Landscape Architect Articles

LASN News April, 199404-01-94 | News

Urban Land Institute Research Results
to be Published Soon

Whether monetarily or intrinsically, a properly designed landscape will enhance the value of almost every development.

As reported in a 1993 issue of LASN, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has been researching the value of the Landscape Architect to the developer of commercial and real estate. At that time, it was reported that the results should be published by the end of that year. As of March, 1994, the research results are yet to be published.

When asked when or if the study would be published, Michael Beyard, one of the ULI staff who was at the head of the study, stated that he expected the results to be published in approximately three months. ?EUR??,,????'??It definitely will be published, though,?EUR??,,????'?? he said. ?EUR??,,????'??As a matter of fact, we are discussing with the ASLA about printing a summary brochure of the study, but have not finalized anything on that.?EUR??,,????'??

Recently, Karen Niles, ASLA, supplied LASN with a draft copy of the research results. She also provided the breakdown of the $60,000 cost of the study: ULI- $30,000; ASLA- $15,000; AAN- $10,000; ALCA- $5,000. The research consists of 11 case studies, selected upon the amount of information available on the project, if there were notable landscape amenities involved, and attempts were made to get a cross-section of geography and landscape zones. The value of landscape amenities to developers, residents, tenants, and to the community, was attempted to be measured.

The conclusion to the study states that there is evidence that landscape and design amenities increased financial returns for project developers, and that they are a key factor in establishing an image, identity, and sense of community for development projects, among other positives. However, the information gathered was ?EUR??,,????'??primarily anecdotal.?EUR??,,????'?? Developers were ?EUR??,,????'??unable to provide the hard numbers needed to quantify this belief in the positive value of landscape amenities with certainty.?EUR??,,????'??

Though everyone who participated in the study had positive remarks about landscape amenities, the research showed that ?EUR??,,????'??quantifying precisely the ?EUR??,,????'??value?EUR??,,????'??? that landscape and design amenities contribute to a real estate development project may be an unrealistic goal.?EUR??,,????'??

Conservationists Give Message To Congress ?EUR??,,????'??? Save Our Land!

On February 12th, thirty-eight conservation groups, including the Wilderness Society, the ASLA, and the Trust for Public Land, issued a report to Congress urging t that they allocate funds during the | next fiscal year for the purchase of lands across the country. The coalition identifies land from Maine?EUR??,,????'???s Acadia National Park to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.

The money for the appropriations would come from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). According to The Wilderness Society, each year $900 million is directed into the fund, yet only an average of $253 million has been appropriated each year for the past thirteen years.

The report issued to Congress recommends that $634 million be funded for Fiscal Year 1995, in addition to $158.5 million for various recreation projects. However, the Clinton Administration proposed only $254 million in LWCF appropriations. The Wilderness Society claims that this is far off President Clinton?EUR??,,????'???s pledge during the campaign.

Recently, the House of Representatives recommended an additional $50 million be added to Clinton?EUR??,,????'???s proposal, bringing the total appropriation to $304 million. According to Ben Beach, spokesperson for the Wilderness Society, the Senate has yet to come up with a precise dollar amount, so the ?EUR??,,????'??best bet?EUR??,,????'?? will be somewhere in between the $254-$304 million. ?EUR??,,????'??The recent proposal by the House is encouraging, but we?EUR??,,????'???re not jumping for joy,?EUR??,,????'?? Mr. Beach said. ?EUR??,,????'??However, we were considerably disappointed in President Clinton?EUR??,,????'???s proposal, so this is a step in the right direction.?EUR??,,????'??

An Arbor Day Dedication

As part of this year?EUR??,,????'???s celebration, the usda forest service and the national association of state foresters are sponsoring the first national conference on forest stewardship.

The National Arbor Day Foundation will be celebrating Arbor Day this year with the dedication of the Lied Conference Center, the newest addition to Arbor Day Farm. The center is the first and only facility with staff and programs dedicated to trees and conservation. What better day to celebrate than on National Arbor Day, a day when millions of American?EUR??,,????'???s plant trees?

