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Landscape architects design yards, parks, golf courses,
and any other residential or commercial landscape. They
plan the locations of trees, flowers, roads, walkways,
buildings, and drainage. Their goal is to create a land-
scape that is functional and healthy as well as beautiful.
Landscape architects also collaborate with environ-
mental scientists and foresters to find the best ways to
conserve or restore natural resources. They might find
ways to conserve existing trees, for example, or to create
healthy environments for native plants and animals. Some
landscape architects design lawns and other residential
properties, but most concentrate on designing commercial
parks; public works projects, such as airports and high-
ways; and other large-scale projects that require a land-
scape architect’s technical expertise.
When starting a project, landscape architects meet
with their clients to find out what kind of environment
they want, what it will be used for, and what it should
look like. Landscape architects research local environ-
mental and other regulations to determine the feasibility
of ideas.
Then, landscape architects create detailed plans
using computer-aided design (CAD) software, a drawing
program that helps them to determine the correct grading
of inclines and calculate the amount of soil that needs to
be removed from or added to the site. The plans address
issues of topography and grading at the site–its hills,
valleys, and other variations in height.
Landscape architects also address structural issues,
such as the placement and building of retaining walls.
Other planning experts, including building architects,
surveyors, engineers, and environmental scientists, work
with landscape architects to make decisions about the ar-
rangement of roads and buildings.
Much of landscape architects’ time working on proj-
ects is spent indoors–creating designs on computers, do-
ing research, developing budgets and cost estimates, and
meeting with clients and other professionals. But these
architects also spend time outdoors, visiting landscape
sites and monitoring each project’s progress.
Qualifications and training. Landscape architects
should be creative and artistic. And because they work
with clients and other professionals, landscape architects
must have strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Among occupations in the green industry, landscape
architects have the most stringent entry requirements.
Forty-seven States require landscape architects to be
licensed. And although exact criteria for licensure vary
by State, landscape architects are usually required to have
at least a bachelor’s degree and to pass a licensing exam
administered by the Council of Landscape Architectural
Registration Boards. Some States require and administer
an additional exam that covers local laws and regulations.
Bachelor’s degree programs for landscape architects
usually include courses in surveying, construction, site
design, ecology, soil and plant science, and geology.
Many landscape architects also study business, which
may be particularly useful in this occupation because
more than one-fifth of the workers are self-employed.
Earnings. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS), landscape architects who worked for a
wage or salary had median annual earnings of $53,120
in May 2004. Half of these workers
earned between $40,930 and $70,400.
The top-earning 10 percent made
more than $90,850; the lowest earning
10 percent made less than $32,390.
BLS does not have earnings data on
self-employed landscape architects.
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