HOW TO GET THERE
Typical pathway
A typical path starts in secondary school with math, English, drafting, blueprint reading, art, and computer-related courses. After graduation, many students go to university for a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture or a related field, although pathways can vary by province, school, and employer. During or after school, students often build experience through co-op, internships, summer jobs, or entry-level work with design firms, construction teams, or municipal projects. Early work usually helps develop drawing, site analysis, software, and teamwork skills.
THE WORK
What you may do
Legacy duties
- Confer with clients to determine design needs
- Survey and assess designated sites and develop designs taking into consideration landscape features, buildings, climate, future usage and other aspects
- Prepare or oversee the preparation of detailed drawings for sites, including features such as trees, shrubs, gardens, lighting, walkways, patios, decks, benches, fences, retaining walls and fountains
- Prepare or oversee preparation of site plans, reports, sketches, models, photographs, maps, land use studies and design plans
- Estimate costs, prepare specifications and evaluate tenders for landscape construction projects
- Conduct environmental design studies, including environmental assessment, planning and the preservation and re-creation of historical sites
- Conduct community and neighbourhood physical planning studies, participate in multidisciplinary urban design studies and prepare design guidelines
- May manage and supervise landscape construction work.
SKILLS TO BUILD
Skills used in this Career
Financial ManagementLeadershipMaking presentationsProject ManagementProposal writingTeam project work