents.

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Introduction – In The Beginning...

1

Developing and Promoting Skills in a Recession

1

A Representative Body

5

Promotion and Advocacy

7

Developing the Profession

10

Conclusion

12

Bibliography.

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Written Sources

13

Internet Sources

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

LC401 Assessment 1: An Essay on Landscape Architecture By Darren Nankervis

In the beginning... Since I was a child making miniature landscapes for toy cars in the back garden, I have always

had a love of designing spaces, and it was inevitable that I would eventually pursue a career in

landscape architecture. However, a lack of awareness on the part of my school of the profession of landscape architecture led me to spend over a decade working and training in horticulture. When I was finally introduced to the subject as a module in an HND in Horticulture and

European studies at Bridgwater College, It dawned on me that this was my real area of interest. This paper gives my views on the effect of the downturn on the landscape architect profession

for recent graduates. There is an emphasis on ideas for the way that skills and technology could be developed via the Landscape Institute, and an exploration of trends that are affecting the direction of the profession. I am also interested in the need for increased advocacy from all members of the institute.

Developing and Promoting Skills in a Recession After graduating with a degree in landscape architecture, I found the first step to securing a year's outplacement a daunting prospect, a sense that it would be ‘sink or swim`. Between

graduating and then starting my postgraduate diploma I was employed first at Greenway L.A. in Worcester, and then Illman Young Design in Cheltenham. I was able to gain valuable experience

at both practices, but in both instances I was laid off as a result of a cost-cutting as the recession began to bite and contracts became harder to come by. With the current economic climate it is clear there are fewer employers taking on new staff and those that are doing so are picking highly qualified candidates rather than recent graduates.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

Many practices are also laying off their more recently qualified staff and retaining those with greater experience and higher qualifications. This is bad news for those who have yet to take their Pathway to Chartership, especially given the stiffer competition due to the increased

numbers of students encouraged to the subject by the 'I want to be a Landscape Architect'

campaign. This campaign is a good news story, but it could also be seen as being behind the

curve of the recent decade-long economic boom, because a 19% increase in student numbers are having to compete for a smaller amount of places. Compared to just a few years ago, graduate shows now attract fewer businesses interested in developing the careers of prospective graduates.

The Landscape Institute has possible grounds for optimism however, as the Commission for

Architecture and the Built Environment’s ‘Green Space Skills Survey’ (Jul 2009) show those that

have found it difficult to recruit a landscape architects stands at 14.9% overall, the highest

percentage for any profession in the sector. The CABE skills gap findings rate the importance of several landscape architect roles as the highest in a list of 39 skills for the green space sector, including the following key skills: • • •

planning for sustainability and climate change,

engaging with the public about green space matters

design / managing for sustainability and climate change

It is possible that the Landscape Institute has thus some grounds for optimism, despite a

possible oversupply of new students. The question is will graduates leave the profession when they cannot find suitable work, will they set themselves up as freelancers, or will they wait for an upturn?

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

The Landscape Institute has a responsibility to work hard to support its members and to raise the profile of the profession. There is no more important time to do this than in a recession,

since unfortunately the perception is that landscape architecture is something that can be cut

from budgets without there being particularly negative consequences. Perhaps in small isolated

incidents this might be true, but people need to remember lessons that were learned the hard way - history shows us what happens when proper planning considerations are ignored, for

example a lack of green spaces leading to poor mental and physical health, overcrowded

developments and increased effects of flooding and pollution. The Landscape Institute needs to

collaborate with others to see if it can create work opportunities. For example this could involve creating city centre improvement projects through government and council authorities such as those seen in Manchester and Sheffield in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Unfortunately

however, in the current economic and political climate, the landscape elements of projects such

as the Olympic bid are unlikely to be ring-fenced. A lobbying body is needed to promote a strong unified stance, otherwise there is the risk of cumulative small losses leading eventually to a diminution in the profession's status and an undermining of the authority of the Institute.

In my own experience I have observed postgraduate students and experienced professionals say that they lack particular application skills such as CAD or Photoshop, and have concerns

about entering the work place as a result. This would seem to apply especially to those taking

conversion courses. Is it part of the Landscape Institute's responsibility to ensure that

university courses furnish their students with all the skills required to work in practice? If so,

how can the Landscape Institute bridge this gap? I suggest the Institute needs to expand its

online resources in the ‘Knowledge Base’ section, e.g. by providing a library of video tutorials for common office procedures for CAD, Photoshop etc, and by maintaining a software forum to

enable landscape architects to pool their knowledge and find advice and support. On similar lines, the Landscape Institute could organise regular software training days or even online training seminars.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

As software becomes more sophisticated the Landscape Institute should consider liaising with

software companies to influence the design of applications that their members use. This occurs to me because I am sure many landscape architects have had to use a work-around between

applications to achieve a work-flow as smooth as if using a paper format. This results in many practices using their own different methods to achieve the same result, with the consequence

that new employees face an unnecessarily steep learning curve. For example, it would be good to see a standard set of advice notes on the Landscape Institute website similar to the one

provided for the use of photo montage in survey work, e.g. showing the conventions that should be followed when setting up CAD drawings or in using other commonly used applications.

