International planning and landscape architecture firm EDSA, has embarked upon a corporate partnership with Broward County School District at Northeast High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to help promote the field of landscape architecture to local high-school students. The teaching program, which began in February, is introducing students to the basic planning and design principles of landscape architecture and enlightening them with concepts that inspire today’s design professionals.

The firm realized the importance of reaching out to high school students within the community as the profession of Landscape Architecture is projected to expand by 18-26-percent over the next six years, making it one of the fastest growing design professions. The demand for services can be matched only if collegiate landscape architecture programs experience significant growth and increase by an average of six-percent a year.

Currently there are only 1,400 landscape architects graduating per year – which is not enough to keep up with a profession growing at such a fast pace. With so few landscape architects in the U.S. and the continued demand for landscape-architectural services, there is great opportunity for young people who are considering the profession. The program is intended to assist colleges in recruitment for landscape architecture candidates. The goal is to broaden the students’ horizons about the field and introduce them to the mission of being stewards of the environment so they will be more likely to pursue the profession in college.

The Profession
Landscape architects are licensed professionals that combine open space, functionality, and beauty in a way that enhances people’s lives. They are a collective group of experts in design and the environment who work to benefit the health, safety and welfare of the public. But more importantly, they are advocates for the profession.

The lack of graduates is not a new issue and has become a global concern surrounding the profession. A career in landscape architecture offers tremendous creative and financial fulfillment, but with climate change and sustainability both having a major impact on where and how people live, demand for services has quickly overcome supply.

By partnering with Northeast High School, EDSA responded to the issue by getting students excited about the profession. As a leader in the industry, the firm’s professionals hope to pass on their passion for landscape architecture to the students in order to sustain the profession and protect the quality of work being produced by today’s young designers. They want to show them that landscape architecture is not just a career, it’s a way of life.

The Partnership
EDSA, a leading landscape architecture firm and the largest employer of landscape architects in the state of Florida, united with Broward County Public Schools, one of the top-ten largest public-school districts in the nation. Northeast High School hosts the only Architecture and Engineering magnet school in Broward County where students outside of the school district who prefer the specialized curriculum can test-in to attend.
 

“We’re looking forward to our partnership with EDSA, as they are an international firm and will bring great exposure to our students and have a positive impact on our recruiting endeavors,” said Jonathan E. Williams, principal of Northeast High School.

The firm’s landscape architects are in the classroom facilitating teachers in introductory design classes once or twice a week for the duration of a six-week program. EDSA devised a curriculum of course work that will introduce students to the fundamental aspects of landscape architecture, which will help them understand that sustainability is the basis of the profession, and the key to blending the natural and built environments.

The curriculum emphasizes the importance of the quality of life concept and how the profession makes a contribution to society by providing an opportunity for people to enjoy and thrive in their surroundings. They see the extent of what the profession takes on in the industry, and gain insight into how the field interacts with other disciplines. In addition, the students are taken on an extensive tour of the EDSA office so they could experience a work environment first hand and better understand how a day in the life of a landscape architect is spent.

Students see the many roles a landscape architect plays in site planning and creating spaces for people. They will begin to acknowledge the value of a site and its resources, opportunities, and constraints by examining its physical, cultural, and natural attributes.

In an early assignment, students were asked to pick a place they’ve been and write a description which included reasons why they liked the location. They were tasked with doing the same for a place they would like to go. Making a detailed account of why particular areas were interesting to them helped the students understand intrinsic value, the importance of quality of life, and even placemaking. By using the school campus and the strategic location of various elements such as the lockers, cafeteria, and open space, the EDSA professionals helped the students see how people interact with space. To expose them to the relationship of land uses, students were asked to consider how space and different rooms are configured at home. Their comprehension of the relationship between the natural and built environment was broadened by detailing examples of local industrial, community, and urban areas.

The firm was vigilant in preparing clear and detailed, project-based information. Over the course of the program, the students’ graphics and presentation skills improved. Working with them more than once a week proved to be quite beneficial. Their excitement grew as they started designing and they produced some great ideas and concepts.

As the classes became more and more interactive, all of the students started catching on, verbalizing their understanding and displaying fortitude. The students analyzed an actual piece of property in St. Lucie County, Florida, and were tasked with producing a concept diagram for their own town, called “My Town Florida.” The final presentation, which was a town planning exercise, thoroughly demonstrated a newly acquired skill and displayed their ­enthusiasm.

Lessons Learned
The best advice to other firms or organizations interested in doing something similar, is to simply take the initiative and just get started. Pay attention to the industry and get involved in local schools.

The children literally are our future. Today, high school students are already dealing with adult-life scenarios and new pressures everyday. It’s encouraging to see students get enthusiastic about their future. As education becomes more sophisticated, high school is starting to take more of a vocational approach and students are forced to consider higher education at a younger age.

Exposure to landscape architecture at the college level is too late; high school is the time to start. The working world is demanding a higher skill level and more experience of new hires, and landscape architecture is no exception.

EDSA is hopeful that the program will flourish at Northeast High School, allowing it to facilitate higher level design courses for years to come. The firm is looking to its young leaders to help advance the program and give it veracity. As many as six different staff members ranging from principal level to introductory design staff are participating in the program.

According to Rebecca Bradley, Senior Associate, “Our efforts not only serve the well being of the future of landscape architecture, but also refine our individual leadership, communication, and community stewardship skills.”

Eventually, EDSA wants to expand the program into other communities across the country, particularly in the regions where their satellite offices are located. The success of this program has put EDSA on the right track to really make an impact on the profession. The future of Landscape Architecture is in the hands of those willing and able to make a difference. SLDT