How to Become a Landscape Architect

One of the common questions about this career is what does a landscape architect do and what landscape architect job description? Landscape architects design open spaces in such a manner that they are not only beautiful to look at but also highly functional. These open spaces try to not only gel well with the environment but also enhance it. Landscape architects also plan the location of office buildings, roads, parks, trees in a neighbourhood. In a career as a landscape architect, you aim to take up projects that complement the beauty of the space while providing environmental benefits. In career as landscape architect, individuals create outdoor spaces that blend well with the environment. They use natural elements such as trees and shrubs to make the surroundings attractive as well as be in harmony with nature. Landscape architects work on small as well as large landscape architecture design projects. They can design outdoors of a house and they can also design the outdoors of a business district. Students need to pursue civil engineering and architecture engineering to become landscape architects.

Site analysis

Having a career as landscpae architect, you perform site analysis by studying the climatic, geographical, historical, legal, and infrastructural context of a particular site. Site analysis is a highlight the most important of architectural and urban design processes devoted to the evaluation of a particular site's surrounding environment, geographic, historical, legal, and infrastructure development context.

Land planning

In a career as a landscape architect, you monitor and supervise the piece of land that has to be used for construction to produce more desirable social and environmental outcomes, it also aims for more efficient use of resources. Land planning is the method of managing property being used in an attempt to facilitate more favourable environmental and social performance, and also enhanced resource efficiency.

Grading

In a career as a landscpae architect, you monitor and supervise the piece of land that has to be used for construction to produce more desirable social and environmental outcomes, it also aims for more efficient use of resources. Land planning is the method of managing property being used in an attempt to facilitate more favourable environmental and social performance, and also enhanced resource efficiency.

Stormwater management

They are also important in reducing the stormwater into streets, lawns and other sites. Stormwater control includes managing the water that drains out. It could be implemented in remote regions although it is extremely important in urban areas. Traditional management of stormwater was largely for draining away high peak flows.

Attend meetings

Having a career as landscape architect, you are involved in meeting with various clients, engineers, and building architects to understand the requirements of the project. Meeting with individuals involves communication the ability to get others to talk about themselves, rather than making them listen. Expressing confidence in someone makes the other person feel more comfortable, and enhances their morale. It also creates a condition in which the other individual experiences compelled to reciprocate.

Budgeting

In a career as landscaoe architect, you estimate the amount of cost required in the completion of the whole project. You are also involved in planning the project as per budget. The estimation of costs is an estimation of a plan, project, or operating expense. The estimated cost is the result of the method of calculating expenses. The estimated cost does indeed have a single investment impact, and the component values can be recognizable.

Design and development

A landscape architecture designs the graphic representations of plans for visualization on CAD (computer-aided-design) software. Architects design structures like houses or commercial buildings, whereas landscape architects, construct designs around structures for the outdoor spaces. They can design a public park at a school or corporation, or plan the grounds.

There are several types of alternative careers for landscape architects. We have provided below a list of landscapists career options that aspiring individuals may opt to upgrade their knowledge. 

Architect: An architect is a person who plans as well as designs the construction of a building or other structures as well. An architect aims at creating the best possible building plans in the available space. An architect makes the visual design plan of the building before the construction begins. The design is made according to the preferences of the client the architect is working for.

Civil Engineer: A civil engineer builds comfort accessories that are required by the civilians of the place which can make their transportation as well as living easier. The job of a civil engineer is to plan, design, supervise, and construct several projects under the public and private sectors. A civil engineer builds infrastructure like roads, bridges, dams, sewage systems, airports, tunnels, and several other projects. 

Construction Manager: A construction site is supervised as well as managed by a construction manager. The job of a construction manager is to make sure that the labourers, as well as the contractors, are doing their duties properly at the site of construction. They aim at making the most cost-effective plan for completing the construction within the given time and budget as provided by the client.

Drafters: A drafter is a visual artist who has specialized knowledge in the field of artistic drawing. Their job is to make technical drawings of machinery, buildings, or infrastructure under the guidance of an architect. They make detailed technical drawings that help in a better understanding of the construction plan made by the architect.

Also read:  Career as  Interior Architect

Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect spend quite a lot of their time in offices, where they plan and design the whole scheme and architecture and spend the rest of their time doing on-field research and managing the staff. They are required to work on the field experiencing the raw weather conditions and surviving the external factors along with the work pressure.

Does Landscape Architect require travelling?

Not Likely

In career as landscape architect, individuals spend most of their time in the office, they are required to travel to their job sites. Travelling can be a major part of a landscapist job depending on the job site they are required to work on. The amount of travelling depends on the location of their Jobsite and the amount of work they are required to do. If the project site is situated far from the city, then the travelling portion is automatically increased.