?EUR??,,????'??The Lied Conference Center is an ideal, centrally located center for Landscape Architect meetings, as well as for various other associations,?EUR??,,????'?? stated John Rosenow, executive director of The National Arbor Day Farm. ?EUR??,,????'??Arbor Day Farm itself is a model of design, especially with the placement of the conference center and other improvements (bridges, trails, etc.), with careful respect to the sites natural features.?EUR??,,????'??

In 1990, Lied Conference Center was launched with a $5.9 million challenge grant from the United States Congress. The more than 100,000 square foot, environmentally friendly center incorporates renewable fuel wood, which is provided by an on-site energy forest plantation as a source of CFCfree energy for heating and cooling, comprehensive recycling systems and other energy-efficient principles.

Case Study

Spring Lake, New Jersey Gets A New Splinter-free Boardwalk

The residents and town officials of Spring Lake, New jersey, a popular beach resort community, hope to never again see the devastation of the Nor?EUR??,,????'???easter winter storm of December 1992. The historic community is comprised of long-time residents as well as vacationers who support the town?EUR??,,????'???s tourism. Along with the destruction of private properties along the shoreline, the town had lost more than a mile of its boardwalk.

The Spring Lake town council sought a durable, long-term replacement material through a competitive bidding process, including pressure- treated lumber and 100% plastic materials. The town wanted to eliminate costly maintenance, protect residents from splintering, rotting wood and popped nails, as well as have an attractive looking boardwalk. Trex from Mobil Chemical?EUR??,,????'???s Composite Products Division was selected. Spring Lake contracted with Birdsall Engineering to complete the design and oversee the installation.

Trex is a wood-polymer composite material from Mobil Chemical Co., made from reclaimed plastic grocery bags, shrink wrap, and wood fibers from furniture manufacturers. According to Robert Pazienza, consultant to Spring Lake on the boardwalk rebuilding and former public works director, what attracted the town council to Trex were the splinter- free and low-maintenence features, as well as the fact that it does not contain preservatives. ?EUR??,,????'??The reception to Trex among residents and visitors has been very positive,?EUR??,,????'?? said Pazienza. ?EUR??,,????'??They are thrilled that they can walk without getting splinters, and it?EUR??,,????'???s a bit softer for joggers.?EUR??,,????'??

Pazienza also pointed out that Trex eliminated popped nails because it holds nails better than conventional wood products. ?EUR??,,????'??The old boardwalk had a problem with nails popping up, due to the freeze and thaw factor, which caused the wood planks to swell and then shrink,?EUR??,,????'?? he said. And, after 17 snowstorms this year, the boardwalk shows no sign of deterioration.

Kevin Porter, marketing services manager for Mobil?EUR??,,????'???s Composite Products Division, attributes the long life and durability of Trex to its resistance to moisture, saltwater, W rays, and insects. ?EUR??,,????'??The material doesn?EUR??,,????'???t rot or decay like wood, so it requires very little maintenance,?EUR??,,????'?? he said. ?EUR??,,????'??This provides tremendous cost savings to the town.?EUR??,,????'??

Trex stays looking new and is similar to wood to work with. ?EUR??,,????'??It saws, drills, and nails like wood, and can be turned on a lathe,?EUR??,,????'?? said Porter. ?EUR??,,????'??Trex can also be painted or stained, although a finish is not necessary to maintain its new appearance.?EUR??,,????'??

Northeastern shoreline towns have kept a watchful eye on the Spring Lake boardwalk project and Mobil has received inquiries from several municipalities. ?EUR??,,????'??We look forward to helping other towns rebuild,?EUR??,,????'?? said Porter, who added that Trex may also be used for marina docks, decking, and playstructures. For more information about Trex, call 1-800-BUY-TREX.

Landscape Architect Receives
1st Annual Apld Award Of Distinction

On February 12,1994, Landscape Architect, photographer, and lecturer, A.E. Bye(seated at left), was awarded the APLD (The Association of Professional Landscape Designers) first annual Award of Distinction, according to APLD President, H. Kibbe Turner.

APLD members recognized Mr. Bye for his work as a pioneer in designing natural landscapes and for his versatility as a designer. He is best known for his landscape renovations of the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C.; the Este Lauder Laboratory in Melville, NY; and the 500 acre Gainesway Farm in Lexington, KY.

