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- A design job, working with the environment and outdoors to create fresh new spaces
- A role requiring creative spark, artistic flair, as well as the ability to listen to clients' wants and needs
- With experience, become a partner in a private practice, or set up your own practice
As a landscape architect, you'll specialise in an area like landscape design, landscape management, landscape science, landscape planning, or urban design, working closely with landscape contractors and other professionals like architects, town planners, surveyors, civil engineers and environmental campaigners.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Meeting with clients to discuss their needs
- Surveying sites to look at existing plant and animal life and natural resources
- Getting the views of local residents, businesses and other people who use the site
- Using CAD packages to draw up ideas for clients to choose from
- Presenting your design ideas to clients
- Drawing up contracts and managing the tendering process for contractors
- Writing reports and environmental impact assessments
- Giving evidence to public enquiries
- Monitoring the progress of projects
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll usually be based in an office, but may need to travel to clients' homes. Protective clothing might be needed at times, and you could be outdoors in all weathers.
You'll need
For this role, you'll need design skills and knowledge, customer service skills, innovation, knowledge of English language and building and construction, thoroughness and attention to detail, the ability to use initiative, and basic computer skills.
You could get a degree or postgraduate qualification which is accredited by the Landscape Institute. Subjects include landscape architecture, garden design, landscape design and technology, landscape planning, or environmental conservation.
Experience in landscape architecture can benefit your course application.
If you already have a degree in a related subject like architecture, horticulture or botany, you may be able to take a Landscape Institute accredited postgraduate course.
College courses can help you start training towards this job role, including Landscape Construction, or Horticulture.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could move on to a supervisory or management position, become a partner in a private practice, or set up your own practice. You could also take a teaching qualification and become a lecturer in landscape architecture at a university.