In Horticulture Week 26 Feb. 2010 it says "the current slowdown in markets may actually allow technology to catch up". This is an ideal time for the Landscape Institute to seek ways to

consolidate what has been learned about green technologies, and to disseminate the

information to its members. The article goes on to describe how the Landscape Institute

Position Paper ‘In Making it Home: The Power of Landscape to Create Good Housing’ argues that

in new housing development that "there needs to be a reversal in the trend for quantity over quality." (Farrer et al).

It was not until I began my diploma year that I became a student member of the Landscape

Institute, and I admit this was largely due to having a promoter of student membership come to

the University to arrange a meeting for my year group. I now wonder why the delay, when I

could have joined during my degree years. This leads me to conclude that it would be better to

be offered automatic free membership for the duration of an accredited course, in the likelihood that one would continue as a paid member once one had graduated and found work in the field. This would also encourage more students at different levels to access the online forum and

knowledge base, and to be part of the institute membership before embarking on their careers.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

A Representative Body The Landscape Institute has several important functions, amongst which are: to provide support for its members; to promote the profession; to set standards; and to influence

government policy.

Access to up-to-date information is vital for practitioners, and the Institute provides a range of online and printed information services. ‘Talking Landscape’, is the forum provided by the

Institute to enable peers to share information, and it sends out a regular electronic newsletter to

keep members up to date with current events. The quarterly printed journal seems however to

be heading towards a yearbook format, as members increasingly use online services to access

information once only available in the printed magazine. The Landscape Institute could expand it’s range of online services and allow a greater flow of information, for example by offering

more online video content e.g. interviews with leading landscape architect’s from around the

world, case studies, features on best practice, news on innovations and research and even a full

online TV channel. The Landscape Institute has 6,000 members, 3000 of whom are chartered as

of June 2009, and has 532 new course applications in the current year. These figures possibly

show that there will be tough competition for work places in 2010. Work issues that concern

recent graduates are P2C mentoring, which is easy to find on the Landscape institute website,

and access to CPD which is less well defined in terms of what path to follow. When looking at

the employment services provided by the Landscape Institute It is clear that there is scope for expansion, since some of the facilities offered by employment web sites are lacking on the

Landscape institute site, such as the ability to post an online CV. I would like to see the

Landscape institute operate a clearing house that encourages more employers to advertise from different fields as it seems at present that only a portion of available job opportunities are available on the Landscape Institute website.

At present, the Landscape Institute website provides little information on working overseas. An

advice section encouraging graduates to broaden their horizons, would be good for the industry 5


LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

as a whole since greater expertise is often acquired during placements abroad. This could also

provide answer to current job shortages at home. The Landscape Institute also needs to take a

longer term pioneering role to spread the practice of the landscape profession internationally

for example by giving support to the development of a more clearly defined representative body

in countries such as Spain and Italy.

An issue that concerns many graduates and even some freelancers is their lack of experience in

developing contracts and dealing with the issues surrounding professional liability.

The Landscape Institute has developed best practice documentation that sets standards for

professional practice, such as ‘Appointing a Chartered Landscape Architect -Guidelines for Best

Value’ and "Engaging a landscape consultant - guidance for clients on fees". These are part of the

standard set of documents that, while being essential and useful, lack the element of

interactivity or role play. Those soon to graduate or who have recently entered work, would

benefit from having an online facility where they could role-play contract operations with outcomes. A virtual world like ‘Second Life’ comes to mind.

With regard to the Landscape Institute’s archive of historical documents I believe that it has a duty to protect its historic documents so that future generation can see examples of the

development of plans by luminaries such as Geoffrey Jellicoe, along with the development of the

profession as a whole. There seems to be a general acceptance of the fact that "the library and

archive collections will be placed in external storage until such time as they can be reopened by the independent trust," as stated by Neil Williamson in ‘Horticulture Week’ Dec 2009. It is to be

hoped that this important national archive will soon be made accessible to Landscape Institute members once more.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

Promotion and Advocacy The Landscape Institute needs to show that the landscape architecture profession is at the

centre of built environment and landscape, never more so with recent developments in green

infrastructure. It is the perfect time for it to promote a strong, positive image of the profession,

capitalising on the public’s increased awareness of sustainability and environmental concerns.

