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Landscape architect

Landscape architects and designers advise about, plan, design and oversee the development and construction of external land areas such as gardens, parks and recreational areas and residential, industrial and commercial sites.

Public sector work generally provides higher salaries and a more structured career path.

Landscape architect job description: Typical employers | Qualifications and training | Key skills | Useful links | Find jobs and courses

Their work includes:

surveying sites
discussing requirements with clients
writing reports
creating plans, designs and drawings
producing contracts and estimated costs
presenting proposals to clients for approval and agreeing time-scales
liaising with other professionals such as architects, surveyors, town planners and civil engineers.

Landscape contractors normally undertake actual construction work, with landscape architects retaining responsibility for overseeing building work and monitoring progress.

Typical employers for landscape architects

private consultancies
local authorities
water companies
the Forestry Commission.

Vacancies are advertised in a variety of publications including local authority jobs lists, TARGET Construction & Building Services, Opportunities, national newspapers, Landscape Design, Architects' Journal, Landscape News, Building Design and relevant trade journals. The Landscape Institute's Yearbook and Directory of Registered Landscape Practices can provide useful contact information for networking and speculative applications.

Qualifications and training required

Qualification necessitates gaining full Landscape Institute membership. This can be achieved by obtaining an accredited degree, completing at least two years' vocational experience and passing the Landscape Institute's professional practice exam.

A postgraduate landscape architecture qualification is required for graduates from other degree disciplines. There is often strong competition for postgraduate course places, so a degree in a subject such as surveying, horticulture, architecture, planning, civil/structural engineering or geography can be helpful. A minimum of one year's relevant experience is also normally necessary.