Collaboration

Landscape design contributes to a healthier environment:

❍ water conservation and water quality ❍ best management practices ❍ reduction and mitigation of flooding ❍ increase in biodiversity ❍ bio-remediation.

Landscape design has become an integral component in the route selection, planning, and design of various infrastructure systems, including transportation, public works, utilities, and others.

Earlier in this book the question was raised whether landscape architecture was an art or a science. Considering the art half of the answer, the romanticized notion of the lone artist working in his/her loft studio may not fully characterize how one might actually practice the profession.10 The complexity and broad potential impacts of most design and planning projects that landscape architects are involved with today have come to require multiple disciplines working together in transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary teams. While the landscape architect might work alone in an urban loft, nowadays working collaboratively, perhaps electronically connected, has become the norm. Regardless of where one works—an office loft or any workplace environment—the designer is required to have the capability to communicate and interact with others either in person or electronically.

It is common for landscape architects to work with other design professionals on projects, with each having their defined areas of responsibility. Generally the landscape architect is responsible for the areas outside the building or other structure footprint that require coordination with the building architect. A project might also have roads, parking lots, storm drains and sewers, and electrical requirements, thus requiring coordination with various engineering disciplines, such as civil, electrical, structural, and geotechnical engineers. Depending on the project type, other consultants may be involved, for instance, biologists or water quality specialists for projects with wetland and habitat renewal requirements. Just as in the field of medicine, the growth of specialization is creating niche professionals. Landscape architects find themselves establishing niche areas of specialization in the contemporary and globalized practice of planning and design.

The ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with other specialist and allied professionals is a valuable skill. Working with others can be rewarding professionally and personally. Working effectively with others is a highly desired attribute and those who do well are highly sought after. There is the opportunity to learn from others that ultimately will increase one’s professional influence.