Agent of the Client

walkway was subdivided into units representing individual personal space. The larger intersection that can accommodate 16–20 students is given a personal scale by subdividing the width of the walkways into smaller units. The designer for the original drawing used an engineering scale, prepared at 20- or perhaps 40-scale. One can critique the design by saying that the designer brought the scale of the expansive walk built to carry a large number of people down to the individual human scale by establishing a detailing module that roughly approximates the personal space of a single student. So the word “scale” can be an object: a ruler or it can be a term that refers to proportions of space in relation to a person or group of people. And it can refer to the proportional scale used to create the drawing of the walk. Landscape architects in America use two scale systems: engineer and architect. An engineer’s scale divides units into tens or multiples of 10. 10-scale means one inch equals 10 feet. 20 scale means one inch equals 20 feet. In the case of an architect’s scale, units of measurement are in fractions. For instance, 3/4 scale means 3/4 inch equals 1 actual foot. 1/8th scale means every 1/8th inch equals 1 foot on the ground. An architect’s scale is used for almost all drawings involving buildings. Drawings that involve primarily earthwork such as Figure 2.1 A: A pedestrian walkway on the UCLA campus in grading, drainage, and road design would use an Los Angeles, California; B: An engineer’s scale used to measure engineer’s scale. A landscape architect and land-distance on a USGS topographic (or quad) map. scape contractor need to be equally conversant using both scales. A landscape architect would prepare drawings in a construction package that included both scales. There are conventions that professionals follow that dictate which scale is appropriate for each type or subject of a drawing. While earthwork and associated elements would be drawn using an engineer’s scale, and buildings and other structures would use an architect’s scale, details, such as for a deck, wall, or fountain, are typically drawn using an architect’s scale. Confusing, yes, at first, but eventually the type of scale used becomes second nature. Landscape architects who practice in countries that use the metric system have it much easier: one measuring system, one set of scales: metric.

The word agent used in landscape architecture identifies a role quite different from Agent 007 of the James Bond character in the movies. Once students graduate, they advance to their professional training as interns or entry-level employees. Gradually the students (who are now part of the office professional staff) gain more contact with clients with whom the office is contracted to work. As they begin to interact with clients, the question of whether or not a project solution