you can do anything you want.

except stamp plans with an architect's stamp, if you don't have an architect's stamp.

Slightest tasks? sure, anyone can do those and you certainly don't need a masters in anything if the door is already open for you. Just know that there are plenty of fresh architecture graduates fighting for those entry jobs too so unless you can equally detail buildings like them it will be hard to compete.

I barely trust the LAs on my projects with simple tasks (like reading drawings, seriously, worse than M&E levels) so stay in your father in law's good books so he keeps that job in his firm warm for you.

Perhaps consider being a master in your own chosen field instead of looking for ways to dabble in other fields. Focusing seems to be the best way to excel at something. Lots of architects think that they are good at doing everything but very often others who devote themselves to a particular field, such as landscape architecture or graphic design, are better than architects who only dabble in those fields. 

I would prefer of course to do LA. I've always had a passion for LA, urban design and planning. All that is right up my alley. 

But I know how fickle the design world is and I was hoping that an LA education would prepare me with enough skills to work outside my niche in cases of emergencies. 

For instance if things ever got too rough and I had to hit up my father in law for work would I be a useful asset? Would experience in LA prepare me to read blueprints, estimate, bid and manage projects. He does interiors so it's all drywall, sheet rock, acoustics, ceilings, etc. 

I would just like to know if the education is well rounded enough to do other architectural, design or construction related work? Could I manage projects? 

Im an LA.

In my experience a good design education (and lots of self study) can prepare any motivated individual to be a competent space planner. Personally, I have drawn lots of buildings, even space planned interior spaces, arranged program, and circulation, but all of this work was on a conceptual, master planning level--helping a client select a site for XX program, massing studies for downtowns, neighborhood master planning. BUT, I also spend a huge amount of time reading, learning about buildings, reading discussions here. I probably pay less attention to the LA profession than I do Architecture. 

I also fully understand that buildings are much more than space planning boxes, as I would expect any good architect to understand landscape is much more than shrubs.

So, you might 'draw' buildings, maybe even do some space planning or massing, but you will likely never stamp anything, just as I believe Architects (and especially engineers) shouldn't be allowed to stamp landscape drawings. 

Now, there is the odd park shelter, or kiosk you may well design and document, but even those it sometimes makes sense to pass along to the pros (especially since smart LA business people know that it serves us well to capitalize on every opportunity to float work to others).

"I barely trust the LAs on my projects with simple tasks (like reading drawings, seriously, worse than M&E levels) so stay in your father in law's good books so he keeps that job in his firm warm for you."--Thats a shame. Maybe the problem is in how you communicate?

I must be dense because it doesn't seem like I'm getting what y'all are saying. The answers while appreciated don't seem concrete. I'm guessing you guys are saying that it can be done but many don't go outside their field? I really don't want to but I've had it up to here with degrees I can't utilize so I'm hoping that the design education I get in the LA program would be good enough to branch out in downturns. I'm sure you guys mean that with a little more self study and coupled with my design background I could do anything. 

What do employers think though? An LA applying for xyz job in various other design fields and construction trades? 

No employer is going to hire you to do work you haven't already shown you can do. And during downturns all building-related design stops so being an LA vs architect makes no difference.

The degree you study isn't automatically going to open any doors for you outside of LA. If you want work outside the field you study you'll need to find ways to get that experience and prove you can do whatever else it is you want. This applies to any design field BTW. If it's really important to you maybe you should go work with your father-in-law for a year or during summers to learn what it is he does.

Really? So the designing or managing projects for an LA firm doesn't translate into other similar design/construction fields? Don't LAs manage, estimate materials, and such? Similar with landscape designers? 

i would go work for my father in law for a summer to get well rounded experience but what could I offer him coming from LA? That's what I want to know. 

Larchinect, don't use space plan for firms? 

An LA degree doesnt give ou the skills and knowledge to design buildings, and you'll find the LA profession so broad that whatever you learned in school is going to only be a basis for whichever direction you take your career.

LA's dont design buildings. 

