Landscape Architecture: Demeaned by Building Architects once again.

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Originally uploaded by Jo3L_C.

Cassius Pealer Had this to say about Landscape Architects, "Civil engineers do one thing, [building] architects do another, and interior designers and landscape architects can do some subset of those things."

Really? A Subset? I don't think so. For someone who is so educated this fellow seems to know very little about what it is Landscape Architects do. I hate to sound like a whiny landscape architecture student. But seriously, must architects continue to demean our profession? I'm sure that it has to do with our profession being SO broad that people outside of the profession never really fully wrap their heads around it, but I would think a fellow with a Law degree a Masters and a Bachelors in Architecture and a double major in Philosophy would be close enough to our profession and knowledgeable about it to make any sort of accurate comment about it.

This is often where I am troubled about the secrecy of our profession. If people do NOT know about us, then they may never fully understand what it is we do. They will continue to think we are just landscape designers or landscapers. It is so much more than that. Here are some of the things I responded with.

"A good Landscape Architect understands cyclical systems especially those of landscape ecology. There are of course bad landscape architects as there are bad building architects who may bot have this understanding. Landscape architects must have at least a basic understanding of horticultural principles including plant capability and the sciences of soil. I’m sure a building architect couldn’t tell me the difference between both kinds capillary action in loamy, sandy or clay soil and what happens when those soils are partly mixed.

I understand the confusion because landscape architect[ure] is extremely broad and so for those that do not understand what landscape architects do they tend to stick with a stereotype or a deconstruction of the term landscape architecture rather than a hybrid of the two words. It is not the same as landscape designing and it is not the same as building architecture. Sure a building architect can explore the possibilities of buildings and most people can design a landscape, but not anyone can be a landscape architect."

I could go on and on about it, but it may never end...

I encourage all you Landscape Architects and students to leave the nice man a friendly comment or two.

I went and visited his article once again today and found both my lengthy comments had been removed. I wonder why? I was very cordial