Employment Shifts

Full Time

A career as a landscape architect requires you to work full-time usually from 9 am to 5 pm. Depending upon the type of work, fewer times landscapers required to work in certain shifts or overtime. Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect are offered both permanent and contractual jobs are available in the profession.

Employment Nature

Contractual, Permanent

There is both types of employment opportunities exist in the career as landscaper architect. Experienced landscapist may work on a freelance basis or a contractual basis on specific projects. In career as landscape architect, individuals usually work full-time on a permanent basis to gain up experience and improve their skills over time. 

Work Place

Office, jobsite

They work in the office and on the jobsite. Hence, the workplace depends on the jobsite. Weekly work hours: 40-45 hours per week.

Presence in Geographical Area

Rural, Urban

The work that landscape architects are required to do, and the service that they provide tends to cover both urban and rural areas. Currently, urbanisation is at its peak in India. There are  many companies, industries, even private contractors and builders who are creating infrastructures with the speed of light. There are a lot of job opportunities available in tier-1 cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Benguluru. Although, these places have already been developed and hence the demand for landscape architects is expected to grow more in tier-2 cities like Indore, Bhopal, Nasik and Lucknow.

Time Pressure

Likely

Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect are required to work full-time. However, one who is positioned for a senior post might feel some time pressure because of his/her duties. Apart from this, a landscape architect rarely faces any time pressure. When they are working in the field, experiencing raw weather conditions and surviving external factors can result in a little time pressure.

Overtime Details

Although landscape architects spend most of their time in office, they are required to travel to their job sites. And traveling sometimes causes them to work for long hours under stressful conditions. The chances of landscape architects working overtime are considered as 50-50.

Weekly Hours of Work

Min 40 Hours

Landscape architect work hours vary depending on the project they are working on and required site visits, travel distance and other factors. Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect projects require a lot of time. In an office environment, landscapists usually work 40 hours per week. 

Here we will discuss how to become a landscape architect. Landscape architect career path requires a lot of skills and abilities to work in the industry. There are several requirements to become a Landscape Architect. Possessing specific skill sets is one of the main requirements. We have provided below major Landscape Architect skills that you may acquire in landscape architect career path. 

Creativity: Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect are professions that demand one to be creative and exhibit it in his/her work. The power of imagination is what one needs to succeed in this field. The ability to visualise a project, the capability to be open to new ideas or ways of looking at things, curiosity to envision the potential in a place, the ability to imagine multiple scenarios, and most importantly, the ability to think three-dimensionally. These are a few creative skills that one needs to acquire in order to become a sage Landscape architect. 

Project management: A Landscape architect is responsible to control, plan, and manage the overall strategy while working on any project. Therefore, one must be profound in planning and managing the complete process from starting to the end. In career as landscape architect, individuals must be able to plan and create an effective strategy, should have decision-making skills, leadership quality, problem-solving skills, should know how to manage time, how to control and motivate the team while leading them. In addition to these, one must have excellent organizational skills i.e. one should be able to allocate and arrange resources for the successful implementation of the plan. It is one of the important managerial skills. It helps them to determine the list of pending tasks, combine them into jobs, and group the jobs into units giving a form to the organization’s structure.

Attention to detail: As a Landscape Architect, the job needs one to be precise and detail-oriented towards the work you’re doing. This skill helps one to notice small but important details that others might not notice. It is helpful to have an eye for detail while building a house. Paying attention to details is a skill that needs to be acquired and just like other skills and just like other skills, it requires diligent practice.

Analytical skills: One must understand the concept of designs. One must be able to provide solutions to unanticipated challenges. Individuals who opt for a career as a landscape architect must be able to collect and analyze the information. Analytical skills are important while detecting patterns, integrating new information, theorizing, and making decisions based on multiple factors and options available. It helps them to evaluate information and then make decisions that help solve problems. These skills might sound technical but these skills are used in everyday work in a Landscape architect career. 

Communication skills: Being able to communicate properly not only helps professionally but also personally. Communication skills are what one needs to speak appropriately with a wide variety of people whilst maintaining good eye contact. It ensures that one is able to manage interactions and businesses and organisations. Having strong analytical skills is worthless if one cannot share his/her analysis with others. In career as landscape architect, individuals must be effective communicators who can explain the patterns that they observe in things around them. Sometimes, a landscape architect would be required to explain information orally in a meeting or presentation. Other times, one might be required to write a report. Hence, lacking communication skills is non-negotiable. 

Empathy: As a landscape architect, one must incorporate planning, execution, and implementation procedures within a broader sustainability framework i.e. internalising the externalities of a project. It is the responsibility of landscape architects to keep into consideration the social aspects as well as environmental factors that are being affected because of the project. A landscaper is in charge of creating models compatible with the essence of localities. These models are required to be sustainable, both environmentally and socially. 

