THE PROFESSION

OF
LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
AND
PROFESSIONALISM

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 INTRODUCTION

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DEFINITION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

• Landscape Architects is a profession which applies artistic and

scientific principles to the research, planning, design and management
of both natural and built environment.

• Practitioners of this profession apply creative and technical skills and

scientific, cultural and political knowledge in the planned
arrangement of natural and constructed and human resources.

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DEFINITION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

• It focused on the natural environment design which involving works

like:-
Local analysis
Planning and site selection for the development
Design
Layout and site supervision of construction projects

• Then resulting environments shall serve useful characteristics, safe,

and enjoyable purposes.

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DEFINITION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

‘Landscape architects are also active in other fields related to the design of open
spaces and landscapes: for example, in village redevelopment as well as in urban
planning and inner-city regeneration projects. Here landscape architects have to
co-operate with architects, town planners, civil engineers, biologists and social
planners’

IFLA, International Federation of Landscape Architect

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DEFINITION OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

‘Landscape architecture combines design with the environment, art with

science. It is about everything outside the front door, both urban and rural, at
the interface between people and natural systems’

ILAM, Institute Landscape Architect Malaysia

‘Landscape architects analyze, plan, design, manage, and nurture the built and
natural environments. Landscape architects have a significant impact on
communities and quality of life. They design parks, campuses, streetscapes,
trails, plazas, and other projects that help define a community’

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ASLA, American Society of Landscape Architecture
KEYWORD

Professional Art Science

Natural Built environment Analysis

Planning Designing Managing

Community

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 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE
PROFESSION

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 OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
• According to Norman T. Newton, landscape architecture begin with the
design of central park in New York City by Frederick Law Olmsted and
Calvert Vaux.

• On May 12, 1863, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux resigned their
position a designers of New York’s Central Park and sign their resignation
letter as ‘Olmsted and Vaux, Landscape Architect’ – the first official use of
the title landscape architect.

• After success with Central Park, they have manage to design other public
park project – Brooklyn’s Prospect Park etc.

• During this early era of landscape architecture in 1860s landscape architect

focus more on designing public park and open space – estate design, city
planning
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PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE I
 Olmsted’s 1885

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plan for Boston’s
franklin Park
 INTERNATIONAL
PRACTICE

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 PRACTICE
• According to America Society of Landscape Architect’s Professional Practice
Network for the International Practice publish in LANDonline, the
transformation of international practice began in the 1960s and 70s, when
landscape architecture program offering study-abroad and foreigner programs.

• Todays almost every program in the US offers opportunities for international

studies – cross culture.

• With the beginning of the International Federation of Landscape

Architecture (IFLA) in 1948, landscape architects have had a professional
organization to represent worldwide growth.

• IFLA provide leadership and networks supporting the profession.

• Countries offers academic program in landscape architecture – Denmark, New

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Zealand, Malaysia, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Turkey,
Indonesia etc.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
TRACK

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 CAREER TRACKS

• With the concern for the environment and human rights, the career
options for landscape will grow.

• More and more career options will fall in many areas concerned with
public participation in the planning and design process, ecosystem
management, neighborhood protection, code compliance, environmental
art or historic landscape preservation.

• Career track for landscape architect fall into the following groups:
 Private practice-design
 Public practice
 Academic practice
 Corporate practice
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 CAREER TRACKS
Private practice-design
• There are several types of private-practice that a landscape architect may
consider joining:
 Small firm, landscape architect oriented
 Large firm, landscape architect oriented
 Multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm that includes
landscape architects
 Multidisciplinary environmental firm that include landscape
architects

• Duties – hand and computer-aided drafting, production of construction

documents, project related-research.

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• As experience increase, landscape architect will be given a greater
responsibility for client contact, project design and project decision making.
 CAREER TRACKS
Private practice-design

Clouston design (M) Sdn Bhd.

Seksan design Sdn. Bhd.

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 CAREER TRACKS
Public practice
• Federal, state and local government collectively employ thousand of
landscape architect.

• National Park service, National Forest service, state and local park
departments provide the most employment opportunities in the public
sectors.

• Public practitioner may work on design or planning capacity – responsible

for coordinating with other government departments, managing consultant
contract, developing design guidelines, writing ordinances and enforcing
code compliance.

• Kementerian Kesejahteraan Bandar, Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan

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@ Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government,
>>>>>Jabatan Landskap Negara (JLN) @ National Landscape
Department
 CAREER TRACKS
Academic practice
• Federal, state and local government collectively employ thousand of the
academic career track includes opportunities in teaching, research and
campus planning.

• Requirement at University level –master’s degree in any build environment

field (major degree in landscape architecture) & PHD

• Working experience is and additional value

• UiTM, UTM (public), IUKL, LIM KOK WENG (private)

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 CAREER TRACKS
Corporate practice
• The corporate world offers a wide range of employment options for
landscape architects.

• One corporate practice opportunity lies with companies that develop land
or recreational properties.

• SP Setia Bhd, Sime Darby Property Bhd, Eco World Development group,
for example, are developers that planned communities often featuring
recreational/greens as themes.

