Main Responsibilities of a Landscape Designer III at OLIN
As a Landscape Designer III, Derek's role at OLIN involves significant "day-to-day coordination" with multidisciplinary teams and clients, producing presentations, drawings, and models to bring designs to life; the work's impact extends to "a lot of people," reflecting the firm's focus on public projects and positive community contributions.
Project Management, Teamwork, Communication, Presentation Skills, Design Software
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
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. Collaboration is key: Derek emphasizes the multidisciplinary nature of his work, collaborating with architects, engineers, and clients to achieve project goals. This highlights the importance of teamwork and communication in landscape design.
2. Diverse skillset required: The role demands a wide range of skills, including project management, design production (drawings, renderings, models), client presentations, and coordination with various stakeholders. This showcases the versatility needed in the field.
3. Large-scale impact: Derek's work focuses on large-scale public projects, such as parks and university campuses, demonstrating the potential for landscape design to positively impact communities and the environment. This is a valuable aspect for students interested in socially responsible careers.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities within your current role?
As a Landscape Designer III, which varies across companies in the field, it's about 45 years of experience. There's a lot of day-to-day coordination.
The teams usually have a partner or two in charge of a project. An associate, who has probably been at the firm for 10 to 15 years, is overseeing the project. My position is more of the day-to-day role.
I coordinate with multidisciplinary teams, including architects, civil engineers, and structural engineers. I also coordinate with clients and their teams. There's a lot of coordination and production involved.
At my level, there's a lot of hands-on work in many areas. I do project management, ensuring things follow a schedule. There's also a lot of production, making decisions throughout the design process.
We often put together presentations about different facets of the project that need decisions. These are then coordinated with the different disciplines. We create many drawings, plans, renderings, and models, both physical and 3D. These are put together in a package to show the client.
These packages can be delivered weekly or bi-weekly, depending on the project's pace. It's a role where you wear many hats. There's a lot of responsibility, and the goal is to work together to create something real in the built environment.
The multidisciplinary team aims to create a space that benefits many people. Much of the work at our firm is geared towards the public. The clients we work with align with these values.
Our work includes everything from residential projects to large public spaces like parks and campuses. We often work with universities, institutions like museums, and various nonprofits. We operate on a larger scale, so our decisions impact many people beyond just the client.
Generally, I spend nine times out of ten at a computer, working in design programs and responding to emails. Every once in a while, we'll do fieldwork, visit nurseries, conduct site visits, or have in-person meetings.