A Day in the Life of a Landscape Designer III at OLIN
A typical day for a Landscape Designer III at OLIN involves "mostly...on the computer," creating renderings and plans using 3D modeling and Photoshop to visualize designs for clients. This work requires collaboration with other professionals, including architects and engineers, through various digital communication methods, reflecting a shift towards hybrid work models with "three to four days in the office" and remote work options.
Computer-Aided Design (CAD), 3D Modeling, Collaboration, Project Coordination, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
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Traits
Derek Lazo
Landscape Designer III
OLIN
University of Southern California
UC Berkeley, Masters of Landscape Architecture
Environmental & Related Sciences
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Creative
Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. A landscape designer's day involves significant computer work, including creating renderings, 3D models, and plans to visualize designs for clients.
2. Collaboration is key, with communication occurring through various methods such as in-office meetings, chats, emails, and Zoom meetings with internal teams, consultants, and clients.
3. The work environment is a hybrid model, balancing in-office work (three to four days a week) and remote work (one day a week), reflecting a change influenced by the pandemic.
Transcript
What does a day in the life of a landscape designer look like?
Most of the time we're at the computer, so we're working at this level, which is four or five years into where I'm at, kinda starting off. I would say it's more production.
What we mean by production is you're producing renderings of the design to show the client. This includes modeling and 3D, and then Photoshop. It's like retaining a photograph of what the design is.
We also make plans to show it as an aerial view to understand how things are working across the site. Sections are like slicing through the real world vertically to see the relationships of what's high and low and how deep things are.
A lot of times, things are on structure these days, so there's parking below or different things happening underground. We have to do a lot to understand and work with civil engineers, architects, and structural engineers to understand what's happening around the site.
We need to understand what might look like on the ground plane on a sidewalk might actually have a parking lot below. So, we're trying to play soil.
The day-to-day is mostly on the computer. We coordinate over chat with the partners and different internal folks, and use email with other consultants and the client. We do a lot of Zoom meetings.
Depending on the firm, most are like three to four days in the office. Previous to the pandemic, you were always in the office.
The pandemic helped a lot of industries realize that you can work from home or collaborate across firms and distances. All of those things are in place now. We're in four days now and have Fridays to work from home. I think that's pretty much a day.