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Landscape architect
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Landscape architect
What training or qualifications are required?
In order to become a landscape architect in our country, you will need a basic education which includes a Bac S, STAV (Science and technology of agronomy and life) or a Bac Professionnel in Landscape Planning followed by a BTSA in Landscape Planning. These courses can be taken in various establishments, for example in Seine-et-Marne in Brie-Comte-Robert (77) at the Lycée agricole de Bougainville, or in Saint Germain-En-Laye (78) and in the capital (75). After completing this course, a common competitive examination will allow you to access the 5 schools leading to the profession of landscape architect. These schools are located in several cities in France. - the École Nationale Supérieure de Versailles - École Nationale Supérieure de Marseille - École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture et de Paysage de Bordeaux - École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture et de Paysage de Lille - École Nationale Supérieure de la Nature de Blois Once this diploma is validated, you can become a DE (state-qualified landscaper) and work in a landscaping company, a local authority, an architect's office or as a freelancer if you start your own business.
What is the scope of the professional's intervention?
Landscape architecture is a multi-disciplinary field that encompasses many disciplines and dimensions: the arts, sciences, mathematics, technology, engineering, geography, horticulture, social sciences, politics, history, philosophy and occasionally zoology, for good measure! The activities of a landscape architect are in fact extremely varied and range from the creation of public parks and landscaped roads, to the planning of a site for a construction project, to the design of residential estates or civil infrastructure, to the management of large wilderness areas, to the rehabilitation of degraded sites (this could be mines, landfill sites, etc.). It should be understood that a landscape architect works on just about every type of outdoor structure and space, large or small, urban or rural, with hard materials or vegetation, involving hydrology and ecology. The range of professional tasks in which landscape architects work is extremely broad: - The planning, form, scale and site plans of new developments - Civil design and public or private infrastructure - Urban design, squares, riverbanks, footpaths and surface car parks - Surface water management including green roofs and stormwater retention ponds - Parks, botanical gardens, hiking trails, and nature reserves - Recreational facilities such as golf courses, amusement parks and sports fields - Forestry, tourism and historic landscapes and historic garden assessment and conservation studies - Reservoirs, dams, power stations, major industrial projects especially in the primary industry - Environmental and landscape impact assessments, planning and land management advice - Coastal and offshore developments - Housing estates, industrial parks and commercial developments - Highways, transport structures, bridges and road corridors - Plans for urban renewal projects of various sizes The most important contribution is often made in the early stages of a project by providing ideas and creativity in the organisation of the space (coupled of course with the sheer feasibility). The landscape architect therefore often makes a major contribution to the overall concept and his role will usually be to prepare an initial plan from which detailed plans can be drawn up later. The landscape architect may also supervise contracts during construction, or carry out impact studies or environmental audits, or act as an expert witness in land use surveys.
Why use a landscape architect?
We have listed the main reasons why you should use a professional: - Advice: as a technician in exterior design, the landscape gardener is a good adviser. He does not just systematically carry out the work he is asked to do. On the contrary, he gives advice to his clients to enable them to set up technically feasible garden projects that meet their expectations. A landscape gardener can advise you on the location, layout and dimensions of your garden, the varieties of flowers and species to grow, the style of decoration to go with it, the location of a particular element (pool, pond, etc.). - Saving time: creating a garden or a green space is an activity that can be very laborious. In the long run, you will have to prepare the soil, put the plants in the ground, ensure regular watering and maintenance of the young flower shoots, etc. It must be said that all these tasks are very time-consuming and can quickly overload your schedule if you have to do them all yourself. That's why it can be a good idea to hire a landscaper, who can save you a lot of time that you can spend on other activities. - Optimise your budget: some questionable decisions made before or during the project can be disastrous for your budget. Although a professional's services represent an actual cost, you can still expect to make savings by following their advice. - Scrupulous compliance with all regulations: like any other construction work, landscaping is subject to various regulations. These standards are mostly imposed by local urban planning schemes (PLU), and they mainly concern : - Swimming pools (surface area, size of the shelter, safety standards, etc.) - Safety fences (their size, colour) - Authorised plant species (certain so-called invasive species are prohibited, for example) - Garden sheds (authorised surface area, materials, etc.) - The surface area covered by the landscaped area (in some communes, there is a minimum plant area to be respected for landscaping work). Finally, it is important to know that for any large-scale landscaping work, it is necessary to obtain express authorisation from the local council. The landscape architecture professional has a perfect command of all these norms and will therefore be able to do what is necessary to ensure that everything goes smoothly. For your information, you should know that in case of non-compliance with the necessary rules, you can be exposed to sanctions ranging from a simple fine to a demolition order, so you should not take this lightly.
