Information on the profession of landscape architect

Landscape architects are in high demand on the job market. Many career paths are open to graduates.

Employed in a planning office

Planning offices offer innovative work in small, creative teams. A lean organization, collegial interaction and flat hierarchies are typical.

In many planning offices, the daily work routine is characterized by local projects, diverse tasks, a high degree of personal responsibility and the use as an "all-rounder". In other planning offices, however, people work on a supra-regional, often international basis. In addition to the "all-rounder", there are also specialists. Often one works on "lighthouse projects" which are in the focus of the public and the media.

Working in the administration

Many fields of activity await you in public administration: Open space development concepts, management of public green spaces, climate adaptation measures, citizen participation. Public authorities are also facing a generational change and are looking for skilled personnel. For a higher administrative career, you should complete a regional planning or urban planning traineeship after graduating from university.

Self-employment as a freelance landscape architect

Self-employment can be a very interesting career move, often after several years as an employee. Either you join an existing company as a partner or you start your own planning office. This requires a "sense" of business management requirements, above-average commitment and a clear idea of direction, for example through a specialized range of services. In the following PDF, young office founders report on their experiences.

bdla supports self-employment

The professional association supports young office founders in many ways. Among other things, the bdla working group Young Landscape Architects promotes joint exchange. bdla board member Franz Reschke provides information about this in an interview.

FRISCHGRÜN21

Exhibition of the bdla for the young landscape architecture scene.

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The AG Junge Landschaftsarchitekten has compiled the following literature references.

Internship

An internship, before and during your studies, is a great asset for career orientation. It provides a deep insight into real working life, imparts crucial knowledge, makes it easier to start a career later on, and earns plus points with potential employers. Sometimes a first job results from an earlier internship. In the Internship & Job Exchange, planning offices are looking for interns. A nationwide list of planning offices can be found at landschaftsarchitektur-heute.de.

Job search

To search for job offers or to post a job application yourself, we recommend the bdla job exchange. A broad, nationwide overview is also offered by the information service "arbeitsmarkt Umweltschutz und Naturwissenschaften" of the Wissenschaftsladen Bonn.

Chamber eligibility and chamber entry

The professional title "landscape architect" is protected by law. Only those who are members of a chamber of architects may call themselves "landscape architect". The prerequisite is a degree in landscape architecture of at least six semesters, in some federal states also at least eight semesters. In addition, proof of professional activity of two to three years must be provided. The registration committees of the chambers of architects are available for detailed information.

Of course, graduates can also work as employees or freelancers without chamber registration. However, they may not use the word or word element "architect" or "architecture" in their professional or office title. In addition, as a rule, only those who are registered in the list of architects may participate in architectural competitions.

Profession Definition

In order to promote international recognition of the profession, a globally standardized definition of the profession was established by IFLA in 2020.

Positions and information of the bdla on education and training are available here.

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