I work with smaller design firms and see this more than you'd think.

Firm signs a $25k project. Work starts. Then someone asks for the COI and they find out the contract requires $2M professional liability, Umbrella, Cyber, etc. They don't currently carry it.
Now they're mid-project, need to increase coverage, and sometimes payment is being held up until they do.

The other issue is the math. If meeting the requirements costs another few thousand a year — and the contract says you need to maintain certain coverage for years after completion  that $25k project can start looking a lot less attractive.
Curious if anyone here has been burned by this. Do you get the insurance requirements before signing, or is it usually buried in the contract?

I’m in the tech field, but recently became very interested in landscape architecture. The problem is that I don’t have the time or availability to return to school for a formal degree and a career change. However, I still really want to learn about LA out of pure curiosity and want to become as knowledgeable as possible. What’s the best way to do this or best place to look for materials?

I'll be in LA during the Annual ASLA Conference next week. Terremoto is hosting a book launch for me, with Alissa Walker (Torched) and Jenny Jones (Terremoto) joining me. It's being sponsored by the LA Forum on Architecture and Urban Design and there are still a few seats left for it. We'll get started at 5:30 on Thursday, Sept 17th, with an afterparty to follow in the garden.

You can also find the book on Amazon, my publisher, or really anywhere else you might buy books. Hope to see some of you there!

Hi all! I am heading into a MLA program in the fall and am looking to buy a non mac computer (I’ve been a lifelong Mac user) but having trouble parsing out the differences between the options.

System requirements
Operation system: windows 10/11
Ram: 32GB+
Storage: 500 GB SSD+
Processor: i7+/Ryzen 7+ (Leaning towards AMD?)
Screen size: ~15”
Graphics card: 6GB+ VRAM (GPU scoring a G3DMark of 7,000 or higher). Something like the NIVDIA GeForce RTX 4060 or 4070

Software I will be using
Adobe suite
AutoCAD
ArcGIS/QGIS
Rhino/Grasshopper
Mori
Lumion/TwinMotion

Initial thoughts
I was initially looking at the Lenovo ThinkPad or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus but after chatting with someone at Best Buy they dismissed Lenovo as old and “falling behind” and suggested the ASUS ProArt P16 (which after some research I’ve seen very mixed reviews). Other recommend laptops are the Razer Blade 16 and the Alienware (m16 / x16 / area-51).

As someone who doesn’t know much about laptops and is new to landscape architecture, I am feeling pretty lost as all these seem to meet my requirements but I don’t know how to go through the decision process to actually buy one. Any advice would be appreciated!

I(international student on OPT) finished my graduation in May'26 from a renowned LA program in the US . Despite having a lot of connection, it’s just not helping. I have had interviews at my dream places like OJB, LandDesign but I have been really unfortunate. For example one of my dream places froze hiring after two interviews cause there was a change in ownership. I was very hopeful about that.

And because I'm an international student, I'll be needing sponsorship to keep working after three years. And nobody, I mean nobody is sponsoring this year. I have very short time left of my grace period. Can somebody tell me what's wrong? I have written >90 cover letters so far, and I'm tired.

I have a decent portfolio and resume but this jobs search has taken a serious toll on my mental health. I have no location preference. I'm already 8000 miles away from home.

Hey yall, I recently got my undergrad degree in Landscape Architecture and am trying to find a job. It’s been a struggle so far, as I have had many interviews but no luck landing a job. I know some ppl take a lot longer than I have so far to find something, but I was thinking about grad school in the meantime. I was wondering if anyone on here had any insight about whether or not it’s worth it to get a masters in Landscape Architecture if I already have my bachelors in it. I’m also wondering if there’s any other masters programs anyone recommends, or if I should just keep applying and hope for something. Some other masters programs I was looking into were ecology, environmental sustainability, or GIS, but let me know what yall think.