When should a landscape architect be called in?
This is a difficult question to answer as the reasons for doing so can be very varied, however, by looking into the subject we have managed to identify 5 main reasons why you should contact a professional: - When and how to plant: if you don't have the time or knowledge to maintain your garden, leave it to a landscape gardener who will be able to shape your garden according to your wishes. The climatic conditions, the amount of sunlight, the growth rate of the plants and the nature of the soil will also be taken into consideration. - How to design and decorate the exterior: the objective being to make your garden a pleasant and unique living space, the landscaper will be there to assist you in the various works. This professional will also give you advice to enable you to set up garden projects that are technically feasible and meet your expectations (the right varieties of flowers, the right spacing between plantings, etc.). - How to care for grass, plants, trees and bushes: keeping your grass green and shiny is no easy task, so professional care is not a luxury and the same goes for many plants, beds, trees and shrubs. - To have an original and innovative garden: the professional of plants and species will be there to advise you on the compositions to be envisaged to leave the beaten track a little; it will also be him who will define the various techniques to be used (cutting, grafting, layering, etc.)
How to find a professional?
If you live in Ajilete, you can find a landscape architect by first asking around your friends, family and colleagues, as word of mouth is still the most common solution. If that doesn't work, then try searching on the Internet. Sites such as StarOfService, for example, list all the professionals in a given field, depending on where you are, which is ideal. In just a few minutes, you can compile a comprehensive list of very good addresses, which you can then contact with a few clicks.
How much does it cost to hire a landscape designer?
As is often the case for just about any type of work, prices can vary significantly depending on the region in which you wish to have the work done (a landscaper working in Paris will necessarily be more expensive than a company in the Massif Central or the Creuse...). Once this has been said, you should know that the landscaper can invoice his services : - on the basis of an hourly rate, to which you will have to add the price of the seedlings, shrubs, bushes and other plants that you want him to arrange and plant, as well as any other hypothetical work (soil treatment, earthworks, drainage, installation of a watering or water recovery system, etc.) - on the basis of a flat-rate estimate, which will include all the labour and will also cover ancillary expenses (soil treatment, earthworks, drainage, installation of a watering or water recovery system, etc.). In principle, the landscaper can divide his work into 3 phases, each of which is priced separately: - the pre-project: the planning and conceptualisation phase, which most often corresponds to a fixed fee ranging from a few hundred to several thousand Euros. - the landscape study: this corresponds to the phase during which the project is finely dimensioned in relation to the budget, the plans are drawn up, the declarations are drawn up in due form and the financial monitoring table begins to be filled in. The price is infinitely variable depending on the work, from a few thousand to hundreds or even millions of Euros. - site supervision: which includes coordinating the companies, monitoring the invoices, controlling the site and assisting with the acceptance of the work. In general, this last phase amounts to 7% to 15% of the cost of the work, so once again, it is not very relevant to give a net figure, since it will depend on the total cost of the project.
How to choose your professional?
As we have already said, when it comes to craft work, word of mouth is undoubtedly the easiest, quickest and most reliable way to find the right professional. Don't hesitate to consult your friends and family, they may well know a local company that has successfully carried out landscape architecture work here or there... When the work is well done, we never hesitate to advertise the craftsman who did it! If the word-of-mouth option doesn't work, again, our advice is to turn to the Web, which hosts sites like StarOfService. On the latter, in addition to lists of professionals who operate in your area, you will also find tons of reviews and comments from customers who have used their services. It only takes a few minutes to form your own opinion, which is priceless. Once you have found the right professional, all you have to do is check their availability, clearly define your project and set deadlines that suit you.
Some questions to ask a landscape architect at the very first contact:
- How long have you been in the profession? - What was your original qualification? - Do you offer hourly rates or a fixed price? - Will you offer me a 2D / 3D visual model to give me an idea of the final result? - What is your availability? - Can you guarantee that you will respect the deadlines that we will agree on?