About the job
Plan and design land areas for projects such as parks and other recreational facilities, airports, highways, hospitals, schools, land subdivisions, and commercial, industrial, and residential sites.
What you'll do
- Collaborate with architects or related professionals on whole building design to maximize the aesthetic features of structures or surrounding land and to improve energy efficiency.
- Collaborate with estimators to cost projects, create project plans, or coordinate bids from landscaping contractors.
- Create landscapes that minimize water consumption such as by incorporating drought-resistant grasses or indigenous plants.
- Design and integrate rainwater harvesting or gray and reclaimed water systems to conserve water into building or land designs.
- Develop planting plans for clients to assist them to garden productively or achieve particular aesthetic effects.
- Identify and select appropriate sustainable materials for use in landscape designs, such as using recycled wood or recycled concrete boards for structural elements or recycled tires for playground bedding.
- Inspect proposed sites to identify structural elements of land areas or other important site information, such as soil condition, existing landscaping, or the proximity of water management facilities.
- Prepare conceptual drawings, graphics, or other visual representations of land areas to show predicted growth or development of land areas over time.
- Provide follow-up consultations for clients to ensure landscape designs are maturing or developing as planned.
- Research latest products, technology, or design trends to stay current in the field.
Things you need to know
- Design – Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
- Building and Construction – Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
- English Language – Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Customer and Personal Service – Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Public Safety and Security – Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Abilities you'll need to have
- Active Listening – Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Reading Comprehension – Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Coordination – Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
- Speaking – Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Critical Thinking – Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Complex Problem Solving – Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Writing – Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.