You will likely learn a bunch of software programs and basic design skills that you can use in related fields, but you would be competing with people that FOCUSED their education on that specific field, ie architecture, interiors, etc.

The point I was trying to make is that the related disciplines scope of work (bldg arch, interiors, la) often blend a bit, and require lots of collaboration on any given project.

There is a lot you can do with what you learn.

Well I understand I wouldn't be designing buildings but would the skills learned in LA help with managing projects? I know you guys said anyone could do that but the LA education helps, no? 

well, take what I'm saying with some skepticism because my background is in architecture not LA. But it sounds like you have unrealistic expectations about what any specific design degree prepares you to do.

The work that you're describing sounds like construction management. Even for architects construction management takes some adjustment beyond what we learn in school. Unless you can get work experience doing it, the skills you've got from school aren't going to be enough to go beyond entry-level intern-type work. Good construction managers know everything about how building systems work, including MEP, envelopes, structural systems - and of course how those get built. To do useful cost estimating requires a good understanding of the local market, construction techniques, site scheduling, and material or equipment suppliers. It's a lot, and not something you pick up in your free time.

As LArchinect was indirectly saying, the overlap between LA and architecture (or planning) is in the design tools you'll use. And some general appreciation of space planning. You really won't have any specific knowledge of building systems or construction that applies to architecture - and that's what construction management depends on.

Now you can certainly get that knowledge, but not without several years' experience working on site for an architect or construction company. If you get an LA degree and spend several years working on LA design you probably won't have the knowledge a builder or architect is looking for in terms of construction management.

Project management is a different thing - in design offices it usually refers to staff who oversee the scheduling and work planning for the design and CA labor. Usually involves client management too - explaining the design work, negotiating contracts. If you are experienced running business at an LA firm, I suppose you would have the capability to do this for any design firm. But it would be a stretch - because clients usually want to know what specific project experience their design team has. Few clients want to have an LA or Interior Designer overseeing their building.

So what I'm really saying is - yes, it's possible to do other things, but not without some specific plan how you're going to get the experience to do other work. You won't be able to easily change directions after doing LA for 3+ years without starting back at entry-level. If what you really want is LA, focus on that. There is probably more overlap between landscape architecture and civil engineering management than LA and architecture.

I know of a civil engineer who has a design/build firm in Houston building high-end homes and is doing very well. His CE experience is translating across architecture, landscape architecture, and interiors.

[quote] There is probably more overlap between landscape architecture and civil engineering management than LA and architecture.[/quote]

really? How so? I never would've thought civil engineering and LA would be in any way related much less have overlap. 

Radiocrux99,

Consider this, site surveys are done in both landscape architecture and civil engineering(if I'm not mistaken), soil testing is performed in both disciplines, structural designs that are based on both of the above-named considerations, are performed in both disciplines. A landscape architect will tell you that it is not just about planting trees, grass and rocks. However, I would not ask a landscape architect to design and build a bridge that supports loads such as cars and trucks.

I'm doing LA regardless. I love it and that's what I wanna do. Urban design and planning are a passion of mine so I'm in it for the long haul. The only thing I wanted to know is in case I cannot find any work whatsoever in LA or planning, what else would I be good for? 

What you guys are saying though is that civil engineering firms that deal with the structural sites are something to look at too? 

Why don't you do a M.arch? it will give you the ability to work architecture - interiors,Urban design, and even landscape. you can focus your interests on landscape  in school or if you do not have a undergraduate degree you could do a BLA - then get an M.ach if you need to go to grad school or  better yet you can do a B.Arch and do an MLA in which you would get advanced placement from your B.arch for you MLA degree. You seem to want to do multiple things ti do with the built environment so you might as well just do architecture which crosses into everything you mentioned, and focus your interests when you start working. Your focus of what you think you love and what your interested in after architecture school will be quite different any way. For me what I thought I liked was night and day after graduate school...It is to broaden your depth in the field you do not really even know what you like until you finish and even then it is hard...