Although the Talking Landscape forum can be used to discuss how the Landscape Institute can promote itself, there is a danger of preaching to the converted if opinions are circulated in isolation from the outside world. With the rapid growth of online forums there should be

mechanisms that ensure a wide number of people not necessarily in the field of landscape

architecture can be drawn into debates such as quality of life and the environment. I believe the landscape institute is missing an opportunity when it cannot be found on popular sites such as

Facebook, when the search term for ‘landscape’ brings up 500+ results. Using twitter too would

enable journalist and members of the public to be alerted to the latest news in the field and for the Landscape Institute to broadcast its comments on issues of concern for the profession.

Asking a member of the public about their perception of landscape architecture, some might

bring up historic figures such as Capability Brown, or if they have a little knowledge, Geoffrey

Jellicoe. Other phrases used most often include those associated with gardeners - old fashioned,

quiet, passive, amenable, underdog to other professions, idealistic etc... At best the uninitiated often see landscape architects as a type of town planner who produces road verge planters,

trying against the odds to make the most of planting budgets. On the other hand ask a question about perception of architects and you are more likely hear the words - contemporary,

visionary, not afraid to upset status quo, controversial, producer of wealth, someone who

reflects the aspirations of clients, cities and nations. Anyone who has read the ‘Apocalyptic

Manifesto’ (Hohmman and Langhurst) should acknowledge the profession faces a great

challenge in changing public perception, but it is a battle that must be fought by all landscape 7


LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

architects who need to transform their relationship to the Landscape Institute, by challenging it

and asking more from it and engaging more with it and the public. What then can the Landscape Institute do to change the perception of the profession? Where are the industry champions to

showcase and promote landscape architecture? If Kevin McCloud can promote house design for

nearly a decade, why is nobody working with the media to create a similar production for

landscape architecture? This would also promote an ongoing national debate through

newspaper and magazine articles. At least Sky Arts 1 begins to address this with features such as `Cradle to Cradle Design’, but a Sky channel is still rather obscure in comparison to

mainstream TV. At the present time promotion seems to largely occur at various exhibitions

such as Ecobuild, but this is aimed at closely related industries where it could be suggested the maximum benefit of promotion is not to be found, although a useful platform for promoting position papers.

In promoting the landscape to prospective students, the Landscape Institute has done much

better. However, acording to an article for horticulture week 12 April 2010, Steve Cole says

"We've attended 30 UCAS Careers Fairs between 2008-10; distributed over 15,000 Landscape Institute’s careers packs; and March 2010 was the most successful month in the website's

history", but this alone does not address wider perception problems.

The Landscape Institute promotes case studies highlighting examples of best practice across the country. It can accredit university courses and lays out the pathway to chartership.

I would like to see the Landscape Institute promote guidelines on how Landscape Architects can take a more active role in their local communities, similar to the work done by Groundwork UK, and also be encourage its members to become advocates for the profession, for example by

engaging with local and national media on local and national issues, by keeping an ongoing blog

that raises awareness of local issues such as new housing developments or displays a

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

photographic record of local areas of value such as street trees, vernacular features etc. and

finally by becoming advocates for the environment itself, e.g. by joining campaigns, lobbying

MP's etc. I suspect that too many landscape architects are reluctant to make a stand on

contentious issues like Regional Spatial Strategy ‘house building allocation’, new routes for

roads, airports runways etc. because some of these projects are linked with previous or possible future clients.

My impression is that landscape architects have a tendency to become mediators in the

planning process, rather than real advocates for the landscape, for example over the threatened

loss of a local green space. Wouldn't it be to the public good that Landscape Architects had at

least some limited powers to enact planning policy as a forestry commission can with TPO’s and also added power to inform government policy through position papers?

Is it because powers to have a say on public spaces are being spread too thinly between related bodies such as CABE Space RTPI and RUDI, that the Landscape Institute is not able to get its message across as it would ideally like? Other bodies such as RIBA could be said to have a

greater presence in the public eye, through events such as the annual architect awards that area filmed for TV. One is lead to wonder why the landscape profession does not get equal attention

by the media, allowing it to raise its public profile.