• These corporate developers has been a leading corporates employer of

landscape architect

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 CAREER TRACKS
Corporate practice

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 PROFESSIONALISM

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 • Profession in landscape architecture as an occupation involves developing
the expertise to carry out work as a professional landscape architect.

• The expertise gained through education, apprenticeship and experience.

• Professionalism in landscape architecture involve code of ethics, involves

integrity and honesty dealing with clients, allied professional, governments
agent and the general public.

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 PROFESSIONAL
LICENSURE

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 LICENSURE
• In order to call oneself as a landscape architect and to practice landscape
architecture, licensure is required.

• Licensure is based on the successful completion of education, training,

apprenticeship, and formal examination requirement.

• In Malaysia we have a professional body for landscape architect which is

Institute Landscape Architect Malaysia (ILAM).

• Professional Practice Course for Landscape Architects (KAIAL) is a pre-

requisite for ILAM Graduate Member before sitting for the Professional
Practice Examination for Landscape Architects. Upon completion of the
course, a Certificate of Attendance will be issued. The certificate is valid
for Two (2) years for sitting and re-sitting of the said examination.

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 LICENSURE

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KAIAL is held on February/March each year
 PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT

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 DEVELOPMENT

• The education of a landscape architect does not end with a college degree
and professional training does not end after successfully passing the
KAIAL exam.

• Education and professional development for the landscape architect is

lifelong learning.

• *PD – to describe the landscape architect’s improving their skills and

broadening their professional expertise – new knowledge, technology
advancement, latest product.

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 DEVELOPMENT

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PROFESSIONAL SOCITIES

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 SOCITIES
In general:

• Provide a network for practitioners to exchange concepts and a forum to

advance new idea – inter-region

• With organization they can provide leadership training and opportunities

for every member to help in shaping the direction of the profession.

• Professional organizations promote and protect licensure, certification, and

registration of their members.

• Professional society sponsor or manage the accreditation process and staff

the teams to evaluate university curricula for accreditation.

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• IUKL – Malaysian Qualification Agency (MQA)???ILAM???
 SOCITIES
Malaysia - Institute Landscape Architect Malaysia (ILAM)
The Institute’s mission is to advance landscape architecture and raise the
visibility of the profession through advisory support to both public and private
sectors. Education, accreditation support, international relations with other
professional bodies, awards and recognitions within the industry and conducting
seminars are programmes designed to uplift professional standards at all levels.

Key programmes:
Continuous Professional Dev. (CPD) Programme
Malaysia Landscape Architecture Awards (MLAA)
Professional Practice Course & Examination (KAIAL)
Landscape Architecture Accreditation Support
National Landscape Month - March
World Landscape Architecture Month - April

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ILAM Annual Gala Dinner – April
Talks and Training Programmes

Expeditions, Study Tours & Courtesy Call
 SOCITIES

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 SOCITIES

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 ETHIC

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 • Ethics is a branch of philosophy theory concerned with morality-thousand
of book, papers, journal have been written about ethics.

• According to Louis P. Pojman in his text ethical theory: classical and

contemporary readings morality refers to ‘what is right and wrong, what is
permissible behavior with regard to basic human value’.

• Ethical practices cut across all human activities, interpersonal relationship

and business and professional pursuits.

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 Case study
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 Ethical business decision of Ford Motor Company’s on the Pinto gas tank.

The Ford Motor Company Pinto gas tank ethical decision, lawsuit
and trial played a mile-stone role in bringing white collar crime to the
awareness of Americans, highlighting the need for ethical behavior,
especially with regard to human life. After all, the real victims of a
poor ethical decision are often members of the general public. The
1971 Pinto was introduced in Ford showrooms in the fall of 1970 at
cost of $1,919. In the design of the vehicle, Ford executive made a
decision not to prevent potential fuel leaks problems caused by
locating the gas tank six inches from the rear bumper. A means of
preventing fiery accidents, a protective bladder placed between the gas
tank and the passenger area of the car, would have cost the company
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millions of dollars.
 Case study: Ethical business decision of Ford Motor Company’s on the Pinto gas tank.

A decision to fireproof the Pinto would have removed public criticism

that Ford consciously decided to manufacture cars that it knew might
cause hundreds of deaths. Ford determined that it would be cheaper
(more cost effective) to fight and settle lawsuits arising from Pinto
crashes than to spend the money to fix the automobile. Ford statistical
analysis indicated that it would take $49.5 millions to pay for the lost
of life, serious burn, injuries and loss of vehicle, opposed to $137
millions to fix the gas tank problem. Ford used this statistical analysis
and another analysis to conclude that it was not cost-effective or
practical to fix and recall the Pintos with the dangerous gas tank
problem, suggesting that the company would willfully sacrifice
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human life in order to make greater profits.
 Case 1
A landscape architect that makes decision about the location of
trees in a free way median based on his/her guts feeling about
design esthetics rather than basing decision on Local Authority
recommendation, for example, could be sued for thousand of RM
if the location of the threes is deemed to be the reason for loss of
life in a car accident

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 Case 2
Landscape architect could make a recommendation to use 1-0.5 inches of
asphalt over compacted native soil on a 10km bike path instead of the usual 2
inches depth of asphalt over 4 inches of aggregate based course, saving about
rm100,000 in short-term and allowing the path to be constructed within
budget. The decision however, would likely reduced the life span of the path
resulting in a high cost to replace the asphalt where replacement may not
have been an issue if the usual depth of 2 inches had been used.