Wisconsin Awaiting Governor?EUR??,,????'???s Decision

Sitting on the desk of Governor Thompson of Wisconsin is AB 100, waiting for his decision. The Wisconsin Chapter of the ASLA is urging people to flood the governor?EUR??,,????'???s office with phone calls to let him know that the people of Wisconsin support this bill for landscape architectural registration.

According to Kevin Keane, spokesperson for the governor?EUR??,,????'???s office, the bill is still on Governor Thompson?EUR??,,????'???s desk. ?EUR??,,????'??The governor wants to make an educated decision on the bill, and has not made his choice thus far,?EUR??,,????'?? Mr. Keane stated. ?EUR??,,????'??He has until the end of April to decide.?EUR??,,????'??

The Governor?EUR??,,????'???s Hotline is open for calls supporting AB 100. Call (608) 266-7977 (statewide) to ask Governor Thompson to sign AB 100 into law.

EDAW Strengthens Regional Commitment Through Merger

The members of Hyatt, Raines, & Vitek won?EUR??,,????'???t be left in the cold when the merger with EDAW is complete

EDAW, the world?EUR??,,????'???s largest landscape architecture firm, has merged into its Denver practice the Office of Hyatt, Raines, & Vitek. This combination of award-winning practices was completed to reinforce EDAW?EUR??,,????'???s commitment in Colorado and the central region of the United States.

EDAW president Joe Brown

According to EDAW President Joe Brown at the company?EUR??,,????'???s San Francisco headquarters, ?EUR??,,????'??The cenbra1 region is one of the fastest growing and most progressive areas in the country. This merger strengthens EDAW?EUR??,,????'???s presence in this exciting market.?EUR??,,????'??

Hyatt, Raines, & Vitek, recognized in 1990 by Landscape Architecture Magazine as one of the top 10 up-and-coming new firms, will bring its Boulder office to EDAW?EUR??,,????'???s it Denver office, which will now be known as EDAW?EUR??,,????'????HRV.

Irla Plans Spring Conferences

The IRLA is planning two conferences for the Spring of 1995 in the San Francisco Bay area and Atlanta, Georgia. Members and non-members alike are invited to attend the trade show, which is free. There will be a slight charge to participate in courses that will be available at the conferences, which are accredited in your state for continued licensure. For information, write to IRLA, P.O. Box 52062, Irvine, CA 92619-2062 or call 714-979-IRLA.

Updates In Landscape Water Management Programs

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has recently developed new training and software programs to meet the changes in landscape water needs.

The Landscape Water Management team at the Irrigation Training and Research Center at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo developed a package of techniques and software programs designed to make the process of landscape water management more complete and easier.

After two years of work by Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, this new material and software has been dedicated to the technologies behind the latest irrigation systems, such as drip, bubbler, and micro-spray.

For more information, call (805) 756-2434

Landscape Water Management Software

Features & Capabilities

Landscape Irrigation Auditing

Audit Procedures:

Sprinkler (improved)
Drip (new)
Micro-spray (new)
Bubbler (new)

Scheduling

Skip Day/Interval
Calendar (variable length)
Tailored to Controller Features
Multiple Starts to Manage Runoff
Real Time Schedules using CIMIS or Weather Stations

Landscape Water Budgeting

Allocation Formulas:

Existing Sites
New Sites

Tracking & Graphing of:

Allowable Use (budget)
Expected Use (future)
Actual Metered Use

$$$ Calculations

Tiered Water Rate Structures
Monthly Bill Estimates
Yearly Total Cost

CLARB Announces New Exam Study Material

The Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards has announced that Understanding the Landscape Architect Registration Examination (L.A.R.E.), 3rd Edition is now available. A new video, Licensure and the L.A.R.E., has also been released.

Understanding the L.A.R.E. provides information about the exam, describing the test sections and including sample questions and graphics from previous exams. The video helps to understand what to expect from the exam and provides an introduction to the legal and political aspects of the licensure process.

For a copy, contact CLARB, 12700 Fair Lakes Circle, Fairfax, VA 22033. The handbook is $94.95 and the video is $44.95 (include $5 for shipping and handling.