I do not know too much, but i just spent the summer with the MLA group and I am now in my MArch group and I must say that is 2 VERY different groups of people. I am not sure how you can find yourself torn between the 2 because they are so very different. An architect will be designing the building and most likeley the site. the LA will be picking out the plants that best suite the situationa and planning out the irrigation paths......bottom line they are 2 very different paths

mla/march upenn '05
bs arch KSA '94
and really happy with it all (but the loans).


the departments/classmates were different but not that schitziod (LA isn't all about picking plants (J- where are you at school???). much of your experience will be determined by your undergrad degree and what you're interested in.

if you have a bs arch or bs landscape, advanced placement cuts a year off the experience (having to repeating the first year in both architecture and landscape is the most common complaint). If you don't have an undergrad design degree I would caution against doing a dual degree - 3 years for an m.la or the 3.5 years for an march is long enough.

so tell us more about your passions and background, then I'll answer your other questions.

thanks for the answers. I would agree that LA is definitely not all about picking plants. Or maybe it is and that's why a lot of it isn't very good. My background is in studio art but I've been working for an architecture firm since I graduated (about 2 1/2 years) so I have a decent bit of experience. My interest in LA stems both from my art, where I did a lot of work (mainly photography and sculpture) relating built forms to the natural environment. I'm particular interested in this type of relationship in an urban context (urban ecology etc..) Professionally, I work for a firm that does lots of site analysis and planning with all of our projects, and I enjoy doing that as much as designing the actual buildings.

I do agree wih you though, barry... 4 years is going to seem like a long time

It seems that I could be happy with a program that allows exchange between the different fields, without actually getting two degrees. I know harvard will let you take LA studios as an M.Arch student. Don't know if this is true elsewhere. But I would like a program that is more "environmental planning" and less "picking plants"

Bachelor of Landsdape Architecture University of B.C.
Master of Architecture University of B.C.

Put those two together about 20 years back, the programs have merged and have a Bachelor of Envronmental Studies. Basically they worked together for many years but finally got the academia stuff organized so that they all sit under the same program rather than different departments like "plant science and applied science"

Great education and feel confident working at multiple scales, Only thing my office doesn't do is planting plans, thankfully. Just not personally interested as there are much better people at that scale of the landscape spectrum than myself.

one thing to consider is that in most states, a licensed architect offer all landscape architectural services and stamp landscape drawings. A landscape architect doesn't typically get reciprocal privileges. So if you need to choose one degree to maintain your sanity, an architecture degree with licensure will cover more ground then an MLA. But you won't get to scratch the same itch that dual degrees will allow. Landscapes are more expansive in the range of scales engaged then any building, so with a m.arch you won't have all the skills to handle the mega that an LA degree will provide

But is your goal to become a professional or an artist? The rigors of chasing down dual licensure aren't for the faint of heart- twice the bureacracy, twice the annual fees/dues, possibly twice the time, and 8 (NCARB) plus 5 (CLARB) exams to suffer through and getting licensed in one field is hard enough. So think hard about why you want to go this route since the rewards are entirely internal for the first few years.

most grad schools with both programs under the same roof will allow some cross registration for studios, but the approval process varies from simple to almost impossible. On paper it is possible at penn, but there was only one non-dual degree architecture student who ventured into the LA studios during my tenure in meyerson.

UVa and Penn are both excellent places to go for the dual degree as the programs' curricula (studios, especially) are interrelated...Harvard is a good option if you are either a) an architect who wants to take an occasional LA studio or b) very focused in what you want from the joint degree.