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ndscape

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Washington Canal Park, by OLIN, was part of the SITES pilot program and was certified at the three-star level. / OLIN

to be the prime on a project. It elevates the importance of what landscape architects bring to the table.” While at SWT Design , Beckham participated in the SITES pilot program, and in that time two of his projects were cer- tified. With those projects in his portfolio, he is considered an expert in the rating system, a designation that sets him and his firm up for consulting. “Now that the rating system is out, it gives me an opportu- nity to connect with partners I haven’t done business with before,” Beckham says. “They’ll want an expert so they don’t waste a lot of time [on a project].” In addition to the expected trickle down of SITES standards to state and local governments, a potential source of new business is with construction firms and A/E/P firms that deal exclusively with the GSA. Looking at how big the agen- cy is, Beckham has this to say: “The numbers are staggering. Once you get in [with government work], it would be hard to be bored.” Landscape architecture in the United States dates to the ini- tial development of Central Park in the 1850s. Since then, according to a 2012 report published by the National En- dowment for the Arts, the industry has grown to a value of around $2.3 billion a year, a figure that has likely increased. The NEA report also found that U.S. landscape architecture firms export their services to clients around the world. As of 2014, there were about 22,500 people working in the land- scape architecture field, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The recession gutted the industry, and in Q4 2009, 84

percent of firms said they were not planning on hiring in Q1 of the following year, according to the quarterly survey con- ducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects. By Q4 2015, however, only 54 percent of firms said they were not planning on hiring in Q1 of the following year. At the end of 2015, according to the survey, firms reported posi- tive results in billable hours, work enquiries, and business results. “Now that the rating system is out, it gives me an opportunity to connect with partners I haven’t done business with before. They’ll want an expert so they don’t waste a lot of time [on a project].” Philadelphia- and Los Angeles-based OLIN , considered one of the top landscape architecture firms in the country, par- ticipated in the SITES pilot program through Washington Canal, a multifaceted urban park in Washington, D.C. The process increased the overall capabilities of the firm, which now finds itself in the enviable role of SITES educator and peer reviewer. “Familiarity with the rating system in the beginning gives you a leg up,” says OLIN partner Skip Graffam. “You under- stand how much it will cost. We bring it up with our clients early in the conversation. It helps us serve the owner bet- ter.”

See LANDSCAPE, page 8

R May 23, 2016, ISSUE 1153

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