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 • According to Michael Bayles in his book, Professional ethics, code of
ethical conduct for professionals come into play in five main ways:-

i. General obligations and availability of services

ii. Obligations between professional and client

iii. Obligation to the third parties

iv. Obligation between professionals and employees

v. Obligations to the profession

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 i. General obligations and availability of services

• Professionals have a general obligation to prevent unauthorized and

unqualified practice of their profession

• The practice for landscape architecture is based on the general

obligation of protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the general
public.

• Ethical questions or dilemmas that may be faced by landscape

architecture the general practicing include:

a) Education - landscape architecture students have an ethical

obligation to learn how to practice the profession in order to serve
their clients and protect the health, safety and welfare of the
general public.

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 i. General obligations and availability of services
b) Professional development - after completing the entry level
education requirements and passing licensure exam, the landscape
architect has an ethical obligation to continue with professional
development throughout his/her career. Professional development
includes:
 Accumulating experience
 Acquiring knowledge and continuing education especially
regarding laws and code
 Working as environmental stewards
 Advancing the body of knowledge of the profession

c) Business practice – landscape architects have ethical obligations

related to marketing and selecting the types of project to work on
and client to work with > does a firm elect to work with, or not work
with a client that want to destroy important natural resources in order to
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increase the density on a site beyond the carrying capacity of the natural
resources?<
 i. General obligations and availability of services

d) Public setting – for the landscape architect public ambiance is the

setting for much of our professional works. Parks, streets, road,
trials, public open space and open space in private development are
those the ambiance. Landscape architect should response to all
potential user of the public environment and not discriminate in
any way based on gender, race or ethnicity.

e) “Green” Consideration – landscape architect are ethically obliged

to advance planning and design solutions that:
 Conserve and protect natural resources
 Conserve energy
 Provide of wise use of water resources especially regarding
irrigation
 Protect cultural resources
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 i. General obligations and availability of services

f) Public information – landscape architect have an ethical obligation

to determine who has the right to know about a project, namely
project in the public environment where information is in the public
realm. Landscape architect need to determine who must to be
informed about the positive elements as well as negative impact of
any proposed public domain project.

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 ii. Obligations between professional and client

The professional-client relationship is based on one of the different

models: agency, contractual, friendly, paternal and fiduciary

A. Agency model
The professional is hired by the client to provide services for some
interest. The professional who provides the services to achieve the client’s
goal, act on behalf of the client and at the direction of the client.

B. Contractual model
The professional and the client have mutual obligation and right to agreed
to in advance, usually in the written terms of a contract.

C. Friendly model
Professional and clients have a close relationship of mutual trust friendship
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 ii. Obligations between professional and client

D. Paternal model
Assumes that the professional has knowledge and experience lacked by the
client. The professional is hired to further the client’s interests and act on
behalf of the client’s well-being

E. Fiduciary model (involving trust)

The client ahs more decision-making responsibility but must rely on the
professional to act on their behalf

There must be a trust relationship in all good professional-client

relationship. Professional should be honest and truthful with their clients
they should deliver professional services with competency. The

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professional should be loyal to the client.
 iii. Obligations to third parties
• Third-party obligations are particularly relevant to the profession of
landscape architecture.

• A large number of landscape architecture projects have users who are

not directly the professionals client.

• A park design contract with a city park departments give a landscape

architect a huge third-party exposure and requires that the third-party
(park user) be considered in the park design process.

• Example: in park design, the landscape architect has an ethical duty to

see that the equipment specified is durable, safe and properly installed.
Budget need to be carefully evaluated etc.

• The worst case- lack of third-party consideration by the landscape

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architect may result in a third-party lawsuit being brought against a
landscape architect for negligence or professional error.
 iii. Obligations between professional and employers

• Employees have certain obligation to their employers

• Employees should have the competency level that they convey they
have.

• The employee should warrant that he/she has the skills needed to
provided the professional services requested by the employer.

• Employees should be honest with their employers. They should be loyal

to their employers and obedient as long as the employer’s need are
limited to legally and ethically permissible behavior.

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 iii. Obligations to the profession
• Most professional Code of Ethics include and recognize responsibility
for the public good and for conserving the environment.

• According to Michael Bayles (1989), there are three main professional

responsibility for the public good:-
1. Activities of social leadership such as public service
2. Improvement of the profession and professional knowledge
through research and reform
3. Preservation and enhancement of the role of the professionals

• Professional should have respect for their profession.

• They should hold their colleagues in high esteem.

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• Landscape architect who respects his/her profession will make positive
professional contributions.