Course of the Week- Bachelor of Landscape Architecture

A landscape architect is a professional that is responsible for planning and designing of outdoor spaces.

The Bachelor of Landscape Architecture is a course designed to develop skills in design, construction and management associated with our natural and built landscapes.

The training program offered by the Department of Landscape Architecture, under the School of Architecture and Building Sciences (SABS), is based on scientific understanding of natural process informed by history, culture and social dynamics. Its an environment based profession. As a discipline, it is broad in scope developing into the design, planning and management of landscapes and the environment.

The broad objective of the program in landscape architecture is to develop a taste for beauty, admiration for surrounding natural world, appreciation of natural environment habitats and at the same time a rejection of selfish oriented consumption attitudes.

The program exposes students to the following major design areas:

• Hard and Soft landscape design
• Landscape Engineering
• Planning and designing of recreation facilities
• Environmental planning, design and management

http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/departments/landarch/programmes/

The duration of study for the degree of Bachelor of Landscape architecture, shall normally extend over a period of four (4) academic years. The academic year shall be divided into two (2) semesters.

A candidate for the Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in second, third  and fourth year of study shall take a minimum of 16 units in any one year of study. They shall also be required to undertake practical attachment during the second (2nd) and third (3rd) year of study.

The program is duly accredited by International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and recognized in Kenya by the Architectural Association of Kenya and the Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors(BORAQs).

Minimum Entry Requirements

KCSE B- (minus) mean grade, and C+ (plus) in Mathematics, Physics/Biology, and any group III (History and Government OR Geography OR Christian Religious Education/Islamic Religious Education/ Hindu Religious Education),

OR group IV (Home Science OR Art and Design OR Agriculture OR Computer Studies)

OR group V (French OR German OR Music OR Business Studies)

http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/undergraduate-courses/1851-2/

Typical employers of landscape architects include:

• The construction industry
• Private practices- employed by architect and landscape architect companies, or by companies specializing in landscape engineering.
• Public bodies- environmental agencies, local authorities and government agencies
• Water companies
• Voluntary Organizations

Landscape architects can also progress by starting their own businesses.

Landscape architects may choose to specialize as:

1. Garden Designers- who focus on creating gardens and areas such as parks
2. Urban Landscape Designers- who  focus on creating urban areas, for both private and public use.