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We have provided below certification courses that aspiring individuals who want to opt for a career as landscape architects can pursue to upgrade their skills and knowledge. 

You may opt for numerous jobs with varying titles while progressing in your landscape architect career path. We have provided below some of the major landscape architecture career progression roles offered in the industry. 

Design Staff: Design staff is an entry-level position on the pathway to licensure with less than two years of experience. As a design staff, one assists senior designers with the development of design solutions, researches and selects colour/finishes/material, performs site surveys, maintains resource materials. They develop designs and provide technical solutions under the supervision of an architect. Design staff perform specific portions of assignments using prescribed methods. The average salary of a design staff in India is four lakhs per annum which certainly grows with the gain inexperience.  

Design Associate: A design associate is a person with 3-6 years of experience in the field of architecture and designing working as design staff. One works under senior architects and is responsible for specific technical design aspects of an assigned project including investigation, evaluation, and recommendation of design solutions. One performs assignments under direction with limited responsibility for design. One provides professional architectural consultation in the planning, design, and coordination of large, complex projects. One can make independent decisions for significant design architectural problems. One also reviews and approves conceptual designs.  One carries out complex or novel assignments requiring the development of new or improved techniques and procedures. The average salary for design associates is between 6-8 lakhs per annum. 

Project Manager: The project manager is responsible for managing all the aspects of multiple small to mid-sized projects. One prepares strategic plans for project success. One is responsible for the coordination of all project efforts, administrative and technical, to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective execution of assigned projects. One serves as a primary client liaison to bring the schedule, budget and scope of work to completion and to the client’s satisfaction. Actively manages client budgets, schedules and programs; project communications and documentation; office administrative tasks; and project team assignments. One also estimates fees, determines the scope of works, and prepares proposals and contracts. The average salary of a project manager is between Rs. 10-12 lakhs per annum which expands up to  Rs. 30 lacs depending upon the skills of an individual and the tasks assigned.

Senior Project Manager: A senior project manager is a person with the experience of project manager for the duration of 8-10 years. One handles the most complex projects of large magnitude. One is responsible for the coordination of all project efforts, administrative and technical, to ensure the most efficient and cost-effective execution of assigned projects. Senior project manager prepares strategic plans for project success and provides oversight and monitoring of work of less experienced project managers. The average salary of a senior project manager is Rs. 14-15 lakhs per annum. 

Project Designer: A project designer is a person with 5-10 years of experience as a senior project manager. Project designer works independently on architectural design projects and often coordinates project design efforts, develop planning and creative-design concepts for projects. Prepares presentation and design drawings and details. One performs project communications and documentation, office administrative tasks and project team assignments. 

Senior Project Designer: Senior project designer is a technical head of all the architectural work that has to be done for a certain project. A senior project designer develops solutions and creates project designs and plans for clients. One initiates and creates project design and plans of all phases of one or more projects and has responsibility for preparing presentation and design drawings. Senior project designer coordinates all trades and agencies related to building design while monitoring drawings. The average salary of a Senior Project designer is between Rs. 8-10 lakhs per annum.

Also read - Career as an urban planner

Landscape architecture career in India is a profession that plays an important role in designing and developing projects, with respect to the environment. Landscape architect in India has a lot of scope of landscaping. There are several job outlets available in certain organizations such as architectural engineers, historians, building researchers, draftsmen, interior designers, section engineers, technologists, art directors, contractors, inspectors, planners. Various architect firms, consultancies, and government organizations have several positions open at all times of the year. There are both public and government organizations that offer landscape architecture jobs such as archaeological department, central and state public work department, city development authorities, department of railways, housing and urban development corporations, ministry of defence, municipalities, national building organizations, national institute of urban affairs and housing, public works departments and state housing boards. 

One starts as design staff. After gaining some experience one can become a design associate. After gaining experience of about eight years, one can become a project manager and then go on to become a senior project manager. One can also become a project designer and then finally a senior project designer. One can also work independently and take up projects according to one’s liking and preference. 

The landscape architect career is expected to grow at a rate of four per cent which is the same as the average for all occupations. The undeniable requirement of planning and developing new and existing landscapes for commercial, industrial, and residential construction projects is expected to drive employment growth. Also, in the near future, environmental concerns will grow exponentially which will lead to increased demand for sustainably designed buildings, and open spaces should spur demand for the services of landscape architects. For instance, a landscape architecture career in India is the one that designs green roofs, which are covered with vegetation and help reduce air and water pollution as well as decrease the cost of heating and cooling a building. 

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