Landscape Architect Articles

LASN News October 198710-01-87 | News

LandCadd Plant Specifier

Plant growth simulation is now available with LandCadd. Growth is simulated based on actual growth rates and mature plant size for any specified period of time. The plants are cross-referenced by either scientific or common name to a powerful database to visually indicate spatial relationships on a LandCadd drawing.

Additionally, the plant data base can be used as a plant selection program. LandCadd’s plant selection program is unique because it uses an industry standard format. Instead of creating a data base that can only be used with a special program, LandCadd?EUR??,,????'???s data base can be used with many commercially available products, including PCFile and DBase 111. Using this approach, you can utilize the same program for plant selection as you do for client’s addresses, or time management; there is no need to learn another program. Data can also be readily transferred from one program to another.

Plant selection involves specifying certain criteria for plants, and then producing a list of plants which meet those criteria. Searches can be as complex or as simple as desired, and output can be just a listing or a complete report on each plant.

The data base provides information on about 900 plants from every part of the United States. Plant data has been gathered from numerous sources to make this one of the most complete plant data base available. To access a particular geographic region, climate zones are included as one of the criteria. Thirty-three categories provide the user with over 250 variables. The user may specify any combination of these to define a search. For example, a list of plants can be developed based on shrubs with red flowers that grow in USDA zone 5 and are drought resistant.

Cardoza-DiLallo-Harrington Expands

A landscape architecture and planning partnership firm, CardozaDiLallo-Harrington opened a new branch office in Riverside, California, and have announced the promotion of Frank R. Dunbar to principal.

Mr. Dunbar was previously office manager of the San Juan Capistrano office. His new assignment will be to join Robert W. Stone as one of the principals in Dublin, California.

Cardoza-DiLallo-Harrington now have four branch offices in Costa Mesa, Dublin, Riverside and San Juan Capistrano, California.

Design Practice Conference

The Los Angeles Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (WAIA) is holding a two-day conference in October. Twenty-six programs with over 50 speakers will provide in-depth educational, informational and social interfaces/exchanges?EUR??,,????'??+all directed toward present and future concerns of the Southern California architectural community and related design professionals?EUR??,,????'??+as well as the public they serve.

The second annual conference will focus on “Design+Practice” covering such subjects as design, practice, marketing, taxes, presentation techniques, environmental concerns, building codes and also includes an awards program.

Talsumi & Associates Selected

David H. Tatsumi & Associates, a landscape architectural firm based in Costa Mesa, California, has been retained by Gerber Children’s Center of Fremont, Michigan, to develop landscape designs for various centers that will be located throughout Northern and Southern California.

Currently in progress are two centers located in the city of Moreno Valley. Design and construction documents have been completed for one of the Gerber Children’s Centers, with ground-breaking expected the first of September. Preliminary designs for the second center are currently underway.

Landscape Industry Rallys to Support YWCA Hotel

Six leading Southern California landscape-affiliated companies donated over $40,000 in time, labor and materials to insure that the garden environment of the new YWCA Hotel for Homeless Women is an enjoyable one.

Lifescapes, Inc. donated the landscape design and coordinated the following landscape donations: Concrete items (paving and walls) by Sullivan Concrete Textures (Costa Mesa); trees, shrubs and flowers and their installation by Valley Crest Landscape, Inc. (Santa Ana); pottery from Goodwin International (Costa Mesa); street trees from SeaTree Nursery (Irvine), and irrigation system by Carloacio Landscaping (Placentia).

The hotel project, which included raising $1 million for building constructions costs, was supported by the Building Industry Association of Southern California Orange County region.

“In the past our firm has been very active in supporting many community-related programs and I think that this kind of a project was an excellent way to show our support in the landscape industry,” explains Julie Edwards, Principal of Lifescapes, Inc and Chair for Community Involvement Committee for BIA/OCR.

Valley Crest Landscape, a division of Environmental Industries, has been extremely effective in fundraising for the homeless in Los Angeles as well. “I think that we need to face the fact that we have a serious homeless problem throughout Southern California,” said Burt Sperber, CEO of Environmental Industries, a full-service landscape contracting company.

The Hotel for Homeless Women is located in Santa Ana. The hotel is for women who are homeless or those who face imminent loss of housing and who need transitional, low-cost housing while they find employment. Services available through the YWCA Programs are counseling, employment assistance and placement, as well as helping the women find shared housing upon their departure.

Irrigation Firm Formed

A new irrigation equipment company has been formed, officially known as Quick Rain, Inc. Quick Rain is a subsidiary of a major European irrigation manufacturer and is based in Miami, Florida.

Quick Rain’s product line consists of high quality valves and controllers manufactured in Europe especially for the U.S. market.

“What we will offer to the irrigation marketplace are proven products, built to the highest standards and attractively priced, especially when compared to other products of similar design and construction,” said Victor Nuno, General Manager of Quick Rain. “Our real strength, however, will be in our responsiveness to the industry, specifically in the areas of product availability and customer service with same day shipment of all orders.”

New Playground for Lake Island

Lake Island Park located in Winter Park, Florida, continues to be a redevelopment focal point for its community. Presently, a three-acre children’s playground has been designed by renowned playground architect Robert Leathers. Using Mr. Leather’s playground footprint, Wallis, Baker & Verlander are volunteering professional site planning and landscape architecture to create site solutions fitting for a playground environment.

According to Paul Verlander, a partner with Wallis, Baker & Verlander, a partner with Wallis, Baker & Verlander, “The playground will function as a very informal open-air facility featuring landscaped picnic areas, recreational equipment and spacious lawn areas. The future community park design will also incorporate restroom facilities and a 20 foot by 3 foot covered pavilion.” The addition of this playground is sure to help continue the city’s effort to provide more enjoyable, safer recreational spaces.

Springtime Growers Adds 250 Acres

Springtime Growers?EUR??,,????'??+a wholesale grower of nursery products in Del Mar?EUR??,,????'??+recently completed negotiations on 250 acres of land in the Miramar Naval Air Station. The land is situated adjacent to Interstate 805 and Governor Drive in San Diego.

“Over the next five years, we will be phasing out a portion of our existing short term lease property and begin reproducing the product on the new acreage,” said Ken Cook, President of Springtime, Inc.

Seattle/Tashkent Peace Park Project

In May 21, 1987, members of WASLA, along with the three other peace park project-sponsoring organizations, met with Mayor Mirsayidov of Tashkent, U.S.S.R., to present their designs for a peace park for the people of Seattle’s sister city in the U.S.S.R.

The presentation was the culmination of four months hard work by many WASLA volunteers. WASLA became involved with the Tashkent Peace Park Project, which is sponsored by the Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Committee; Ploughshares; and Architects, Designers and Planners for Social Responsibility (ADPSR), when Barbara Oakrock, WASLA Member-at-Large, urged the chapter to participate in the design charette which was held last February.

The charette resulted in about a dozen excellent design concepts. These were then reviewed in detail by a group of WASLA members who were interested in carrying forth the park design to completion. The charette designs were evaluated and the concepts synthesized to determine what the overall spirit of the designs were.

After meeting with Mayor Mirsayidov and the other Soviet representatives for an official presentation of the design, Mayor Mirsayidov was enthusiastic and the other Soviet mayors said they would like to have the same type of project with their sister cities in the United States.

This contribution to peace helped convince the Soviets that there are many citizens in the United States with whom they can work and trust, and who are deeply interested in promoting understanding and friendship between the two nations.

The WASLA board is also strongly committed to accept the challenge of the ASLA “Global Garden” conference in San Francisco and to contribute to world peace and understanding by putting skills and art to good use.