A LandscapeArchitect (NAPSA)—According to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, landscape architecture—the com- prehensive discipline of land Taf se==o | rs analysis, planning, design, management, preservation and reha- | bilitation—is the fastest-growing of all the design professions. That growth isn’t expected to peak anytime soon. Demand for landscape architecture services is projected to expand an astonishing 18 to 26 percent by the year 2014. To meet this demand, the num- ber of graduates in landscape architecture programs needs to grow by an average of 6 percent The Connecticut Country House in Westport—an example ofresidential design by landscape architects. (Photo: Jeff McNamara; 2007 ASLA Residential Design Honor Award) design is the second-largest mar- each year. The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)is ket, followed by parks and recre- gram to recruit more students to study landscape architecture, working with the ACE Mentor green roofs and security design have grown significantly in the dents and with the Cultural Landscape Foundation to target middle architects currently in the U.S. embarking on an ambitious pro- Program to reach high school stu- school students, while working with colleges and universities to increase the number of programs at the undergraduate and gradu- ate levels. ASLA’s 2006 surveys show that the average annual compensation (salary and bonuses) for landscape architects is $89,700, up by more than 20 percent since 2004. Aver- age compensation rose steadily by years of experience in the 2006 survey, peaking for those with 36 to 40 years of experience, who earn an average of $154,600. Residential work continues to be the largest landscape architecture market, with most of that work consisting of single-family homes. Commercial and industrial ation. Less-conventional fields such as storm-water management, past two years. With only 380,000 landscape and the sustained growth in demand for landscape architecture services, there are major opportunities for anyone consider- ing entering the profession. And educational opportunities for landscape architecture students abound. There are 46 colleges in the United States and Canada with accredited undergraduate programs and many scholarship programs available for those considering the field. The teacher-tostudent ratio for most of these programsis 15:1. According to U.S. News & World Report, landscape architecture is one of the best careers of the year. And ASLA members agree: Now is a very good time to becomea landscape architect.