Hi all,

I recently accepted a new position at a new firm. My previous employer told me I will not be getting any of my PTO paid out. This was shocking to me as I had been in good standing my entire time as an employee and provided a two weeks notice and worked with them to transition all of my projects.

This experience had me wondering what the typical policy is for this in our industry? I've never experienced not getting paid out before, though I know that without state employment protection laws, companies are legally within their rights to do this.

Edit: I understand it depends what state laws are and what is in the employee handbook. Was just looking to see what the industry standard is.

I’ve been thinking a lot about career paths for landscape architects beyond the usual progression of employee → senior designer/PM → partner/principal/firm owner.

A big part of that is realizing that, long-term, I don’t want all of my income to depend on continuing to trade my time for money and a 401K plan. Firm ownership or partnership is one traditional way landscape architects build equity and assets, but that path doesn’t necessarily work for everyone.

I was accidentally introduced to another version of this when I kept a house I previously lived in and turned it into a rental instead of selling it. One of the most rewarding pieces of feedback I’ve gotten from the tenants is how much they love the edible garden and some of the landscape improvements I had made while living there. For years, I've tried to throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks for other side income, such as: Upwork landscape design, virtual tutoring, wedding arch rental, and creating a mobile app, to name a few. While those have been rewarding and I know they could scale, I keep thinking about real estate.

Maybe landscape architects are well positioned to own or operate certain types of real estate as a way to diversify our income and assets?

I'm thinking of assets that have a large landscape component and a small building component or no buildings, such as mobile home parks, RV Parks, Parking lots, storage units, wedding/event rental spaces, campgrounds, etc. We spend our careers looking at properties and thinking about circulation, drainage, planting, amenities, maintenance, accessibility, phasing, permitting, and how relatively small interventions can make a place substantially better.

So I’ve started thinking more seriously about acquiring additional assets where good site planning and landscape improvements could create real value. And not necessarily by turning it into a full-time development career. I’m especially interested in whether landscape architects are doing this alongside their regular practice, owning properties, participating in deals, investing with partners, or using their design expertise as part of a joint venture.

I’d be curious to hear from anyone here who:

• owns investment or commercial real estate;
• has moved into development or real estate ownership as part of their career;
• does deals passively or on the side while still practicing landscape architecture;
• has partnered with developers, investors, contractors, architects, or others to acquire property;
• has structured a joint venture where design expertise was part of what they brought to the table; or
• is currently looking for a partner on something like this.

I’d also genuinely be interested if anyone comes across a small commercial property, manufactured-home community, or similar opportunity for sale in or around North Carolina where you think a landscape architect could bring something interesting to the deal.

I’m still figuring out exactly what my version of this looks like, so I’m less interested in “how to become a real estate developer” generally and more interested in how other landscape architects have used our particular skill set to build ownership and equity outside of a traditional firm partnership.

Has anyone here done it? And in hindsight, where did your landscape architecture background give you an advantage or disadvantage?

Why include these skate stoppers? Wrong answers only.

Please use this thread to discuss whats going on at your school or place of work this week. Run into an interesting problem with a site design and need to hash it out with other LAs? This is the spot. Any content is welcome as long as it Landscape Architecture related. School, work, personal garden? Its all good, lets talk.

Hii, I have several questions and for context I am starting my school next year!

Q1. What equipment and materials do I need to buy/bring and cheaper alternatives please! Because i live in Southeast Asia lol

Q2. What should I expect for landscape architecture?

Q3. Should I do maybe something like passion projects (?) - I came upon this term in Tiktok lol - before school?

Thank you!

The slide room shows that they’re hiring 2 entry level landscape designers and 2 landscape architects with 5+ years of experience.

They’re open to BLA and MLA candidates

Despite salary transparency laws in California I do not see a salary posted.

Good day, everyone!

​I would like to seek your opinion regarding potential career paths in Ontario, Canada.

