Landscape design who to work. Profession landscape designer

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Reference

Gardeners are considered to be the forerunners of the profession of landscape designer. But they were not ordinary, but court gardeners who were engaged in landscaping homestead lands and parks. The flourishing of the profession began in the 16th century. The legendary "landscape designer" to this day remains Andre Le Nôtre, the author of the famous Versailles Park (XYII century). French master even during his lifetime he was called the "King of gardeners." Many are familiar with the masterpieces of Russian historical landscape design. It's about about the suburbs of St. Petersburg, Arkhangelskoye, Kuskovo, that arose back in the 18th century. Landscape design - the term of the XX century. It originated in the industrialized countries of Europe (Great Britain, Germany), where the massive growth of cities led to the destruction of green spaces.

Description of activity

A landscape designer can be called a botanist, florist, soil scientist, culturologist, architect and artist all rolled into one. He is engaged in landscaping, landscaping, organizing landscape gardening, lawns, slides, artificial reservoirs.

Job responsibilities

The duties of a specialist in this profile include: 1) visiting the site and communicating with the client; 2) development of the concept of improvement; 3) surrender finished project client; 4) control of the process of engineering preparation (creation of communications and systems), landscaping (arrangement of paths, paths, ponds, fountains, etc.), landscaping. If necessary, personal participation in it.

Features of career growth

It is more logical to consider the career growth of a landscape design specialist not as promotion, but as an increase in authority, popularity and an increase in the number and volume of orders.

A specialist whose imagination is able to unite architecture and nature into one whole, transfer a drawing from a canvas to a plot of land and create a masterpiece work of art, is mastering the profession of a landscape designer. In fact, nature did everything herself without man, the main task specialist - to bring together God's creation and protect it in conditions of industrial pollution.

What does a landscape designer do?

The profession of landscape designer involves the use of techniques to create a unique style of garden, park, land. For this, plants, landscape details, etc. are used. The initial stage is the creation of an artistic concept. It is necessary to correctly select the color range of plants, their combination with each other.

The duties of a specialist do not include the care and planting of plants, this is done by the gardener.

Nevertheless, the specialist must be well versed in plants: the time of their flowering, the requirements for growing conditions, lighting and watering.

Garden and land should "live" in harmony. It is very important for a specialist to correctly select the place from which the artistic composition begins. It is from this angle that the most advantageous view should open. Today, zoning of sites is popular, with the help of which several small zones are combined into a common composition. Romantic Italian style and blooming Japanese theme can be combined in one garden at the same time.

Decorating a relief area is in great demand among wealthy clients. Multi-level terraces allow the use of decorative fountains, waterfalls, ponds, statues of mythical heroes. The profession of a landscape designer involves exceptional taste, harmony is very important here. Excessive heaps of elements can give the area neglect, too regular forms - unnaturalness.

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Pros and cons of being a landscape designer

Advantages:

creative work;
profession involves contact with plants. It is rare to find a specialist in a state of depression;
visiting interesting exhibitions;
decent salary from an experienced professional;
opportunity to build your own business.

Flaws:

seasonal work. In winter, the number of transactions decreases;
in the first couple, it may be difficult to find clients.

The work is not limited to the development of their own plans. Often, the customer has his own idea of decoration of a suburban area. The success of work and career largely depends on communication skills and the ability to find a common language with the client. Designers can work both independently and in architecture studios. Artistic taste and a penchant for design are essential features of a specialist.

Where to study to be a landscape designer

College of Landscape Design No. 18;
Higher School of Landscape and Design;
Samara Regional College of Agricultural and Industrial Services.

Today I visited a real stone jungle. No, this is not a filming location for a famous film, not the city center, but the garden plot of my new clients, surrounded by a stone fence made of rubble, the same paths, and a flower bed installed in the most prominent place. From a conversation with the hostess, I learned that small children would play here (which means it will be necessary to provide a playground); that they are hospitable people (you will need a barbecue stove and a gazebo for relaxation). And the general wish is this: it is necessary that the site is spectacular, comfortable and does not require much effort in its maintenance (conifers, perennials, lawns, automatic irrigation system).

It was no coincidence that I began the description of the landscape profession by outlining the territory adjacent to the house, which needs to be turned into an oasis. Landscaping a garden plot with the design of small architectural forms, planting trees and shrubs, installing an irrigation system is a typical order, which is the majority.

A bit of history

The profession of landscape designer has been around for a very long time. Even in palaces and castles there were gardeners who looked after the surrounding area. There were such specialists in our country in the middle of the last century. They were called dendrologists. If you briefly describe the profession of a landscape designer of that time, then basically it will be a story about the design of city parks.

What is a landscape designer currently doing?

