What’s in a name (specifically “Landscape Architect”)?

Common Misconceptions:
The longer my mentor, Roy Ashley, practiced landscape architecture, the more aggravated he became regarding the inadequate name of our profession.  If you’re a landscape architect, you know the widespread misunderstanding of what we really do for a living.  Spring is not necessarily our busiest time of the year!  Roy finally removed the term from his business cards and letterhead, replacing it with other descriptors; design consultants, master planners, theming experts.  While some landscape architects might like to talk about why the grass isn’t growing in your backyard or what type of tree to plant in front, that’s not really what we do-at least not all of us.  In spite of this dilemma, I’ve chosen to maintain my professional title. Did Frederick Law Olmsted (the father our profession) really have it all wrong?  It seems architects have achieved some mythical status in the public’s eye.  Is our title too lofty with its tie-in to architecture while not being true to all we do…or is it just right?

Equal Parts-Science and Art:
Whether it’s considering storm water runoff for an urban plaza, picking a plant palette for a roof garden, thoughtful site design to save existing trees, or manipulating patterns of sun and shade, it is always about creating a place that functions efficiently while appealing to the senses.  The systems that make up such a new space are dynamic pieces of an environment, either man-made or natural.  From pedestrian and vehicular circulation to hard and soft surface treatments, there should be interconnections.  These relationships make a place work for those that use it.  And these systems connect to it’s surroundings on a larger scale.  But, basic function is not enough.  As a landscape architect I try to consider the appeal a place has to anyone experiencing it.  How does it make us feel?  Does it touch our senses?  Are we comfortable, both physically and mentally?  Are we able to do what we want or need?

Anytime one has direct influence on the environment, there is an obligation to act artfully in every sense, for every sense, both technically and aesthetically.