As an architect, have you ever wondered how landscape architects fit into your purposes? Have you struggled to find the right landscape architect to make your project more successful? If you are looking for ways you can deliver for your clients without a lot of hassle, you will need a landscape architect who you can rely on, trust, and have a great experience working with.
Finding the right fit landscape architect for each of your projects can be difficult. The field of landscape architecture is very broad, and there is a wide variety of landscape architecture firms to choose from. As you search for the best landscape architect to team up with, there are certain qualities that should stand out to you. Look for landscape architects who are successfully collaborating with other architects and creating outstanding spaces that you admire.
When you do find the right landscape architect and understand how to work them in on your projects, you will be able to look forward to a better product. You’ll quickly discover that they make your life easier as you collaborate together to uncover the best ideas. The right landscape architect brings more creativity and fun to the design process.
Making Your Architect Life Easier
Ask yourself if the landscape architect you plan on working with seems willing to help you out. Are they only concerned with their fee and scope, or are they a team player? You will have more success working with a landscape architect who is focused on being a contributing member of the team and alleviating your stress.
One key way landscape architects can make your life easier is by showing up to solve problems for you, not create issues or friction. This happens when landscape architects are expert at communicating, being proactive throughout the process, and not missing deadlines.
Consider scheduling a brief face-to-face meeting to get a feel for what a potential landscape architect partner is about. You’ll get a better idea of whether not they are the right fit for your project if you meet them in person. A simple lunch meeting could make the difference for you in connecting with the landscape architect partner you’ve been seeking.
Do you find yourself waiting too long to hear back from a landscape architect? The right landscape architect will be responsive and proactive. They will coordinate plans and details well and clearly describe what they are doing for the team. When the question comes up about who will design a certain element or provide a detail, they will volunteer and help lift the your burden as the architect. This will allow you to spend more time taking care of your other responsibilities – and help you make it home from the office at a reasonable time.
Landscape architects are specialized and should be able to help you resolve issues related to their scope. You will know you have found the right landscape architect to work with if you start to see them as an expert. They should step up to the plate when you need special information or knowledge to solve a problem.
A great landscape architect to work with will never miss a deadline. They will recognize when time seems short and respond to that accordingly. They will openly communicate long before the last minute if there are factors that may keep them from reaching the target deadline. This enables you as the architect to manage client expectations. You shouldn’t be waiting on the landscape architect wondering if they are going to deliver on time.
The Ideal Collaborative Relationship with Your Landscape Architect
Too often members of a design team will have their own agendas. When designers exist only in their own world and work in silos, it’s too easy to forget to see things from another’s standpoint. The right landscape architect won’t do that. They will build a collaborative relationship instead by seeking the right answer, not to be right.
The end products of the best projects are a combination of feedback from both sides. No one should be directing the other, but rather everyone must leave their ego at the door. The best landscape architects come to the table with a vision and big ideas but are open to the input of others and the different shape the design might take on through several iterations.
A key component of a collaborative relationship is early involvement in the design process. When you invite your landscape architect to design meetings are they eager and willing to participate? Do they want to be involved in and work with the architectural design? Are they mindful of what you are working on? You know you are working with the right landscape architect if they request copies of your floor plans, elevations, and 3D models early and often.
The kind of landscape architect you want to work with understands that everyone has a different perspective from the vantage point of their expertise. It’s a combination of all that input and allowing the architecture design and landscape architecture to influence each other that generates an outstanding design. Together you’ll make sure that everything truly integrates with the use and appearance of the architecture.
To find a landscape architect that respects architecture, look for one that claims a specialty. Landscape architects who claim a specialty understand that value comes from having a unique position. They will appreciate your expertise as an architect and likewise provide more value to your team with their insight.
You will know you have the right landscape architect on your team if you see you are both advocating for each other because the ideas came from everyone. You both agree the intent is holding onto what makes sense for the project. The final result will be so well blended that is it hard to point out who did what, and the most essential components of the space will always be a part of the design.
Unique Connections Between Architecture and Landscape
True success requires the landscape architect to have their own voice and style but work in a way that corresponds with the architecture. The right landscape architect for your best projects will be creative and have their own sensibilities but work together with you to create something special.
Creativity is not necessarily a given with landscape architecture; some landscape design is more heavily based on the engineering of components. An engineering mind is very useful, but it’s creativity that makes the design special. It’s hard to put your finger on, but creativity is what makes working with a great landscape architect enjoyable. This creative vision includes the ability to understand what the architect is all about and bring in additional flavors to enhance what you are already doing well.
You can identify a creative landscape architect by the unusual questions they ask and the clever way they approach design. They will have a sense of humor and sometimes go against the grain. A creative landscape architect will be fun to be around, and you’ll want them in the room when you’re making design decisions.
If you are wondering about the creative potential of a landscape architect, get familiar with the projects they have completed. Request examples from them of projects when they have worked well with an architect. Make sure they have a clear design process and can trace their ideas throughout that process. That is a great way to measure creativity.
There’s significant value when the landscape architect is creative. This allows them to read between the lines and translate the architect’s vision – your vision – into a plan. Doing so makes the architecture and the landscape architecture harmonious. In many cases, the landscape architect may offer elements an architect would not have considered or may be unfamiliar with. When you have the opportunity to work with a creative landscape architect you’ll be more excited about your projects.
Great Results
All of these efforts add up to a well-run project and ultimately a stellar end result that everyone is proud of. Working with the right landscape architect will help you walk away feeling light about the entire project.
Imagine knowing that you can count on your landscape architect to alleviate stress, communicate well, and be outstandingly creative.