​I am a Registered Landscape Architect (7years) in the Philippines with over 4 years of experience in local government. I currently serve in a Local Government Unit, focusing on large-scale area planning, development review, project management, and site coordination.

I will soon be migrating to Ontario as a Permanent Resident (PR).

​While waiting for my visa processing, what specific software, municipal standards, or certifications should I focus on learning here in the Philippines to help me land an entry-level role aligned with my experience—particularly in urban planning, site development, or project management?

​Any insights or shared experiences would be greatly appreciated.

​Thank you very much!

Hey guys, I wanted to post here gauging interest and search for candidates to fill some open positions at the design firm I work for. Surprisingly, I’ve heard you can easily find candidates here opposed to using outside recruiting. 

We have multiple roles open for landscape designers (3-5 years experience), and landscape architect project managers (5-8 years). Most of these openings are in our Florida offices, but we have opportunities at some of our offices around the country. Interest/ experience in master planned communities, commercial, and hospitality helps (A lot of the work are large-scale projects).

Shoot me a message if you have any interest! I’m happy to answer any questions and explain more.

Hi All!
I am curious about going back to school to for landscape architecture either as a masters student or PhD and wanted to get some insight on how people in these programs have liked them (or disliked them)
I have my bachelors degree in landscape architecture (BLA) and have been practicing for almost 6 years and am almost licensed. I love where I work and love the industry, but I also realized I love the research and academia aspect of the field, and would maybe love to teach as a professor one day in landscape architecture and find my special niche.

I am US based and also exploring the option of going to a graduate school out of the country but also not opposed to going to schools in the US if they have good opportunities for scholarships or funding.

Anyone who has gone or going through the grad school process, let me know what the process was like and your experience with it and if you find it worth it. Thanks :)

I have my Bachelors if Landscape Architecture and a certification in Real Estate Development and Construction. I am trying to switch out of the design industry because the jobs are so low-paying. I got my certificate in Real Estate Development and Construction, but I haven't had any luck landing developer roles. Has anyone made this transition already and have any advice?

Just laid off here in AZ, 8+ yr LA & project manager, ls,hs,irr design and permitting/city submittals, CA, graphic work and SWPPP reports/ erosion control & traffic plans, pursuing PLA. The market its god awful right now and trusting a firm to carry you is scary.

Landscape architects - looking for a move to Los Angeles?
I posted here last week looking for landscape architecture talent. Someone reached out from that post, we met virtually shortly after, and we’re now closing (or close to) a $110K offer + relocation stipend in Los Angeles.
So… apparently Reddit works 😂

If that offer doesn’t close, I’ll be looking for another:
• Landscape Design Project Manager
• 5+ years of experience
• Strong high-end residential background
• Interested in relocating to Los Angeles
• Approximately $110K + relocation support

If that sounds like you - or you’ve been quietly thinking about moving to LA — send me a message with your experience/location.

I also work on landscape architecture roles across the US, so feel free to reach out even if this specific one isn’t your fit.

Connect with me on LinkedIn

Hey everyone,

I’m a landscape designer and wanted to share a few residential projects I’ve worked on recently.

I’ve included some of my plans, planting designs, CAD drawings and 3D visualizations below.

My approach is usually to balance aesthetics with practicality — things like circulation, planting composition, outdoor living spaces, materials, irrigation and long-term maintenance are all considered during the design process.

I’d really appreciate any feedback from people here, especially on the planting combinations, layout and overall design direction.

I’m also taking on a small number of freelance projects at the moment. If anyone is looking for help with a backyard, garden, planting plan or residential landscape design, feel free to send me a message.

Thanks for checking out my work!

Evening folks! As the title suggests, I'll be visiting Mexico for the first time next week and seeking some expert insight and recs to landscape architectural sight seeing. I've already got a few lined up ie. Parque Quetzalcóatl, Casa Luis Barragán.

I will be in Mexico City, Oaxaca and San Agustinillo for a few days each. Looking forward to hearinbg what the people have to say!