Are there ways in which the Landscape Institute could also increase its support for single issue

groups such as ‘Trees and Design Action Group’ or ‘Trees for Cities’, who promote the benefits of

urban trees, which are too often seen as a nuisance. Fighting such issues becomes more

necessary in a recession, when conservation or enhancement of the environment and landscape

design skills are seen as areas that can be cut. There is a danger too that unqualified people see themselves as able to fill the role of Landscape Architects.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

The Landscape Institute needs more than ever to portray a positive image of the profession, so that is seen as funky, sustainable, contemporary and a multi-disciplinary art and science.

Developing the Profession Accountability and professionalism of the Landscape Institute has been questioned over the

past year by certain of its members, leading to acrimonious exchanges on various forums. The

main concern being around the treatment of the library archive containing original drawings by landscape architects such as Geoffrey Jellicoe and Brenda Colvin. Results from an Extraordinary General Meeting suggest that the majority of members were satisfied with the conduct of the Landscape Institute governing body, and that its guiding principles had not been unduly compromised, though perhaps many would agree a need for financial reform.

The Landscape Institute needs positive promotion about what it is doing to combat the market downturn. Comments such as "The Landscape Institute now needs to make cuts of at least

£600,000� (Alastair McCapra, Horticulture Week 12 Jan 2009), were bound to bring a negative

response. In another article, Neil Williamson acknowledged that “There is an element of

legitimate criticism"..."There has been relatively little reporting on management and financial

matters to members. Given the events of the past nine months, this state of affairs may seem

archaic and inadequate, but there has never been any attempt to hide anything from anyone."

(Horticulture Week 3 Jul 09). The Landscape Institute is clearly undergoing change due to the

financial crisis. The question is, can it move on from the debacle and emerge stronger than it

was before?

There are likely to be greater numbers of graduates that decide to become self employed

because of the current economic climate, although, in taking the Pathway to Chartership,

mentoring is easier to arrange when working in a practice than when working as a freelance. In

addition, with a greater number of graduates entering the profession, the result will be a greater 10


LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

demand for mentoring. There is evidence that if you don't get in to a practice within the first few years after graduation, you become less likely to ever take the Pathway to Chartership. The

Landscape Institute website is currently recruiting P2C examiners, and a recent posting states that there are currently 400 mentors and 29 advisors, and that approximately 180 candidates

are examined every year in May and November. The ‘I want to be a Landscape Architect

campaign’ has resulted in an increase to 532 students starting accredited courses in the current

year. The ratios seem good on paper, but is this number evenly distributed across the different branch areas? Accessibility must be a priority of the Landscape Institute to ensure this is the

case. With a cost of over £300 for Pathway to Chartership examinations, it may seem rather high for freelancers who are struggling to gain contracts.

Members of the Institute are required to undertake at least 20 hours of Continuing Professional Development per year, and to keep a record of their learning and progress. In my own

experience, the two practices I have worked for did this effectively, for example by arranging presentations, training seminars etc. The Landscape institute website has the following

definition for CPD - "The systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge

and skill, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout your working life”, and is also referred to in the Code of

Conduct – Standard 6, which says "Landscape Architects should maintain their professional

competence in areas relevant to their professional work and shall provide such educational and training support to less experienced members or students of the profession over which they have a professional or employment responsibility." The question is whether there is enough

support for sole practitioners to do this. To fill this gap, the Landscape Institute could compile a list of sources for the research of technical specifications of various products for example,

gabion walls, tree root barriers and other specialist products.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

As mentioned with reference to rehearsing issues around contracts and liability, could the

Landscape Institute offer some form of virtual real world to practice landscape architecture and be graded on one’s results, e.g. filling out a tendering form.

The Professional Practice module took one term. However, given the complexity of the subject,

it may have been more effective had it taken over a year and contained a short work experience

placement or lacking this, a work simulation exercise. In retrospect, this subject could also

perhaps be taught (in a more basic way) at degree level, since many graduates work in practice

before taking their post-graduate diploma. Accredited courses could also stage the development

of these skills, for example by starting with everyday tasks such as how to mark drawings correctly, building up to greater levels of expertise such as law etc. in the final year.

Conclusion The Landscape Institute is facing the twin challenges of the current economic downturn and the need to keep pace with and exploit new information technologies. Hopefully, following recent changes, the Landscape Institute will become a more profitable body once again, and a few

years from now a new permanent home will be found for the archive. Graduates are facing a

tough time in the jobs market and they must learn to make the most of the technology available to enhance their skills, so as to become more employable. There are glimmers of hope that we

are now in a slow upturn that will lead once again to a high demand for our services five years

from now. Until then it is a time to diversify the skills we have and find new ways in which we can all engage more fully with the public on a local and national level, and be advocates for a better quality of life.

