Landscape Architecture is a STEM-designated profession that uniquely integrates elements of architecture, art, planning, design, engineering, social sciences, ecology, horticulture, construction management, history, and storytelling. Landscape Architects (LAs) are skilled professionals trained to blend these diverse fields to create functional, vibrant communities where people can live, work, play, and learn. To practice, LAs must pass a rigorous licensure exam, ensuring they can design safe, sustainable environments where both people and nature can thrive together.

Landscape Architects design and manage outdoor spaces. They also assess and plan sites, develop detailed designs, and oversee construction to ensure projects meet practical needs, ecological needs, and aesthetic goals. Their work includes designing parks, urban spaces, and sustainable landscapes, managing stormwater, and restoring natural habitats. LAs collaborate with various professionals and engage with communities, in order to create the most cohesive and beautiful designs for equitable spaces.

Beyond merely designing backyards or planting gardens, Landscape Architects lead the planning and design of a wide array of spaces. Their expertise can span campus planning, streetscapes, residential areas, public and private parks, energy sites, urban planning, commercial and industrial spaces, waterscapes, ecological restoration, site development, both hardscapes and softscapes, and more. In every project, LAs focus on crafting harmonious environments that enhance quality of life and foster sustainable interactions between people and their surroundings.

Landscape Architects are multidimensional professionals whose work influences numerous aspects of daily life. Their work ensures that outdoor environments are not only visually appealing but also conducive to healthy and vibrant communities that promote economic growth and well-being for all.

At Virginia Tech, we are committed to providing world-class education for the future generations of LAs and global citizens. Our students undergo meticulous training and courses that prepare them technically and personally for their future careers. VTLAR students graduate from the program equipped to address real-world problems and make positive impacts on the world.

Learn more about Landscape Architecture and get involved by visiting the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) website! To check out the VTLAR program and learn about applying, please visit the School of Design’s Future Students page! 

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