OALA - Ontario Association of Landscape Architects

OALA - Ontario Association of Landscape Architects: Landscape architecture is the profession concerned with the design, planning, management and stewardship of the land. Applying both art and science to their work, OALA provides consulting services, prepare plans and facilitate projects that create a balance between the needs and wants of people and the limitations of the environment.The work of landscape architects is all around us. The attractiveness and usefulness of our parks, highways, neighborhoods, urban plazas, gardens, zoos and institutions reflects the skill of landscape architects in both design and planning in order to achieve the best use of land resources. Guided by their Mission to serve and protect the public interest, the expertise of landscape architects has contributed to the creation of many well-known Ontario landmarks including:The Niagara Parkway,Parliament Hill in Ottawa,Ontario Place,Canada's Wonderland,Toronto's Metro Zoo, Royal Botanical Gardens, many university and college campuses Landscape architecture is the profession which applies artistic and scientific principles to the research, planning, design and management of both natural and built environments. Landscape architecture may, for the purpose of landscape preservation, development and enhancement, include: investigation, selection and allocation of land and water resources for appropriate uses; feasibility studies; formulation of graphic and written criteria to govern the planning and design of land construction programs; preparation, review and analysis of master plans for land use and development; production of overall site plans, landscape grading and drainage plans, irrigation plans, planting plans and construction details; specifications; cost estimates and reports for land development; collaboration in the design of roads, bridges and structures with respect to the functional and aesthetic requirements of the areas on which they are to be placed; negotiation and arrangement for execution of land area projects; field observation and inspection of land area construction, restoration and maintenance. (Approved by the OALA Council, January 17, 1984).Landscape design, the historical core of the profession, is concerned with detailed space design for residential, commercial, industrial, institutional and public areas.It involves site analysis, development of design concepts, the shaping of spaces, the balance of hard and soft surfaces in indoor and outdoor spaces, the selection of construction and plant materials, and the preparation of detailed construction plans and contract documents. It may also involve maintenance planning, supervision of construction, and post-construction analysis. Site planning focuses on the physical design and arrangement of the built and natural elements of a land parcel. It deals with a wide range of technical aspects such as circulation patterns, utility layout, siting of buildings and creating areas for human use. A site planning project can involve designing the land for a single house, an office complex or shopping centre, or an entire community. Sensitive site design produces developments that minimize both environmental impacts and project costs, while adding value to a site. Urban design deals with the design of cities and towns. This field also involves the development of open public spaces, such as plazas and streetscapes. As urban designers, landscape architects set standards, development guidelines and create designs. Regional landscape planning has emerged as a major area of practice for many landscape architects since the rise of environmentalism in the 1970s. In this field, landscape architects deal with the full range of planning and management of land and water, including natural resource surveys, creation and protection of habitats, wetlands, and other natural environments. <H1>Landscape Architects</H1><H1>OALA</H1><H1>Landscape design </H1><H1>Site planning </H1><H1>Parks and recreation </H1>

Introduction

Overview

Areas of Expertise

History

The OALA Act

OALA Organization Structure

Current Council

Hiring a Landscape Architect

OALA MEMBERS' AREA

Meet the OALA > History

A Synopsis

The term landscape architect was first used in 1860 to describe the professional landscape design activities of Frederick Law Olmsted, designer of New York City's Central Park. Olmsted, considered North America's most influential landscape architect, also designed Mont Royal Park in Montreal.

Frederick Todd, one of the earliest practitioners of Landscape Architecture in Canada, had worked in the Olmsted office. In the early 1900s, Todd developed many of the original concepts for the now-familiar settings of Ottawa and the National Capital Region. He popularized naturalistic landscape designs and the idea of a "necklace of parks" as linked open spaces - a concept still used today.

Landscape architecture was formally organized as a profession in Canada in 1934 with the formation of the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects and Town Planners (CSLA) in Toronto.

During the next three decades, the profession in Canada grew under the eye of the national society which set standards for its membership. Foremost among the small but energetic group of landscape architects of the period were Howard and Lorrie Dunington-Grubb who designed many projects in Toronto and southern Ontario, including University Avenue. In the 1960s, Macklin Hancock, with the firm of Project Planning, designed Don Mills - the first planned community in Canada . This became the prototype for Canada's suburbs.

By the mid-1960s, the University of Guelph offered the province's first program in landscape architecture - the forerunner of today's School of Landscape Architecture. Soon after, the University of Toronto approved a landscape architecture curriculum.

Independent, provincial chapters of the national association were established as the profession expanded. In 1968, the Ontario Association of Landscape Architects (OALA) was founded. The goal of this self-regulating Association is the improvement, advancement, and promotion of the profession of landscape architecture. The association maintains standards of professional practice and conduct to serve and protect the public interest.

The association administers The Ontario Association of Landscape Architects Act, 1984 which includes responsibility for:

regulating professional standards
accreditation for the profession
maintaining and improving the examining process
approving educational and professional development standards

The OALA Story in more detail...
Our story in more detail... Our Journey Landscape architecture was formally organized as a profession in Canada in 1934. The precedents for ...
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Ontario Association of Landscape Architects, 3 Church Street, Suite 407 , Toronto, Ontario M5E 1M2
tel: 416-231-4181 | fax: 416-231-2679 | email: oala@oala.ca
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