The landscape designer is. If you have good taste, know how to draw, love nature and are not afraid to work with your hands sometimes, you have a well-developed intuition, then this specialty is for you.

The main functions of such a specialist are as follows:

Creation of design of personal plots;

Landscaping of city parks;

Design and filling of winter gardens;

Landscaping of premises.

Key stages of his work:

A conversation with a client.
Drawing up a sketch of the future paradise.
Development of a landscape project.
Implementation to the end result.

Profession landscape designer. Advantages and disadvantages.

Like any other job, this profession has its positives and negatives.

I'll start with the benefits:

creative work that will bring satisfaction from the ideas you have embodied.
work outdoors and in nature, thanks to which you will always have a fresh look and peace of mind.
you can economically equip your garden, knowing all the wholesale points of supply of materials and seedlings.
big orders can make good money.

This specialty also has its drawbacks:

seasonal work (in winter, at best, you will be designing winter gardens; at worst, sitting idle and generating ideas for the summer).
sometimes you have to work with your hands, for example, equipping flower beds and rock gardens (not everyone will like this).
a large number of orders in the summer, so that during this period you will work "without straightening your back" in the literal sense.

There are probably two more relevant questions you are interested in:where do they train to be a landscape designer and how much do landscape designers get paid?

I answer: there are two ways to get such a specialty.

1. having graduated from the Institute of Architecture and Civil Engineering;

2. by completing courses that last from several months to one year.

A modern landscape designer must have knowledge of architecture, biology, and management. You need to be competent in construction, budgeting, master the principles of the art of Feng Shui, psychology. Yes, yes, the customer will often discuss everything with you, from the style of the project to the overall budget.

At the very beginning, you can earn from 15,000 rubles per project, and becoming professionals 2-3 times more, depending on the amount of work.

So, if after you read the description of the profession of a landscape designer, you have a desire to create and experiment with different styles and trends in the art of landscaping? We must boldly start! Who knows, maybe you will become the most fashionable landscape designer in your area!

There is an opinion that planning a beautiful park for yourself or decorating a garden is very easy, you just have to look through magazines and look at pictures. Landscape architect Dmitry Borodavkin told the Rjob portal whether it is possible to learn landscape design from books, what qualities are important to succeed in the profession, how a landscape designer differs from an architect, and what are the pros and dangers of working as an intern?

Dmitry Borodavkin, landscape architect

Designer or architect?

The difference between being a landscape designer and a landscape architect is about the same as between an architect who designs buildings and an interior designer. An architect can, if necessary, make an interior design, it's just not his main task, but an interior designer is unlikely to be able to design a house. Also in the field of landscape.

A landscape architect is a versatile specialist. He thinks over, first of all, the concept of the future garden: zoning, idea, style. The mutual arrangement of objects on the site should be not only beautiful, but also convenient, as well as meet building and safety standards. To create an interesting concept, you need to have not only good taste, but also a certain set of knowledge.

Secondly, the task of a landscape architect is to design engineering structures and communications, such as drainage and storm systems, irrigation and lighting systems, design retaining walls, reservoirs, pools, gazebos, etc.

And, thirdly, the landscape architect thinks over the plant content of the site.

What a landscape designer does is clear from the name - he comes up with a design:

Paving design (which paving pattern to choose and how to combine materials and their shades),

Design of flower beds or other plant compositions (rock gardens, rutarium, etc.),

Decorative filling of certain areas (arbors, terraces, patios). Landscape designer, first of all,. It complements what the architect has done, but does not replace it.

Sometimes landscape firms turn to the services of narrow specialists: engineers and dendrologists (specialists in growing plants).

What knowledge is important for landscape designers?

A landscape architect must be "4 in 1": architect, engineer, dendrologist and designer. Need to be well versed in modern technologies construction and landscape materials.

If earlier all the work - both sketching and drawing - was done manually, now everything happens in a computer. Therefore, for successful work, you need to know Autocad, Archicad, Revit, 3ds max, Sketch Up, Photoshop, etc.

3D visualization, which was a curiosity even 10 years ago, is rapidly replacing any other ways of submitting sketches. This applies not only to the landscape, but also to architecture, interior design. Now you see the "future" as close as possible to what it will be. All errors, shortcomings and inaccuracies, as well as simply matching the tastes of the customer, will emerge at the visualization stage.

The drawing (engineering) part of the project must be carried out with the help of special computer programs. This is not only more accurate, but also much faster.

Where and how to learn to decorate gardens?

It is simply impossible to get all the necessary amount of knowledge in a 2-3-month landscape design course. The profession of a landscape architect can only be mastered at a university. Basic knowledge can also be obtained in short courses, and then, to become a professional, you can practice for a long time.

