The Landscape Institute and Registered Practices Working together to promote landscape architecture
Landscape Institute Practice Registration Registered Practices are at the heart of the landscape architecture profession. The role of the Registered Practices is mutually reinforcing with the work of the Landscape Institute. This prospectus sets out some of the main areas in which we work together for the advancement of the profession. The success of the profession rests on its members being highly technically-competent and professional people, who are then able to participate equally with the other built environment professions at all levels. Sue Illman, Illman Young Landscape Design Limited
Promoting Registered Practices to clients The Institute maintains a database of stakeholders, including local authorities and housing associations. The online directory of Registered Practices is actively promoted to this client list regularly throughout the year. To enhance the value of the Directory both to your practice and to prospective clients, we have made it possible for the first time for you to attach case studies of your work to your directory entry, enabling clients to view, in detail, the work you want to showcase. The case study library is ordered by type of project and can also be searched by key word and by lead landscape architect. Each study holds valuable information including details on project brief, location, clients, project team and an image, giving potential clients a rounded example of your practices work. With links working both ways between the Directory and the case study library, your practice s basic contact details are greatly enchanced, whilst your case studies also contribute to the increasing wealth of knowledge held on the Institute website. To submit case studies contact the Head of the Library and Archive Lesley Malone, lesleym@ landscapeinstitute.org.
Showcasing the best to the rest As well as promoting the services of Registered Practices to the public, the Institute also works to promote the best examples of landscape architecture within the profession. Registered Practices serve as exemplars to their professional peers, and each edition of our quarterly journal, Landscape, leads with a feature article on a major scheme, usually by a registered practice. We encourage your practice to submit recent projects for consideration. The Landscape Institute also publishes a fortnightly online news service. This service is available to all of the staff of a Registered Practice (not just Landscape Institute members). It carries news of competitions, planning consents and project completions. It also reports on prizes, awards and distinctions earned by landscape architecture practices. To register for Landscape Online, contact membership@landscapeinstitute.org.
Promoting good design: Landscape Institute competitions The Landscape Institute organises international landscape architecture and urban design competitions for a variety of project types, and these competitions provide an invaluable opportunity for the Institute to promote good design including that of registered practices. The benefits for the profession of our running design competitions are significant. Pitching for the opportunity to run a competition gives the Institute a chance to advocate the importance of good landscape design to a local authority for which this may not be a familiar idea. If the LI is asked to run a competition this demonstrates that the client has recognised the importance of good design in the public realm, and they trust the Institute to deliver the best possible result for them. Thirdly, the jury process provides an excellent opportunity for both lay and professional people to spend considerable time engaged in the design evaluation process. Since 2007 the Institute has run run the following competitions: Winckley Square, Preston; Pennine Lancashire Squared Accrington, Burnley, Blackburn, Bacup, Clitheroe, Nelson; Flag market, Preston; Dover Esplanade, Dover; Splash Point, Worthing; Southend Pier Head, Southend-on-Sea. Tonkin Liu and remapp MESH Partnership with Weave Cooper Partnership Landscape Projects The winners of these competitions included the following Registered Practices: Landscape Projects, Cooper Partnership, craft:pegg, Robinson Landscape Design, remapp and Colour: Urban Design. Civic Architects and Colour: Urban Design Landscape Projects
Promoting landscape architecture: the Landscape Institute Annual Awards The Landscape Institute Awards are presented to encourage outstanding examples of work by the landscape profession. The 2007 Awards were presented by Channel 4 s Krishnan GuruMurthy, the 2008 Awards by the presenter of BBC1 s Coast, Nicholas Crane. Both ceremonies were attended by around four hundred guests including members, clients, and heads of the built environment sector. Entry to the Awards is restricted to Registered Practices; the Awards Ceremony is a primary place to showcase your work and achievements as well as to network both inside and out of the sector. Winners, highly commended and commended entries and all nominated schemes benefit from a wide range of promotion opportunities including exposure to trade press. Practices that have recently won awards include: Land Use Consultants, TEP, SLR Consulting, LDA Design, Atkins, Form Associates, Landscape Projects and Groundwork.
