What is Landscape Architecture?

Imagine you're looking at a brand-new building. It has a beautiful façade, a creative layout, and the best interior design. However, there is no vehicular circulation leading up to it, no parking areas and no sidewalks or pedestrian circulation. There is no infrastructure to manage storm water runoff, and no landscaping, courtyards, or plantings to enjoy the outdoor space. It includes sustainable design, but fell short of LEED certification. A landscape architect can help with that. And this is only a fraction of what landscape architecture entails.

Landscape architecture (LA) is an extensive profession dating back to the mid-1800s with the work of Frederick Law Olmsted, "The Father of Landscape Architecture." While landscaping and plantings are an important component, they are a relatively small piece of the puzzle. Landscape architects strive to seamlessly blend the technical detail of site engineering with the creative art of landscape architecture to create beautiful, sustainable, and functional outdoor spaces.

A majority of projects that involve LA are much larger than traditional residential projects. Landscape architecture is necessary for a variety of projects in multiple markets including K-12 and higher...