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Firm Summaries
For each firm that was interviewed, a brief synthesis of the conversation was outlined. In an attempt to be anonymous, all identifying data was removed.

1 

Programs Used: Unity, Unreal Engine, Cinema4D, 3D Studio max, Creative Cloud, AR/VR, 3D Scan, Point Clouds, AutoCAD, Revit, SketchUp, RedShift


Design Process: 

  • Incoming Civil3D model at 60%, start modeling process, edit in house as needed towards end of modeling process, export as final graphic for client hosted web product.

 

What was Learned:

  • Has creative studio that focuses on design, graphic design, web development, animation specialist, video production

  • Studio was developed out of internal interest from the owner to produce content

  • Designer was part of marketing group who then brought in video group. Firm grew by 500% in the last few years leading to more demand for similar work

  • Benefits of in house visualization team allows for efficient last minute edits with about a 2 month turn around per project from 60% plans to interactive model and 2-3 individuals working on each project

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Consistent ability to export to WebGL from rendering software

  • Smaller file size to run better on all computers - final product

The number one question I always get is, what does an engineering firm need with a visual production studio? Yeah. It really opened up a lot for what we were able to, to offer to our clients and do for our clients. Because, you know, we were either having to outsource some of that work. And outsourcing creative work when you're working in an engineering firm is a little bit difficult, because there's a lot of very quick and very last minute changes that occur on these interactive pieces.... so being able to be you know, flexible isn't always available when you're outsourcing that work. And so, by having the studio and being able to keep that work, and really retaining control over all of that work has been really beneficial
Firm 1

2

Programs Used: VR Pluggin for SketchUp, SketchUp, Enscape, HTC Vibe, Oculus, AutoCAD


Design Process: 

  • Sketch, 3D model to study in VR, CAD, 3D for defined area or detail

 

What Was Learned:

  • VR as a tool to understand feel and experience of a site during conceptual design process in house

  • Introduced as a tool because of an individual designer knowledge, shared across firm because of common ground in platform ability (ability to use SketchUp)

  • Some expense with VR Headset, though slowly becoming more affordable

  • Works better for smaller scale site design than larger master planning (LOD)

  • When sharing with client, communication of expectations is needed. VR in this case is a work on progress, not a final rendered product
     

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Collaboration within VR

  • Better plant material

  • Quick interactivity within SketchUp to show iterations/ material change

I think having SketchUp and just having a raw VR experience, so you actually feel the space sooner than like when it's already built, it's actually very beneficial to our profession
Firm 2

3

Programs Used: AutoCAD, Rhino, InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Grasshopper (minor)

​

Design Process: 

  • Early design process is community engagement and site mapping, then diagrammatic schemes, CAD, concept renders, final render of decided scheme. Mapping from available online material.

What was learned:

  • Community Design based firm, public facing content and community engagement focus

  • InDesign used as an internal collaboration tool for graphics; easier to open and share across office

  • Small office leads to informal information sharing on software and information learned

  • Disconnect in what is learned in graduate school and what is used in the office

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • More use of GIS

I think that our graphics are very much about not only just transmitting information to the community... but also a process by which we really internalize a lot of the information that we get from the community itself in any way in which we can
Firm 3

4

Programs Used:

Revit, SketchUp, Photoshop, Illustrator, Thea, 3D Studio Max, Mashable Render / Mental Ray, Arnold Render, Lumion, AutoCAD, Hand Sketching/ Hand Render, Civil3D, ArcGIS, GlobalMapper, Twinmotion

​

Design Process: 

  • Design Process: AutoCAD layout, general massing in 3D OR aerial to paper sketching

 

What Was learned:

  • Large portion of work (Visual Assessments) was regulatory driven. Accuracy and realistic renderings needed for permitting created a need for more accurate programs

  • Stakeholders can guide the final graphic

    • Conceptual render may work for general public so as not to appear too final, need room for response and feedback

    • More detailed renders work for developers who may want to see a more complete vision

  • Final renders not produced often as client does not need the render

    • Renders will be done later for websites, awards, fundraising if needed

  • Program use guided by costs

    • Sketchup because it was once free

    • Lumion because it can work well between arch and LA

  • Hesitancy of BIM adoption in LA

    • How important is having all the information connected to the material when a label can detail the same information? 

