How old are you and what is your life experience level (work, education, etc.?)

specializing in one area allows you to be more competent in that area, which makes you more valuable to potential clients.  if you spend all day focused on landscapes, you're going to understand landscaping better than if you spend half your time on that and half your time on other stuff.

you can try them all out as a student then start focusing in whatever direction you like when you start your professional career.

To some degree it depends where you want to do it.  Landscape architect is a regulated profession in may states, requiring a license, which requires some combination of years of education and experience (the requirements vary by state).  Unlicensed people can design houses in all but two or three states, though there are a few others that require a licensed architect for a home over a certain size.  The practice of interior design is only regulated in three states, but the title "Interior Designer" is regulated in several others.

If you go into any design field chances are better than 50-50 that at some points you'll be a freelancer, or a sole-proprietor.  But you'll most likely want to get some experience working in design firms too.  There are lots of firms that do both architecture and interior design, or even specifically residential + interior design. I've worked in architecture/interiors firms as both architect and interior designer - though rarely both at once except when working for myself.  In some firms you can easily do both, but others tend to separate roles more distinctly.  There aren't as many firms that provide both landscape architecture and architecture - though there are some.

Academic programs in "natural design", "environmental architecture", "design of the built environment", etc. can give a broad overview, and for some they are the terminal degree.  For a lot of others who decide to go into a more regulated area of design they are a stepping stone to a professional degree program.

You can still buy brand new furniture and furnishings made by some of the great architects through outlets controlled by their estates. Frank Lloyd Wright comes to mind, of course, but there is Alvar Aalto and Eero Saarinen as well.

holy shit man...please don't.

focus on one thing and try to do it well, there are too many mediocre practitioners in the world as-is.  

specializing in one area allows you to be more competent in that area

I specialize in design.

Some might go together.. like:

landscape architect / civil engineer / urban planning

OR architect / interior design OR architect / structural engineer

OR industrial design / mechanical engineer...

They should be at least complementary in nature of the basic building blocks.

One landscape architect, Luciano Glubbilei, makes custom outdoor furniture to go with his landscape designs. He will be offering them to the public in the near future. Of course, he is not a "real" landscape architect as he only had about two years of formal training before turning the entire landscape field on its head. Kinda like John Pawson is shunned by RIBA because he only had two years of formal training as an architect.

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Some might go together..

All go together. Design is problem solving. Overspecialization is problematic.

Miles, if you understand how wood connections are made you will be better at designing things with wood connections. If you understand how steel connections work, you will be better at designing things with steel connections.

If you want to design landscapes you should have an understanding of what plants thrive in the environment you're working in and what maintenance will be required to keep them healthy.

Suggesting all design is design sounds to me like the person who draws a 40' cantilever 4" thick in sketchup and thinks that makes them a good architect.  Imo, lack of competence is more problematic than over-specialization. 

What about those ski lodges and homes that have massive wooden beams strengthened by steel plates and rods to spread the loads? Do you hire two architects?

who would you hire volunteer?  someone who spends their time learning about plants?

Well, he might come in handy when selecting the suitability of the wood for the beams. And some landscape architects do beautiful stone work and other hardscaping. I don't think people hire one LA for the plants and one LA for the stone walls.

so a landscape architect might know how to select the proper plants and how to select the right stone or wood, but their field is narrow enough that they might not be as suitable when selecting the structural system for a building?  knowing the structural properties of a glulam is probably outside the scope of what most landscape architects do on a normal day.

whereas an architect might be more suitable when selecting wood and metal structural systems, but may not know as much about the right plants for a good landscape plan.  maybe a retaining wall is part of the common ground in the venn diagram.

I once was told by a senior practitioner that a good (building/landscape/interior) architect is a 'jack-of-all-trades and master of none': that is to say they should know enough about the entire design and construction process to put it all together, be able to ask the right questions, and know when to ask who.  I thought it was pretty good advice.

On the point of landscape architects: it's not uncommon (even in smaller residential projects), to have consultants for the planting (whether they be landscape designers / landscape architects / plantsmen).  Piet Oudolf, Michael Dirr, Cole Burrell are a few that are called upon often; ditto for soils - soil consultants that understand how designers work and can work with them are very precious.

I agree with Curtkram-Specialisation allows you to develop a true understanding of the profession, even if it's just the understanding that you don't want to focus on that particular area-by spreading yourself too thin you risk not being to a high enough standard in any one area. Try your hand at all three with an aim to focusing on the one you feel more comfortable with down the line. there's nothing wrong with having a good knowledge of each but you will benefit from having in-depth knowledge of one particular kind of architecture

curt, if you understand connections you can join wood, steel, stone and glass. You also understand that *everything* is connected - from the designer's sensitivity to the qualities of material to the fabricators knowledge and experience. It's important to recognize where your own knowledge and experience is deficient and understand how to seek out and work with those who have the specialized knowledge you require. I often find this in the trades.

Design isn't about wood or steel, it's about satisfying the conditions of the problem in a particular way using materials and techniques appropriate to the concept. It's largely about process, how to achieve a desired result. This applies to any context: social, political, economic, etc., all of which are factors in a typical architectural project, and which underlines the necessity for understanding different kinds of connections and having an infinitely broad view.

The guy detailing fishplates is not the guy the guy responsible for designing the project. No architect in his right mind is going to detail the steel frame for a high-rise. And no structural engineer in his right mind is going to design a project that requires sensitivity to program with a multitude of requirements that he is not trained to deal with.

so you're suggesting an interior designer and landscape architect can switch places with minimal disruption due to the process being similar.

but i'm suggesting they can't because the materials they work with are different.  the process may or may not carry over; i see the problem lying somewhere other than where you are focusing.

^ I am sure any landscape arch can pick accent pillow fabrics.

^can, maybe. do it well, probably not.

Landscape Architect

No, I'm saying that being trained in the process of design is different than being trained as an architect. Architecture - any category - is fairly limited, especially by formal education. I don't see it as architecture or landscape or interiors, I see them all as parts of a comprehensive whole.

Well said Miles.

Miles, I agree with your description. Complexities of scale, systems and agents that drive speciality, but they are fundamentally linked. 

I see what you mean Miles, with architects like Enric Miralles playing a key role in the interior, landscape and overall architecture of the Scottish Parliament Building, but where design knowledge ends he needed a team of designers with specialist knowledge to bring that vision to life

No, I'm saying that being trained in the process of design is different than being trained as an architect. Architecture - any category - is fairly limited, especially by formal education. I don't see it as architecture or landscape or interiors, I see them all as parts of a comprehensive whole.

^ agree 100%