Landscape Architecture Resource

The final scores are in for our WLAM 2010 Contest! Congratulations to Michael Edwards of the University of Guelph (pictured), who won a $100 gift certificate to Kiva.org. His entry, Future Landscape Architect, scored the most points by April 30, 2010 at midnight Eastern Time (22 points).

Honourable mention to Donna Rodman of Our Designs Inc., our runner-up with Focus on People, Designing for People and Caring About People, scoring 18 points total.

Thanks to everyone who participated and to those who helped spread the word. We've also gained some valuable feedback and suggestions for future contests which include:

• what actually bothers you about being a landscape architect, and what should be done about it?
• what ideas do you have for improving the profession, especially in tough economic times?
• how to survive the recession?
• photo contest of your favorite tree

Any other suggestions?

What makes me proud to be a future landscape architect is the bringing together of many creative and unique ideas all aspects of life to an outdoor space. Growing up in a mining community has allowed me to witness the devastation mining has on the environment, which has created some of the worst environmental disasters in Ontario. The Kam Kotia Mine Disaster, mining tailings and the open pit mines are a few examples of areas that were destroyed in Northern Ontario. Seeing this devastation of what can happen firsthand is the cause of my passion for Landscape Architecture, being able to contribute to environmental restoration in the near future and also being involved in site planning, urban planning and design would be the coolest part of being in landscape architecture. The role of most landscape architects in the world today is to restore the land which has been changed by human consumption whether they are wetlands, fields, or forests, changing the once Brownfield, or its damaged eco system into its former green space. In the world today it is important to have an increase in the amount of green within a space. Help a once urban outdoor space that was underutilized into a dynamic space that is enjoyed by all, and also helping municipalities develop and manage their own outdoor spaces is how a landscape architect makes the world an increasing better place.

I am a BCSLA Intern and chose to answer all three:

What makes you proud to be a landscape architect?

A landscape architect can create beauty, lightness, refreshment, awareness and a conscienceness about environment and our humanity’s mutual intra-dependency on it. We can create designs with materials that are universal, natural, healthy, forgiving, and with the exception of public safety and welfare, we are not constrained as much by corners, walls, and doors. Our designs can be creative, healing, and appealing to a wide consumer group especially in outdoor spaces. What makes me proud? That landscape architects can be included in all professions: architecture, engineering, geography, planning, research, earth sciences, and life sciences.

That landscape architects come from all these professions and usually we have full career circles. The circles always seem to come back to landscape architecture, the environment and people. The circles all intersect at an important human attribute – nurturing. I started out in nursing and ended up in Landscape Architecture.

What is the coolest part of being in landscape architecture?

The coolest part is the sky is the limit if you wish to go far enough. Imagination and vision are the gifts of a good designer and a landscape architect and those will take the profession far.

How does landscape architecture make the world a better place?

In any career, you can go as far and as high as you can when you want to achieve and make that difference! Nursing taught me how to delegate, lead, give and sacrifice. Landscape architecture taught me how to bring earth, green space, beauty, healthy environments, clean air and clean water into my design work. As a person who loves nature, people and the combination thereof which embodies the profession of landscape architecture, I believe that the human body and nature are parallel and connected to each other. Healing the human body and healing landscapes are intertwined. Taking those attributes, talents, and passion and putting them into a profession, that is Landscape Architecture. Landscape Architects help everyone make a difference. We help to knit the professional world together on design projects and make that work whole for the betterment of any project.

What I love most about landscape architecture is that it made me face the truth about how humans impact the earth. I'd always hid from this fact, thinking only of the negative impacts of our industry and cultivation of the land. But landscape architecture is how we bring together art, science, design, engineering, architecture and our basic needs for human habitat to achieve beautiful, holistic, sustainable ways of building community and places that give meaning to our lives. We can't hide from the fact that our being here is changing the earth; instead we can embrace the change and do it right!

In celebration of World Landscape Architecture Month 2010, we held a contest for the month of April, 2010:

WLAM 2010: What Moves You?

We were asked to put our thoughts together on our favorite aspects of the profession and how landscape architecture is making the world a better place. The goal was to raise public awareness, inspire a new generation of landscape architects, and help educate the public, engineers and other designers, and politicians on the value of what we do and why.

The winner took home a $100 cash at Kiva.org!

Click here for contest details and more information on World Landscape Architecture Month.