Promoting the profession: events and conferences The Landscape Institute runs a range of conferences and events. The most recent include seminars at BRE s Insite 09 and Street Design; and a recent initiative, a free seminar on green infrastructure sponsored by WRAP. Institute branches regularly coordinate local events on subjects relevant to the needs of their area, often working in collaboration with registered practices, which act as host or contribute speakers. Branch events have included seminars on CDM and JCLI contracts, flood and risk assessment.
Informing and influencing policy development Position Statements Position statements are useful advocacy tools which the LI uses with government, public agencies, political parties and other partners to argue the case for what landscape architecture has to offer. Each position paper sets out the key contributions of landscape architecture and includes case studies from practices. Our two recent position papers have been on Climate Change and Green Infrastructure. Currently work is underway on the next one, which is about housing. More than sixty practices have responded to the call for case studies to be included in this. Public policy consultation Over the last twelve months, the Landscape Institute has submitted written responses to the following public policy consultations. CLG: Planning Policy Statement for Ecotowns CLG: Statutory Consultees for NPSs GLA/CABE Space: Open Space Strategies Royal Commission: Adapting to Climate Change Planning Inspectorate: Killian Pretty Review BSI: Tree Safety Inspections CLG: Ecotowns scoping document Natural England: All Landscapes Matter ASC: Brownfield Skills Strategy Natural England: Strategic Direction CLG: Planning for Sustainable Economic Development Draft PPS 21, Sustainable Development in the Countryside - NI Green infrastructure: connected and multifunctional landscapes Landscape Institute Position statement Scottish Government Wildlife and Natural Environment Bill The Economic impacts of climate change adaptation - Wales Landscape architecture and t h e c h a l l e n g e o f climate change Landscape Institute Position statement
Providing resources knowledge base and knowledge forum The new Knowledge Forum, introduced within Talking Landscape, allows members to exchange information on technical matters, take part in discussions and increase their professional network beyond their practice or immediate peers. The online Knowledge Base will be launched early in 2010 and will hold a searchable database of technical data, publications and articles. This innovation will offer a new level of service to members of the Institute.
Connecting members and promoting community: Talking Landscape and Branches The Institute has recently created a social networking site, Talking Landscape, which enables members to post discussions, communicate with other members worldwide, share knowledge and build a professional online community. The community currently has over 1100 members and is growing daily. Branches offer a more local community base, organising events such as CPD or Pathway seminars, social and networking opportunities and site visits. Branches are also increasing their online presence with their own websites and branch groups on Talking Landscape. Both these communities offer practice staff a place to look for and share their knowledge, enabling the profession to support and strengthen itself from within.
Recruiting the next generation: I want to be a landscape architect In 2008 the Landscape Institute launched a campaign to promote landscape architecture as an interesting and challenging profession. Aiming to encourage the brightest of school-leavers with a broad mix of skills to come into the profession, the campaign has included a dedicated website, large-scale mailings and emailings to school leavers and a number of events and presentations. Registered practices have collaborated with the campaign at every stage for example Whitelaw Turkington and Arup have both been involved in events run for inner-city schools. More than 10,000 school leavers received emails directing them to the I Want to be a Landscape Architect website, and in its first 12 months the site had more than 16,000 unique visitors. Many more have been inspired to pursue a career in landscape architecture through careers fairs across the UK. Careers in Landscape Architecture iwanttobealandscapearchitect.com
Resources Registered practice logo for stationery and website Registered practice siteboard Additional legal advice Preferential rates for PII cover Optional office copy of the Journal Certificate of registration Promotion of the profession to government and the media Promotion of the profession to young people and career-changers Farrer Huxley Associates recognise the fundamental importance of being part of a chartered and recognised profession. Through registration we are strengthening the role of landscape architecture to everyone as the bench mark and standard for the delivery of landscape solutions. It is important that we work together as a profession to promote best practice and ever increasing standards in our work. The roll call of excellence enshrined in our list of registered practices is crucial in ensuring and improving our stature as a profession. I would urge all practices wishing to see landscape architecture increasingly involved in the key decision making and design of our open spaces to register and increase the profile of the profession. Contact us Noel Farrer, Farrer Huxley Associates To find out more about being a Landscape Institute Registered Practice, please contact Claire Jeffs Facilities and Governance Officer Direct Line 020 7299 4534 Switchboard 020 7299 4500 clairej@landscapeinstitute.org Landscape Institute