As landscape architecture becomes more popular, there is an internal debate among future professionals on whether or not architecture or landscape architecture is the correct career path for a person to follow. The questions look a little something like this….
“Do I want to design buildings?” OR “Do I want to design parks?”
“Am I interested in building material?” OR “Am I interested in plants?”
Which profession makes more money? Has more control? Is it more revered? Impacts the world? These questions arise when deciding between architecture and landscape architecture. Even in the profession itself, the dichotomy between landscape architecture and architecture is shifting. But, how does one decide?
History
Architecture has been considered a profession for a century longer than the profession of landscape architecture. Before official licensure began in 1857, architecture was an accredited profession gaining prestige and shaping the world. As Vitruvius deemed, an architect should be a master of all trades; from the land to the sea to the stars, an architect must know it all.
Landscape architecture, on the other hand, has been around for a much shorter period of time. Since being recognized in 1899 as a way for women to garden as a profession, landscape architecture has been known as subordinate to architecture until recently. As the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Board (CLARB) began recognizing licensure in 1970, there has been a drive to change this stigma in recognizing the paralleled prestige of landscape architecture.
Schooling
In choosing which path to follow, there is a lot of unspoken confusion behind the degrees needed to pursue each career path. For architecture, one must either receive a 5-year Bachelor’s of Architecture (B.Arch) or a 3-year Master’s of Architecture (M.Arch). Both degrees are recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Board (NCARB) and are ways to achieve licensure. Some colleges will offer a 4 year Bachelor of Science in Architecture which can be paired with a 2 year M.Arch to achieve licensure.
Despite some belief, a landscape architectural degree can be shorter than that of an architectural degree. At the graduate level, a 3 years Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA) is an accredited degree for licensure. Unlike architecture, there are 2 different accredited undergraduate options: a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture (BLA) or a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture (BSLA). Both range from 4-5 years depending on the school. Similar to the 4+2 in architecture, a few schools are offering opportunities to achieve a Master of landscape architecture after an architectural degree or a plant science degree in less than 3 years.
Scale
Amongst the degrees and the professions, there can be a varying range of scales worked on. In the realm of architecture, the scale of a project – while seemingly vast – can be limiting in comparison to that of landscape architectural projects. Architects can work on small-scale installations, pavilions, houses, hospitals, and campuses. So, amidst the world of architecture, there is a plethora of opportunities for a person to dive into and never be bored.
Landscape architecture is typically stereotyped as gardens and suburban lawn design, however, these are just two opportunities in the vast field. Landscape architects can design anything from commercial developments to river fronts, to parks, to forests, to national parks, and anything else that spans from building edge to building edge.
Public vs Private
Within the scope of scale, there can be a misconception that architects deal in private buildings and landscape architects design for public spaces. While this can be true in a large sum of projects, it is up to the firm and the individual in the projects acquired. From individual homes to private office buildings, architecture can be seen as something only designed for a select group of people. Landscape architecture, as the profession primarily works with nature, can be perceived as available to anyone.
Yet, architectural projects such as civic centres, museums, and libraries are all public buildings that are needed everywhere. In landscape architecture, a person can design private golf courses or estates that cannot be accessed by the public. The stereotype of each profession may consider a large majority of the work done, however, there is a vast opportunity in each field for private and public sector work.
Object vs Being
A common difference between professions that should be noted is the difference in medium. Architects deal with the inanimate, while landscape deals with the living. Neither comes with good or bad but should be considered as the preference of the professional.
The material of an architect comes in forms of concrete, steel, brick, and stone. These materials are precise in measurement and predictable in outcome. A landscape architect deals in flora and fauna; both incalculable and ever-changing beings.
However, there are certain materials that both professions deal with that obtain characteristics of the alternate field. Architects have just recently begun working in mass timber which has become an interesting challenge in considering decay and variation. Hardscapes, pavements, etc are common occurrences in the world of landscape architecture that require thought and precision.
How to Decide
While there may be a variation in architecture and landscape architecture, there is too much emphasis put on these differences. As the world continues to grow and grow, there is a larger overlap between these professions than initially believed. Architecture becomes landscape architecture becomes architecture. A person’s experiences and memories do not start and stop the moment they enter or exit a building, so why should we design as such? To not only succeed as a profession, but as a community, architecture, and landscape architecture must be mindful of the other as they design a better world together.
Citations:
Archinect. (n.d.). Landscape Architecture vs. Architecture. [online] Available at: https://archinect.com/forum/thread/72627556/landscape-architecture-vs-architecture.
Landscape Architecture vs Architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/LandscapeArchitecture/comments/qn5gs7/landscape_architecture_vs_architecture/ [Accessed 19 May 2024].
www.asla.org. (n.d.). Timeline: ASLA and the Profession | asla.org. [online] Available at: https://www.asla.org/contentdetail.aspx?id=48272 [Accessed 19 May 2024].
www.ncarb.org. (2017). Study Architecture. [online] Available at: https://www.ncarb.org/earn-a-degree/study-architecture.
