How can you update your landscape architecture skills for a changing market?

1 Learn new software and tools

Technology is constantly evolving and offering new possibilities for landscape architects to design, visualize, and communicate their ideas. Whether it is 3D modeling, rendering, animation, GIS, BIM, VR, or AR, there is always something new to learn and explore. Learning new software and tools can help you improve your efficiency, accuracy, and creativity, as well as expand your portfolio and services. You can find online courses, tutorials, webinars, and blogs to help you learn new software and tools at your own pace and budget.

2 Expand your knowledge and network

Landscape architecture is a multidisciplinary field that requires collaboration and coordination with other professionals, such as architects, engineers, planners, ecologists, and sociologists. To update your landscape architecture skills for a changing market, you need to expand your knowledge and network across different disciplines and sectors. You can do this by attending conferences, workshops, seminars, and webinars, joining professional associations and groups, reading journals and magazines, and following influencers and thought leaders on social media. Expanding your knowledge and network can help you gain new insights, perspectives, and contacts, as well as discover new trends, opportunities, and challenges.

3 Embrace sustainability and resilience

Sustainability and resilience are not just buzzwords, but essential principles and goals for landscape architecture in a changing market. Climate change, urbanization, biodiversity loss, and social inequity are some of the major issues that landscape architects need to address and solve through their work. To update your landscape architecture skills for a changing market, you need to embrace sustainability and resilience as core values and approaches for your projects. You can do this by applying green infrastructure, low-impact development, adaptive design, ecosystem services, and participatory methods, as well as following best practices and standards, such as LEED, SITES, and LBC.

4 Develop your soft skills

Technical skills are important, but not enough to update your landscape architecture skills for a changing market. You also need to develop your soft skills, such as communication, teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and creativity. These skills can help you communicate effectively with clients, users, and stakeholders, work well with other professionals and disciplines, lead and manage projects and teams, solve complex and diverse problems, and generate innovative and original solutions. You can develop your soft skills by taking online courses, reading books and articles, practicing self-reflection and feedback, and engaging in real-world scenarios and projects.

5 Seek feedback and improvement

Updating your landscape architecture skills for a changing market is not a one-time event, but a continuous process of learning and improvement. You need to seek feedback and improvement from various sources, such as clients, users, peers, mentors, and experts, as well as from your own performance and outcomes. Feedback and improvement can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses, assess your progress and achievements, and set your goals and plans for the future. You can seek feedback and improvement by asking for reviews and testimonials, conducting surveys and evaluations, participating in competitions and awards, and reviewing your portfolio and resume.

6 Experiment and explore

Updating your landscape architecture skills for a changing market also requires a willingness to experiment and explore new ideas, methods, and possibilities. You need to be open-minded, curious, and adventurous, and not be afraid to try new things, make mistakes, and learn from them. Experimenting and exploring can help you discover new passions, talents, and opportunities, as well as challenge yourself and grow as a professional and a person. You can experiment and explore by taking on different types of projects and clients, collaborating with different professionals and disciplines, traveling and visiting different places and cultures, and pursuing your hobbies and interests.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?