If you already have a well-established, functioning garden that has drainage, watering, lighting, paths laid out and basic plantings running smoothly, but you want to bring something new to it, then landscape design courses will be very useful to you. If you want to create gardens from scratch and make it your profession, then you will not have enough such knowledge.

A person with good taste, experience in growing plants and certain building skills may well decorate some corner in his garden beautifully, that is, do the work of a designer and gardener. Only experienced landscape architects can solve the problem of planning a garden, and even more so a park in a complex.

You can read hundreds of books, manuals and articles. But the biggest teacher, as in any profession, is experience. Until you pick up a shovel, you will not understand how the creation of a garden - difficult task. From experience I can say that much more intelligent things are obtained by people without education, but with practice, than by very cool theoreticians who have never worked on the “live” land.

To succeed in this profession, such qualities as versatility, four-dimensional vision (a sense of the three-dimensionality of space plus an understanding of how it will change over time), strong nerves and good taste are important.

Where to gain experience if there is no project?

Most The best way gain experience - go to work. It is best (and there is such a need in the market) to get a job as an assistant landscape architect. Taking on independent projects without experience will be too expensive for your professional self-esteem and the customer's wallet. As I like to say: "The most expensive thing in a landscape is correcting mistakes." Thus, after wiping yourself for 2-3 years next to a good specialist, you will gain the necessary experience and feel much more confident when you start creating a new garden.

Everyone has his own path. You can start with or an assistant architect (designer, engineer, dendrologist), then independently carry out some stages of the project, after becoming the chief architect of the project, and if this is not enough for you, then open your own landscape company and be its ideological inspirer.

What is the best way to work - for yourself or in a company?

Both working in a company and working for yourself are a certain risk. The specifics of the landscape business is. Many firms hire young landscapers at the start of the season and fire them at the end, and often you're on probation the whole time. Thus, getting a job in a company, you run the risk of being unemployed at the end of the season. If you are a real professional, then serious companies will be interested in keeping you in their state and can offer loyal employment conditions even during the off-season. If the firm has a lot of orders, then in winter time you will be designing.

When working independently, the main task is to provide yourself with orders, and here, too, there is a risk of being out of work. But if you good specialist, you will have work all year round, or what you earn during the season will be enough for a long winter vacation.

So it doesn't matter Where you work, it's important How you are working.

What projects are most often ordered?

Depends on the specialization of the company. Private orders, of course, most of all. Basically, these are orders for landscape design of suburban areas. Now in Russia, the construction of new cottage settlements is actively underway, so most of the orders are the design of plots “in an open field” from scratch. At the same time, more and more people are turning to our services even before the construction of the house, and this is very competent.

It is still not uncommon to come across orders to correct an already done “landscape design”. This is a special category of clients, taught by bitter experience. Here the complexity of the situation depends on at what point the customer was able to stop. Someone else at the design stage understands that they “drew something wrong”, someone has already managed to “heap up” something on their site (it doesn’t matter, with the help of a would-be designer or on their own). These are, as a rule, the most expensive projects, the most complex and, at the same time, the most grateful customers. Dear ones, because we have to not only create a landscape from scratch, but also dismantle what has already been done. Difficult, because it is not easy to gain the trust of such a customer. Grateful, because they rejoice more than others when they finally get the desired result.

Sometimes they order a separate element of the garden: a pond, a flower bed, etc., but the percentage of such orders is not large.

Features of working with customers

Clients are different. Of course, experience in negotiating and resolving problematic situations is essential in our work.

The most important thing is to remember that you have a client in front of you, and you must respect him and recognize his right to his own (different from yours) vision of the landscape of his site. This does not mean that you should blindly follow his instructions, but you should listen to him and apply your knowledge and experience to his requirements. In some cases, you will have to convince the customer, and sometimes find ways to implement the most incredible ideas.

Is it difficult to work with a client? If the client immediately sees you as a professional, then it will be easier to work with him, as he will listen to your opinion. If from the very first meeting you have a misunderstanding, then be prepared for the fact that difficulties will await you throughout the work. Most likely, this is not your client.

How much do landscape designers make

Payment in our area is formed very individually. Interns can work for free, their interest is training and gaining experience. In the capital, they can be paid 15-20 thousand, just for show.

An independent specialist receives, for example, in St. Petersburg already about 30-40 thousand rubles a month, in Moscow it is twice as much. Cool specialists can count on the amount of up to 100-150 thousand. If you are the head of the company, then everything that remains minus the overheads and salaries of the workers gets into your pocket, and the cost of complex work on an average project is about 1 million rubles. If you screw up, you will be in the red.

In general, the prices for landscapers are lower than for architects who build houses. But there are fewer responsibilities and licenses in the landscape.

The landscape is a good field for business if you know how to spin and be proactive. How employee you won't earn much in this area, except that