Crossroads- seeking professional advice
J Z
5 years ago
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Revolutionary Gardens
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need professional advice
Comments (21)Dear Jeff, I thought it might stir your imagination if I shared some examples of the "messages" churches send through their use of space. the key element in most of these examples is not plant material and may have nothing to do with your church situation. Your project sounds like it will be something different, more along the lines of a way for you to share a gift and personal interest in plants. That may be fine, if it fits with the way your church makes decisions and as long as it is done well, which is probably why you are asking for input. ButÂyour project will send a message. The question is: What will that message be? What message is sent when > Members of a church use an entrance that "everyone" knows about, except newcomers who feel lost and confused after trying the locked front door. > Members tolerate a serious odor issue--I once overheard the child of a visiting family ask, "Mom, why does it stink in here?" > Additions to a church create a rectangular structure with an exterior courtyard in its center. It is tended for years by a primary donor, but after her death the tiny garden is mowed and hacked back and left forlorn. > Three times in 10 years a congregation votes down a proposal to install an elevator with exterior access, although fewer and fewer elderly members can safely navigate the 15 or so steps to enter the sanctuary or the 11 steps to go to a fellowship dinner in the basement. Now try these > A congregation carefully thinks through how to indicate the usual entrance: signs, sidewalks, greeters. > A congregation debates intensely the merits of putting in additional parking, creating a playground, or providing a memorial garden to honor the memory of members who have died. They decide on a capital fund drive to purchase a neighboring property so they can increase parking. They will build the play area on the existing property to meet a community need. > A congregation in rural Illinois discovers a desire to deepen its spiritual life and builds a prayer labyrinth in the neighboring cornfield (acreage belonging to the church). They invite the region to make use of this experience. The income from harvesting the corn goes toward local mission efforts. So, I guess I'm wondering what message your congregation feels called to send to its community? Wellspring...See Moreseeking some career advice
Comments (24)Do yourself a HUGE favor...bite the bullet, deal with your impatience, enroll in U of Guelph, and earn your MLA. I'm new around here, thus the late response...but I feel I'm qualified to give you some career advice. I'm a managing partner/owner (and RLA) in a Landscape Architecture and Civil Engineering firm. I'll be very frank with my response...my hope is that you'll take it seriously and not be offended. If I were to get a resume from you with the MLD from Conway as your highest level of education (along with your BA History of course), I wouldn't give you a second thought. With a promising cover letter, I MIGHT peruse your info to find out more about the Conway education but you would not be a candidate for any job openings. With the current massive layoffs in the industry, you will be up against some of the top talent in the field...believe me - I've already laid them off or seen their recently brushed off resumes. To sit for the LARE, in MOST states/provinces you'll have to ALREADY have completed 2+ years of apprenticeship under a licensed landscape architect. On top of that you'll be required to have a BLA or MLA from a CLARB accredited school (schools have to renew their accredidation with CLARB every few years and that in itself is no cakewalk for the institution). There are sometimes (depending on state/province) ways around the education part, and you could very well qualify with your work experience...BUT... And then of course is the test...I worked with a person who sat for it numerous times during a 15+ year career before passing (wasn't good with the grading and construction sections but was a great conceptual designer). And that's just the licensing part. Reading your posts, I believe you're ready to go into a MLA program...and I recommend and encourage you to do so if you're serious about this: "primary interest is along the lines of large scale design, subdivisions, parks, resorts etc." You will never do that type work without being a LICENSED/REGISTERED LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. The profession is so much broader and truly design-based than plants, patios, and pergolas. I think you've realized that whether you know it or not. When I was in school, we students had an inside joke...we thought it was easier to get a degree in landscape archtecture than it was to quadruple-major in art, horticulture, engineering, and ecology. And for some perspective, you mention "2 of the 3 projects are on a scale that far exceeds garden design or even residential layouts..." In my BLA program (and I'm sure is the same across the board), we would do 4-6 projects on a scale that far exceeds garden design or even residential layouts in one class (each semester)...and that was only our studio course, which was on top of a couple of lecture classes and/or core-related electives. I could go on and on with reasons why you should get your MLA over the Conway certificate, but I don't want to wear my fingers out typing (I've got a little sketching to do tomorrow)...just do yourself, your significant other, and future family a favor and complete your education to prepare you for what (I think) you truly want to do. A few final and perhaps random thoughts: - You mention putting a time constraint on what you want to achieve...with the time constraint you'll never achieve your goal of designing subdivisions, resorts, parks, etc. - Listen to DD when he talks about the rules...they are in place and you have to play by them. - The Univ. of Guelph will prepare you for a great career in Landscape Architecture...my best employee (who I've unfortunately had to lay off) is a graduate and is an extremely talented designer who understands the design process and is effective at commuunicating his design intent, which is always very well thought out. Of all my employees, I think his education prepared him better than most. - You've got to quit equating "landscaping" and "landscape design" with "landscape architecture"...they are two totally different things and are on very different levels. You must embrace that fact. - And on plantings, planting design, and the horticulture end of our profession... There's currently great debate regarding how plants and planting design fit into our profession and if it is or isn't being given it's proper attention. I'm of the opinion that unfortunately it's on its way to being a lost art. IMO, it's our greatest medium, but too many don't appreciate and understand plants as well as they should; and many RLAs deal very minimally with plants and focus instead on other aspects and scales of the profession where individual plants don't come into play . Plantings are VERY IMPORTANT to my designs, but only about 10% of the work I do actually involves plantings...the rest is planning (at varying scales and phases), rezoning, grading/drainage design, hardscape design, construction administration/observation, coordination of plans and designs with other consultants, water quality strategy with my PEs, etc, etc. - Pick up a few books to see if they peak your interest...if so, enroll in Guelph...try these: Landscape Architecture: A Manual of Site Planning and Design by John O. Simonds Site Analysis: Linking Program and Concept in Land Planning and Design by James A. LaGro Jr Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces by William H. Whyte Those are a few...there are many more. Good Luck!...See MoreGranite Cleaning: Free Advice from a Stone Care Professional
Comments (2)This is great information! Thank you so much!...See MoreMicrowave Install / Granite Backsplash / Seeking Advice
Comments (2)Have a granite fabricator cut off the extra granite there, or you can’t make the bracket hang evenly. Keep the piece. Then drill the wall without granite. A small job premium and specialty skill set means that you’ll likely pay $200-$400 to have that done. Look around at the rest of you stone and see if you have any vhips that need filling, or smoothing out. Or look at your bath vanities and see if you’d want to replace any. If you can make it a bit bigger job, you’ll get a bit more bang for the money spent....See MoreJoe BigBlue
5 years agoDig Doug's Designs
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years agoDig Doug's Designs
5 years agoRevolutionary Gardens
5 years agoJ Z
5 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years agoJ Z
5 years agoRevolutionary Gardens
5 years ago
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