  • LA forced to be one step ahead due to access of information, client expectation and perception

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • More hand rendering taught in school

  • Revit as a tool for internal communication, especial being a interdisciplinary firm

There's so many great products out there even being developed now for accuracy and for high levels of reality but… there's a gap sometimes, I think, unfortunately between the vision in your head and what gets put on to computer. That's where I think SketchUp is strong because you can adjust things without having the numbers, you're acting in an intuitive way for what feels right, without having to say is this 14 foot five, this wall, you can push, pull, stretch, and see how it fits within the context more appropriately. I think, unfortunately, a lot of schools aren't teaching hand illustration anymore and the hand eye coordination is so critical.
Firm 4

5

Programs Used:

InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Autodesk Sketchbook, SketchUp, Lumion

​

Design Process: 

  • AI - site analysis and diagrams

  • ID for presentations, reports and posters

  • Photoshop - renders, image editing

  • CAD - technical drawings

  • Lumion- renders and fly throughs

 

What Was learned:

  • Revit not adopted within firm

    • Cost of training

    • Not yet efficient as a program for landscape development

    • Cad serves a middle ground from Architect to Engineers

  • Conceptual and Schematic Design is where more renders are produced

  • Emphasis on design and  concept being more important than the final renders that may look good but have a solid design

  • Some high end renders sent out to 3rd party

  • Stressed importance of understanding construction and installation practices to better inform future design

    • Better done through site visit and contractors willing to share information

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • More knowledge on construction installation

  • Ability to work with Sketchup/ Lumion to produce opinionated graphics

Academia tends to be at the cutting edge, and then firms tend to be not, as far as software's and I think that that is something that we all just can accept. It's the role of academia to be at the cutting edge. But as emerging professionals come into firms, that's where I think it's interesting, like I mentioned before, like that collaboration, and hopefully, it is a way to empower younger professionals, while still learning from, you know, all the other things that you cannot possibly learn in an academic setting, about practice, but, bringing those digital skills to the workplace, hopefully, is isn't just like a tool for the employer, it's like a valuable skill, it's a valuable insight
Firm 5

6

Programs Used:

Grasshopper, C Sharp, Python, GIS, Rhino, Revit, Dynamo, R, Design Explorer, Grasshopper - Galapagos Evolutionary Solver, Grasshopper - Shape Diver, Speckle, AutoCAD, Unity, AR, Grasshopper - Honeybee, Grasshopper - Ladybug

​

Design Process: 

  • sketch workflow, identify variables that are needed, build script with available data, refine in-house, present to client
     

What Was Learned:

  • Parametric Design as a process that directly responds to the needs of the client and project to provide evidence based decisions

  • Need data (demographics, geospatial, equity, infrastructure) and learn how to use it right

  • Algorithm for logic that is defined by client knowledge, stakeholder input, local knowledge, institutional knowledge to inform the data

  • Examples of application of parametric design listed below:

  • Country Level Data

    • Optimal location for first responders to stations to maximize response efficiency using past incident location and throughput of streets (have gif)

  • County Level Data

    • Land use and transit integration study (multimodal connectivity) to assess catchment areas of transit stops using overlaid demographic data trends and projected prioritization of each

    • Identify lots for charging infrastructure of electric bus route for 2030 using available parcel data, cluster of metro stations, efficiency. Narrow down 2700 parcels to 19 locations by the end of the day. 

  • Local

    • 15 minute neighborhood, conglomerate of privately own properties. Goal was to get the highest and best use out of the properties (development potential) including population growth, relative location to other similar parcels and lease potential. 

    • Transit orient development tool to analyze every point along a rail line to best determine which area has the capacity to support the development needed to cover the cost of developing the station. 

    • Parametric building that had local data forces (circulation paths, shadows, surrounding density) built into floor area needs)

    • Parametric building that responds to another parametric model so as to not create new shadows. First building permitted but not complete in design, necessary to have model that can react to form changes)

    • Parametric Building - Take waveform of music in grasshopper, simplify form, play onto building, freeze moment, abstract into building form (balcony layout)

    • Optimal location of building for minimum public space shadow, max western facade exposure and view quality

    • Optimal desk arrangement so that no student needs to walk more than 35 steps to a printer

    • Covid: look at whole hospital and secondary system (schools) to better assess where patients should be transported so as to not overload the system. Would have been manageable if approach from systems level
       

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Use of for homelessness and local application, pro - bono work; doing it for good and not just a focus on money and profit. Wish that was something that can be done more often.

