- Landscape architects work with the natural surroundings of a raw area to create a beautiful and functional design. They must decide where to place objects such as trees, flowers and walkways in different areas like public parks or sports fields in order to make these places more accessible and enjoyable to the public. Landscape architects work closely with surveyors, engineers and architects to complete the production and design of many different types of areas.
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A landscape architect starts a typical workday early in the morning, around 9 a.m., and begins by taking care of any pending projects or starting new projects. The architect may spend a few hours in his office arranging meetings or making important calls and sending work emails. Later in the morning, he will visit an area that needs to be designed. He spends a significant amount of time surveying the raw area, paying attention to the size of the area, nearby buildings or landmarks, the plants that grow naturally in the area, any existing roads and other factors that will influence the ultimate design.
Once the idea for the design is in place, the landscape architect will spend the afternoon and later part of the day sketching the entire design, putting it down on paper for others to be able to get an idea of the final plan as well. Sometimes, he may even make small, three-dimensional models of the design. Finally, landscape architects must be at hand to supervise the construction of the area and the implementation of the design to the landscape, which may take several weeks or even months. As the project is underway, the landscape architect will spend most of his typical workday overseeing the project until its completion. This will entail supervising all other workers, making sure the details stay close to the original design, making any necessary changes and ensuring that the project stays within the budget. A typical workday is usually 8 hours. - Landscape architects need at least a bachelor's degree in landscape architecture or a related field. Moreover, most states require that an architect be licensed or certified, which requires satisfactorily passing a state-issued exam much like lawyers or doctors. Other qualifications include being able to communicate well verbally and in writing, being a good communicator, having creative or artistic talent and having an appreciation for nature.
