Beautify Your Environment As A Landscape Architect

In recent times when retail industry grew at a fast rate, the real estate sector too began to expand spurring a huge demand for landscape professionals. Landscape architecture is an aesthetic science which deals with beautification aspects of the environment. Private firms and government organizations require landscape architects to help them plan sites that meet with environmental regulations and to integrate new establishments with the natural environment in the least disruptive way.

Landscape professionals who work for government agencies are engaged in site and landscape designing for government buildings, parks, and other public lands, as well as recreation facilities in national parks. They are also involved in the designing and development of various facilities required in government controlled forests. Their other responsibilities are public land-use planning; restoration of degraded lands etc.

Private sector real estate firms are generally involved in the construction of airports and parks and in the landscape projects for commercial, institutional or residential establishments.  Various positions available are landscape managers; landscape architects; project managers; site managers etc.

A landscape professional is supposed to have certain qualities such as creative vision and artistic talent; knowledge of environmental regulations; excellent design skills with CAD software etc. He must have the talent for the aesthetic and the functional, the art and the science to create a sustainable ecosystem that must thrive over time.

Career growth is very fast in this field though many employers prefer to hire entry-level people with relevant experience. Landscape architects may soon become project managers, who design and monitor the entire project. This is a field where great scope exists for self employment if you are skilled enough to build own client base.

You require minimum a bachelor’s or master’s degree in landscape architecture to enter into this profession. Courses in Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) or Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA) and Masters of Landscape Architecture are offered by various national and international level institutes.

Fields of specialization ranges from historic landscape preservation and restoration to specialization in a particular area, such as street and highway beautification, waterfront improvement projects, parks and playgrounds, or shopping centers.