My definition of parametric design and the words that I key in on are customizable, that this isn't like, isn't a tool that we just pull off the shelf and hopefully it solves your problem, Maybe it doesn't. We build these in direct response to the needs of the client and the project. And I refer to it as a process because of that same reason, it's not a tool, it's not this package thing that we feed your data into, and it shoots something out. We build that. And it can be flexible along the way as well and it's an efficient and effective way for us to make sense of a lot of data and multiple parameters in order to provide evidence based decisions.
Firm 6

7

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, Photoshop, HydroCAD, CAD Hydroflow, Revit, Rhino, Microstation, 3D Studio Max, Cinema 3D, Civil2D, ArcGIS/ ArcPro, Global Mapper, QGIS, Python/ Java, SketchUp, Lumion, Forest Pack (3DS), Railclone, VRay, Mental Ray (discontinued recently), VR

​

Design Process: 

  • Viz group: Revit to 3d modeler, then renderer, then 2d applications. Currently linear but sees Revit as a collaboration tool if more accuracy was developed for Site/Civil work

 

What Was Learned:

  • Studio Group, Viz Studio and GIS Studio, all work together but everyone needs to know how it call comes together

    • GIS group can collect all relevant background data for a site

    • Viz group can help develop graphics, renders and determine which method would be best to develop them while also producing independent products

    • Studio group can do more in house now so less needs to go to Viz group in the last 20 years

  • Knowledge of all programs and potential of all programs should be up to Project Manager and Lead Design to direct the project to most efficient process of individuals

    • More internal communication needed to better inform other departments about what can be done

  • Scripting important to know or learn on the job, and though most programs are open source, it is important to be able to adjust information to best suit task at hand.

    • Not seen as important to share the edits back out to as a means of not sharing information with competitors

  • Accuracy of information guides program use and application

    • Large scale of projects need high level of accuracy (energy projects)

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • More internal discussions to make sure everyone knows the full potential of each studio

  • Scripting knowledge

  • Revit to have higher level of accuracy for Site/ Civil development

It's really important for project managers and people coming out of school that they need to understand the software packages that they're going to be requesting people to use. I do think as a PM, as a project manager, or as as a lead designer, you've really got to understand those individual pieces before you can ask for, I'm not saying that they need in depth knowledge of it. It's just what what can it do? What's the most appropriate product? Often times we discuss that it does require a discussion about how we're going to approach it, and what's the most efficient means to get there
Firm 7

8

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, SketchUp, Lumion, Google Earth, Hand Sketching

​

Design Process: 

  • AutoCAD (90%). Concept images and client facing material in Adobe Suite, SketchUp for model building and Lumion for render

 

What Was Learned:

  • Clients are mostly high end residential, few larger scale projects run through the architect (hospital, college, public gardens)

    • Will have Architects transfer models to Revit when needed

  • Focus on ecological/ plant material in design work can make graphics difficult since design is going down to the microclimate level 

  • Designers both know range of programs learned in school that are not being applied

    • Both agreed the scale at which they previously learned and applied was large scale and did not make sense for the types of projects being done in house

  • SketchUp as a base tool since all designers know how to use it

  • Introduction of new software and tools heavily reliant on incoming hires

    • More affordable to have a entry level design apply and learn new tools then have a designer with higher billing rate learn and share information

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Easier terrain modeling

  • Ease of cut/ fill calculations using the programs available (SketchUp, AutoCAD)

  • Cutting sections

When asked about knowing where to find new tools or software, "I think we, for better for worse, often rely on these new hires and see what they know coming out of school because even if they were going to come in and we were going to expect them to know it, somebody else would have to learn it to explain it to them...if it's somebody with a higher billing rate, it's more expensive for us to spend a lot of time learning a new program whereas if we can have an intern or an entry level designer learn it and then utilize it that makes more sense for us financially."
Firm 8

