1. Ask Questions
Asking questions is what drives your learning process. No question is a dumb question, Not knowing is a bigger crime than not wanting to know. Questions open up new fields of conversation leading to a better understanding of a topic. Architecture is about uncovering and exploring the known and the unknown, Continue that spirit into Landscape architecture. It will help you to come up with new ideas and alternatives. Feed the curiosity within you.
2. Manage your time efficiently.
Architects are bound by the deadline and are well aware of the importance of timely delivery. Despite that, architects tend to leave and rush things to the last minute. The lack of time management leads to undue stress and anxiety. While pursuing landscape architecture one should try and work on this aspect. Plan your day and give adequate time for your tasks at hand, also scheduling time for fun and yourself, to do things apart from just work. This one skill can magnify your creativity and productivity.
3. Stay in order. Organize well.
Keeping yourself organized keeps the clutter away physically and mentally. Doing this gives a clear canvas whenever one sets out to work. Giving you better clarity and a cleaner, less stressful approach to design. A designer’s mind is cluttered, but if it is organized all the thoughts and ideas can come handy and be directed to a much more thought-out design. The benefits of design will keep from losing your supplies, and when you need them the most, you find them effortlessly. Thus, reducing stress during jury preparation.
4. Connect with people
Being a landscape architect, one has to understand the needs of the people. Designers’ primary role is to design and show people what they didn’t know they needed, Improving the quality of life. Architects who aren’t already quite proficient at connecting with people, this is your second chance to learn to communicate in the sanctity of their landscape design studios. Interact with your peers while also showing interest in the outside world. Make new connections and build relations with a variant group of people, which might further help you in the future. Your education shouldn’t be bound to your class.
5. Get involved, don’t let your free time go to waste.
Being in any architecture study course, be it landscape architecture; one gets minimal time to spare. But the real question is how you use that spare time. Make that free time of yours mean something. You are passionate about plants, go start a community or a blog, and spread awareness about them, Volunteer for your community. Keep busy with things you enjoy. Make your free time add value to your skills. These experiences will drive you to better understand yourself and your career path going forward.
6. Keep getting inspired
Landscape architecture cannot be seen as an individual entity. Keep yourself well versed in the current affairs of the world. Knowing about what is going on in your environment is an important tool that will help you design better. Read as much as you can, it would open you up to different perspectives, watch Television series, movies, Biographies, documentaries- if your visual learning process is strong. Exposing yourself to diverse ideas and thoughts will give you an edge. It will give you a different angle to look at things when you work.
7. Don’t underestimate the need for business skills
It’s not all about design. Architects have to work to improve on their business skills as landscape architects work on different projects from private to public urban projects. Their work could be in the public eye, thus held accountable for their design decisions. One should know to market their design and themselves well. If one wants to start their practice these tools will come in handy. Public relations, Organization communication, business development is a few of the many other skills that need to be worked on.
8. Value yourself
Understand the need for landscape architecture and help spread awareness. Landscape architects identify the areas of opportunity and how to turn the setbacks into effective use. Architects going into this field need to start valuing its need, as this field plays an important role in environmental sustainability and attempts for a positive influence on people’s psychology. Nature is an important impact on our lives and landscape architects design the environment around you to bring you closer to nature.
9. Make use of your professional training experience
Start planning from the very start of your course. They want the needs and figure out the why and how through constantly asking questions and scrutinizing everything closely. Start creating a connection with your faculty and also with the guest speakers if you have any in your university, build connections.
These connections will help you get into a good training program when required. My architecture training period leads me to acquire an interest in the field of landscape architecture. People around me were passionate about nature and how they influence design. Through your professional training period, connect with your subordinates, observe them, and pick up some of their thought process and habits if they interest you.
10. Love and curiosity towards nature
The study of nature is a vital necessity in landscape architecture. Caring about plants, learning about their need for proper quality of soil, the right amount of water, and sun exposure to help nourish them is important. Also, knowing about their compatibility with your site is crucial. Curiosity for how certain plants and material work with the other, how we interact with them, and how well we respond to them helps create a better design. Watching the birds, for instance, the type, their behavior around your site. The understanding of geology and its impact on nature and us. Inspires a better thought process for landscape architects.