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

Written Sources Green Space Skills Survey, Commission for Architecture the Built Environment

Local authorities boost green space skills sector, Resource for urban Design information

Stine,W, AN ESSAY : 43 THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR ENERGY FUTURE: AN ESSAY ON THE POTENTIAL FOR APPLYING SOLAR ENERGY, Mechanical Engineering

(27 May 2009) , Landscape orientated urbanism, Conference at the symposium "Ny Norsk Arkitekturpolitikk"

Meeuwsen,A, Stremke,S, Cradle to Cradle Landscapes in the Netherlands, Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Wageningen University Jola Magazine, European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS)

Ibrahim, M, , (29 Mar 2010), Landscape Institute evidence recognised in House of Commons, Hort. Week (12 April 2010), Landscape Institute campaign sees 19% increase in landscape architecture students, Horticulture Week Ibrahim, M, , (12 Jan 2009), Landscape Institute to make further ÂŁ400,000 of cuts, Horticulture Week Ian McHarg, Environmentalism in Landscape Architecture (Vol. 22 - Landscape Architecture, and Environmentalism: Ideas and Methods in Context), Dumbarton Oaks Colloquium

Dryzek, J, (1998), The Politics of the Earth: Environmental Discourses, Human Ecology Review, Vol5. No. 1, Beardsley,J,(2000), Ed. Number 12, A Word for Landscape Architecture, Harvard Design Magazine,

Ibrahim, M, , (10 Mar 2010), Landscape Institute talks on housing welcomed by Ecobuild visitors, Horticulture Week Faiks et al, (April 2001), Revisiting Riverside : A Frederick Law Olmsted Community, University of Michigan

Hohmman and Langhurst, (2004), Landscape Architecture: An Apocalyptic Manifesto , Iowa State university

(15 Jan 2010), Industry Preview 2010: Landscape design -- Edible landscapes and climate change key in year ahead, Horticulture Week Ibrahim, M, , (02 Mar 2010), Trees in Towns II author Mark Johnston to push urban tree benefits at Ecobuild, Horticulture Week (2008), Annual Review 2008-2009, Landscape Institute

(Mar 2003), Appointing a Chartered Landscape Architect – Guidelines for Best Value, Landscape Institute (Sep 2002), Engaging a Landscape Consultant - Guidance for Clients on Fees, Landscape Institute History of the Landscape Institute, Gardenvisit.com

Hopkirk,E, (May 2010), Presidential candidate vows to tackle low pay, Building Design Online

Abbott, J,(May 2010), Threat to landscape jobs could cause huge setback in climate change battle, Hort. Week Ibrahim, M, (May 2010), Landscape Institute urges members to share views on new Government planning policy, Horticulture Week What is CPD, Landscape Institute Online

US profession shows green shoots, Landscape Institute Online

Ibrahim, M, (26 Feb 2010), Analysis: Gaining time for higher-quality design, Horticulture Week

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LC401 Professional & Contextual Studies in Landscape Architecture

Internet Sources Publication / Source

Web Link

Building Design online

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/presidential-candidate-vows-to-tackle-lowpay/5000101.article

Horticulture Week

http://www.hortweek.com/

Landscape Institute

http://www.landscapeinstitute.org/members/cpd/WhatisCPD.php

RUDI

https://www.rudi.net/node/21799

European Council of Landscape Architecture Schools (ECLAS)

http://www.info-jola.de/

Iowa State university

http://www.public.iastate.edu/

Student Careers

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/links/landsarchdeg

Garden and Landscape Guide

http://www.gardenvisit.com/landscape_architecture/careers_jobs/landscape_ins titute_li_uk

Landscape Institute

http://www.landscapeinstitute.org/

Landscape Architect Forum

http://www.land8lounge.com/forum/topics/landscape-architecture-critic

Sustainable Development Research Network

http://www.sd-research.org.uk/post.php?p=1158

Resource for Urban Design http://www.rudi.net/ information Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment

http://www.cabe.org.uk/

Design Hub

http://www.dhub.org/tlc.php?id=7

American Society of Landscape Architects

http://www.asla.org/

Housing Excellence

http://www.housingexcellence.co.uk/news/hca-and-landscape-institute-joinforces-future-vision-2010-521310

Intute Online Search Service

http://www.intute.ac.uk/cgi-bin/browse.pl?id=artifact62

Garden History Society

http://www.gardenhistorysociety.org/

Parliament

http://www.parliament.uk/

'I Want to be a Landscape Architect'

http://www.iwanttobealandscapearchitect.com/

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