9

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, SketchUp, Lumion, Grasshopper, Rhino, GIS, ArcCollector, Miro, Google Earth, Civil3D, Hand sketching

​

Design Process: 

  • hand sketch, pull in scan, trace in CAD, 3d model if necessary

  • If project has Revit, architects send AutoCAD with building footprint, then the landscape is designed, make landscape model, send back to architect to build Revit topography

 

What Was Learned:

  • Ecology focused firm, most of work stays within AutoCAD/ Civil 3D

  • Graphics mainly produced for public presentation/ boards, before and after renders, grant application or as part of schematic design process

  • Frequency of projects with client matters. Many are repeat clients who know what is expected

  • Separate GIS group, one planner and handful of LA with recent merger

  • Renders are difficult for ecological design, but clients are interested in seeing what the restoration will look like

  • Newest hire does 3D modeling because they can do it faster, also only have one 3d rendering license, but that is all that is needed at the moment

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Automated tally of plants in plating plan

  • Easier transition from analog hand sketch to digital drawing/ CAD

  • Database of cost estimating that has unit costs included

  • More technical sharing, especially within a firm

I always think [Sketching] is a really powerful tool when you're especially like meeting with a client and need to just like put down ideas on paper at the moment so you can all see it at the same time. And just like perspective sketches and site section, it's like a really inexpensive and quick way to create graphics for your client.
Firm 9

10

Programs Used:

HandSketch, Verano, Rhino, AutoCAD, Revit, Vectorworks, Lumion, Grasshopper, Miro, Revit - Kiwi Codes, Revit - Environments, Dynamo, Enscape, Digital Sketching,  Procreate, Sketchbook, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Adobe Suite

​

Design Process: 

  • InDesign for reports; illustrator for diagrams; rendering plans are most of time is Photoshop

  • Rhino to IFC to Revit

  • Sketch, Vectorworks or CAD, Revit then stayed in Revit for remainder of design

 

What Was Learned:

  • Design Technology Innovation Group

    • Discuss program and methodologies

    • Internal training presentations, or larger firm wide information sharing

    • Failure included as part of innovation process

  • Revit as a process adopted because of client work in 2015

    • Easier collaboration with all consultants

    • Modeling sharing on a weekly basis, still a need to resolve model clashes

    • Still 3D model in Rhino out of ease, though file sharing is not as seamless

  • Grasshopper

    • Used in projects, but dependent on internal knowledge availability

  • Design interest and alignment with firms design thinking is more important than software knowledge

  • Virtual design space in Miro  was/ is important to collaborate while everyone is not working in the same studio, but much harder to standardize for the sake of brand preservation

    • Some process or tools used were out of being the only thing on hand rather than following past standards

    • Interested in standardizing digital sketch for firm branding

​

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Design in a 3D world at all times, no need for named sheets

  • Easier collaboration between 3D model programs

  • Easier collaboration between rendering programs or models used in rendering programs

  • Better plant selection in rendering programs

Landscape comes always, as sad as it is, last at times and it gets missed a lot for a lot of projects. So, as landscape architects, the tool here BIM and Revit gives us that power to coordinate and be at the same level as other designers, in particular architects and structural engineers.
With design technology and innovation, a lot of time also it's about failure and registering what didn't work and what we can learn from that rather than it just purely result driven
Firm 10

11

Programs Used:

GIS, AutoCAD, Hand Sketch, Adobe Suite, SketchUp, Google Earth, Grasshopper, Trimble GPS, Civil3D, Rhino

​

Design Process: 

  • GIS/ Basemap, hand sketch, redline, cad, redline, renders

 

What Was Learned:

  • Software do shift a little between studio groups

    • Conservation Planning - larger scale, GIS focus

    • Ecological Restoration - Site specific, CAD, light SketchUp work

    • Regenerative Design - Small scale site specific, communication of design is more important

  • Business oriented perspective of hiring: software package pre-determined by position hired into and computing power needed to perform, if other programs wanted, cost and licensing requirements were noted drivers

  • Felt plant palette availability or planting plan ability may be pushed within professional market, but is still difficult to translate site specific (and naturalized) design

  • Some hesitation from senior designers to learn new processes, innovators appear to be the newest hires, though this was framed in a positive light of being able to force collaboration across designers so that no one person knows everything

