Landscape Architects in Houston Texas

What is the difference between a landscape architect and landscape designer?

A Registered Landscape Architect in the state of Texas has a degree in Landscape Architecture from an accredited university, two years of experience practicing under a Licensed Landscape Architect and has passed a national licensure exam that tests for basic competency in protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public in practicing landscaping on a residential, commercial and civic level.

What is the difference in hiring a landscape architect or landscape designer for your residential landscape?

This has to do with your project goals and the individuals/ companies experience on past projects similar in scope to your landscape garden rather than education, licensure or degrees. Does their portfolio and website reflect the breath of creativity, knowledge, beauty, skill, craftsmanship that you envision at your own home? Does the individual have experience in working with local zoning codes and permitting in your area? What is their design and construction process and what do they charge for design and or construction drawings? It is not only creative ideas and designs that make for a great project, but the ability to communicate drawings into construction documents for landscape contractors so that the design can be clearly built as proposed.
Experience as a landscape project manager
In our experience, in high end residential landscaping, hiring one person from design through construction implementation and maintenance is what most clients’ desire. Customers don’t want to deal with the frustration of hiring and managing contractors, schedules, and work flow trying to implement a landscape design that isn’t relevant to budgetary or construction constraints! In building a relationship with your design and construction professional, they should exhibit the ability to communicate known design standards for built elements and convey simple sketches, written or verbal specifications to contractors and sub-contractors in implementing design strategies. When you have one individual see a project through from vision to managing the collective contractors, all the way through to maintenance, you have someone who not only knows what they are doing but is taking responsibility for the outcome.

Experience as a landscape contractor
The proof is in the pudding, the best reflection of work well done is what is the landscape contractor’s referral base? For how many years have they been working for the same satisfied clients’? In Houston’s high-end residential landscape construction niche, quality landscape construction contractors are a select few. What you are looking for is some one who is extremely busy because they are in such demand, proof of quality work and a reference list.

Questions to Ask
Regardless of license or registration as a landscape architect or education, in high end residential landscape design and construction; landscape architects, garden designers and landscape contractors should exhibit:


1. An extensive portfolio of quality work.
2. Clearly communicate creative design solutions to you through illustrative drawings, sketches and material samples.
3. Knowledge and experience in working with local permitting and code requirements and in hiring consultants to permit design solutions so they meet code requirements.
4. Project management experience. Understanding of the entire construction process: project scheduling and multi-task ability to work with several contractors in the completion of a project.
5. Understanding of all different materials and their construction methods, constraints, costs and maintenance requirements.
6. Use of quality contractors who exhibit the kind of detail and craftsmanship that you expect.
7. Show a reference list of satisfied clients and experience in the successful and continual maintenance of landscape design installations.

Exterior Worlds can help with your urban landscaping needs. Visit their website at www.exteriorworlds.com or call 713-827-2255. Since 1987, Exterior Worlds has been providing high-end landscape design and services for Bellaire, River Oaks, West University, and other fine neighborhoods in the greater Houston area.