  • Attempted grasshopper in design team, though results were “sloppy” for naturalized systems, only to then be edited anyways in CAD

  • In person collaboration important to design process, working together on full scale drawings

  • Revit still seen as an architecture based program, not other internal need for it

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Tablet with Stylus to bring to constructions sites to make edits within the base document for immediate approval

  • Easier transition from sketch to digital format (relates to the current need of large format printer and scanner)

There's definitely a lot of teaming with staff who are capable at working with these, software to be able to get us what we need. So I think there's kind of this beauty in the lack of full technical sophistication, because that engenders some teamwork to an extent. So rather than everyone being able to do everything that they need to do from a workflow standpoint, the diversity is good in terms of skill set
Firm 11

12

Currently Not Represented in the dataset

​

13

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, LandFX, Rhino, SketchUp, Grasshopper, Vectorworks, Lumion, Revit, Ladybug, Hand Sketch, BlueBeam Revu, Tablet, Photoshop, Miro, ArcGIS


Design Process: 

  • Products will vary depending on client need, was not explicitly discussed

 

What Was Learned:

  • Research Lab - focus on internal research efforts of design work

    • Grasshopper to model human comfort (sun/shade studies/ microclimate)

  • Partners and senior staff start with hand drawings/ hand based workflow before production teams moves into virtual work

  • Vectorworks as a catchall program for quick graphics in plan and section

  • Interested in incorporating more GIS work to better inform projects, though concerned about information overload

  • Internal innovation grant for designer who is pursuing the integration of VR into the design process

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Collaborative 3D modeling

  • Better LA integration into Revit

  • Ability to integrate proprietary knowledge into a software so that it is personal to the firm

  • More interactive and educational way to detail and design (that is not just copy and paste)

  • Materials linked to performance indicators to prevent the information from being lost when working in 2D

There seems to be like a long habit in our industry to copy, paste, copy, paste, and it begins to really disassociate the designers hand from the brain. There's so much knowledge in the details that people have created over time, and I really, really, really deeply wish there was a more interactive educational way of detailing and designing, like even interactive material palettes. Like would it be amazing if materials were linked to performance indicators and we could pop out like, carbon calculations and like, there's just this whole depth of information that gets lost when we get into the the 2d world.
Firm 12
Firm 13

14

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, Photoshop, Civil3D, LandFX, MColor, SketchUp, Lumion, 3D Studio Max, GIS, Drone - Photogrammetry, InDesign, SketchUp - Chuck Vali Instant Fence
 

Design Process: 

  • General process: CAD - MColor - Photoshop for 2D - SketchUp - Lumion

  •  Visual impact assessment: Civil3D, SketchUp, 3D Studio Max, Photoshop

 

What Was Learned:

  • Engineering firm with small LA group

    • In addition to design work, LA work on more proposals and more involved in marketing because “we make pictures and help sell things”

    • GIS group

  • Program adoption normally managed through Manager of Design Technology Integration, but new programs can be added to the list if case is proven to be useful

    • LandFX and Lumion brought in by LA

  • Internal presentations done to remind other departments of what can be done in house

  • Visual Impact assessment use 3D Studio Max for level of accuracy that cannot be replicated anywhere else

  • High level of advocacy needed internally to remind what can be done through LA and programs are needed

  • Some programs are used infrequently, and will take time to learn the new updated features and workflows before being able to apply to project

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Access to NearMap3D to have instant cities models and quick local context on an as-needed basis

Every program is like “that is almost as what we needed to do"... [But] these are the tools we have available right now. Let's make them do the best that we can. Okay. Which is what I think ends up happening in the real world? A lot.
Firm 14

15

Programs Used:

AutoCAD, Rhino, Adobe Suite, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, Twin Motion, Premier Rush, Revit, Ladybug, QGIS
 

Design Process: 

  • CAD - Rhino - Twinmotion - Photoshop

  • GIS - Rhino - Photoshop

 

What Was Learned:

  • 3D printing done in house for client presentation

  • Graphics driven by client

    • Non-profit: few selected renders at high quality

    • Institutional work: high frequency and high quantity, medium quality

    • City partners: one or two renders at high quality

    • Renders book end design process

  • GIS used for conceptual projects when survey is not available for full site

  • Competitions once a year as mental stretch and to test new styles or programs

  • Twinmotion and Ladybug introduced through on the job learning, previously heard of programs but did not actually use

​

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Fully learn Revit

  • More fluidity between Rhino and Revit, ideally to fully integrate the information, but at a minimum, exchange files a bit more easily

  • Exploration and parametric work merged with construction documentation

  • Better trees in rendering programs

    • Better forest depth with dense plantings

    • Open growth v. forested growth of trees

When discussing how renders are part of the design process: Six or seven years ago, we would have four carefully crafted views and that would be sufficient representation for the project. You have clients now that expect 15 views, and then again next month, and then again next month.
Firm 15

16

Programs Used:

AutoCAD Lite, Rhino, SketchUp, Lumion, Vectorworks, InDesign, Photoshop, GIS, BlueBeam Revu
 

Design Process: 

  • Predominantly in Vectorworks through all phases of the project

  • Rhino/SketchUp to Lumion to Photoshop

 

What Was Learned:

  • Was a Mac based firm until Bluebeam Revu became unsupported, transitioned to PC during pandemic which opened up more software opportunity

  • Vectorworks as main program, though not used to full BIM potential currently

    • Replaces Illustrator work in office

    • Difficult to transition between Revit and Rhino

  • Lumion as main rendering platform since it is compatible with multiple modeling software, allowing for range of experience of individual to decide while modeling program to use

  • Work with outside collaborators need to be transferred to simpler file to be used in house

  • Most projects do not require renders and photoreal graphics, those that do, there was a noticed trend in client expectations to produce more renders often

  • Willing to adopt new software if designers bring in the knowledge and have a meaningful way to apply to type of work being done

  • Informal in office learning once a month; through professional organizations and client collaborator presentations

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • More ways to communicate with one another in a collaborative manner

  • Way to manage digital communications, email archiving and project management since communications are more virtual and create more content

As a project manager, it's just frustrating to see staff having to slog through drawing formatting, file sharing, and spending time doing that, but we're not spending it on design. Which is really why we're hired, not to figure out how to make software work
Firm 16

17

Programs Used:

AutoCAD Lite, Adobe Suite, InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Miro, SketchUp, Rhino, Grasshopper, 

Lumion, GIS, Grasshopper - Bison, CAD - Civil3D enabler plugin, Hand Sketch
 

Design Process: 

  • Concept: Hand drafting, cad base and some AI work for plants

  • Schematic: CAD but not detailed, mostly for scale, photoshopped plan, start 3D model if needed

  • Design: perspective renders, rhino and lumion renders, client presentation, community engagement, improve previous drawings

  • CD: cad, edits to other renders

 

What Was Learned:

  • Type of work largely in the public sector, community engagement work

  • Miro used as both internal communication tool and community engagement presentation model to allow for live note taking by design staff

  • New program usage more flexible as a smaller firm

    • Workflows updated by incoming designers, ability to test programs due to only needing one license

  • Most work does not require external collaboration with AEC

    • If do, then files are transferred to AutoCAD file type or Civil3D files read using plugin for CAD

    • Does not see the need for BIM adoption due to type of work; not needed yet

  • Graphics introduced early in the design process for city/ community understanding, though style is intentionally abstract to convey concept more than reality

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • LandFX as a tool but not currently compatiblewith AutocAD lite. Might switch to full AutoCAD to use

  • VR as a tools to navigable space, but only if widely accessible with phones and camera

  • Sketch tablet, especially for hybrid work environment with no printer at home

When you're going to the community or a group where you don't necessarily know who's putting in or coming to a presentation, it's just about making sure things are really legible and clear and not over people's heads. We do that site analysis on our own  to inform our designs, but sometimes, the public doesn't necessarily need to know or care or understand the implications of the direction of the sun or  how the wind is affecting certain things. Sometimes it's more just getting the most important information out to them and using other stuff behind the scenes.
Firm 17

18

Currently Not Represented in the dataset

Firm 18

19

Programs Used:

Sketching, AutoCAD, Rhino, Lumion, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Slack, 

Lightroom, VRay, SketchUp

​

Design Process: 

  • hand sketch, Base survey and floor plans in CAD, move into Rhino for models and Lumion for final renders

​

What Was Learned:

  • Program usage dependent on what people are using in school, causing other programs to phase out over time or be brought in because faster but not necessariu;ly because of the look

  • Most projects start with hand sketch and seen as an important part of the design process

  • Dependent on Lumion for many internal renders, though does not enjoy the consistency of appearance of final image and lack of mystery or individual style that remains

  • Some renders sent to third party through architect or selected firm for higher quality content (for public record?)

  • Most collaboration done with Engineers and Architects who use Revit. License is available in house, though only used to transfer model out into CAD/Rhino

  • 3D models and renders used early in design process to convey concept and custom site furnishing work

  • Aware of other programs that may be useful, though not sure if time investment would be beneficial

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Annotative options in conference programs

  • Estimators that can read plan material and price accordingly. (Mentioned in the context of site plan with phased planting design, so that it is not done manually)

Even if you're just a summer intern, you get the opportunity to sketch and design and come up with concepts and present them. I think it's a little bit counterintuitive. As you get more experience, some of that design, some of the time you would like to spend designing, you don't get to do it so much and more junior staff actually end up doing more of the design.
Firm 19

20

Programs Used: AutoCAD, Civil3D, GIS, Photoshop, Procreate, Illustrator, InDesign, LandFX, Lumion, Hand Drawing, SketchUp (most while at previous firm)


Design Process: 

  • CAD to Photoshop (at current practice)

 

What Was Learned:

  • Was LA, moved into own practice as a Restoration Ecologist

  • Expectations of LA v. reality of what the field does doesn't line up

  • LA currently very computer based, not site dependent so some information missing for installation and construction documentation

  • Renders dependent on budget

    • Small projects may be more interesting but may not have the budget for visualizations

  • PPT presentation more accessible for presentations due to general knowledge of the firm, InDesign would be preferred

  • Less use of programs with upward mobility and management roles

 

Future Wants and Wishes::

  • More field work for LA, current culture is to be behind a screen

  • GPS units that are user friendly and easy to download data from

  • PlantNet equivalent for different age of trees over time, seedling to adult life

  • Plant Database - repository of plants that have height, width, cultural requirements, wetland status, water needs, region, ph and photos

  • Need to understand and request soil assessments not currently common in LA but should be

Profession is becoming geared toward people who are more interested in strictly design and being at a desk, and that is not ok;  we are not Architects, we are Landscapes Architects, most people have never left the office
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21

Programs Used:
AutoCAD, GIS, VRay, Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator, Bluebeam Revu, Procreate, Proforma (CA), Miro, OneNote, Civil3D, Revit
 

Design Process: ​

  • Revit to Rhino to Revit

  • Vray - Base Render

  • Bluebeam - Review

  • Miro - virtual collaboration

  • Illustrator - diagramming

  • Photoshop - plan and section

  • Renders more of a final product

 

What Was Learned:

  • Software tools not as import as critical design thinking

  • Lack of collaboration tool that fully replaces in person charrette and sketching process

  • VRay recently made more user friendly, have internal standardized process to allow for all users to create similar renders

  • Small firm means flexibility is needed by all employees

  • Revit is used by collaborators, have not yet found to be a useful tool to design in, current design process pulls design from Revit into Rhino for edits and back into Revit

  • “Old School” - sketch before moving into CAD or 3D model

  • Rhino preferred over SketchUp for increased level of accuracy

  • Miro as a stand in for collaborative work sharing, though not a full replacement

  • Type of render (photoreal or hand sketch) depending on client and budget

    • Larger budget -> photo-real render

    • Smaller budget -> hand sketch

    • Design experience -> sections and plans

    • Public -> hand sketch

  • Split in production staff and management

    • Different level of use for design tools

  • Virtual sketch tools - Procreate - hard to scale in making ti difficult to sketch at scale

 

Future Wants and Wishes:

  • Program designed for LA from the beginning

    • Want to have flexible 3D model abilities and CD in one program

  • Program that is not so rigid in it’s abilities

    • Want to collaborate, and iterate in hybrid future world

  • Information loaded programs (like Revit) but for plants and LA based needs

    • Responsive to changes to make edits less arduous when changes are made 

.....
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