On behalf of the membership of the Virginia Chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID Virginia), I strongly support the continued certification of Landscape Architects in Virginia. Interior Designers and Landscape Architects have a rich history of working together on multidisciplinary design teams. Though we may be seen as operating in different domains, our disciplines are more intertwined than one would think since the aim of great design is to bring the outside in and the inside out. This is a design outcome that everyone understands as a vital component of safe and healthy spaces. This has become even more universally understood as we navigate the demands of the current pandemic – often living, learning, playing, dining and even worshiping in outdoor spaces.
The expertise needed requires years of training and a commitment to continued learning, which demonstrates a high degree of professionalism and pride that is well earned. We hold our Landscape Architect colleagues in the highest esteem – on par with any other professionally licensed designer or engineer. They bring a critical, trained design eye and technical know-how that provides aesthetically pleasing spaces that are underpinned by detailed design elements that protect the public from physical and monetary harm, provide accessibility for all users and deliver enduring landscapes that impact our lives on a daily basis.
Eliminating this certification would be detrimental to the design industry and to Landscape Architects that have dedicated their lives in service to a loved profession and in service to the citizens of the Commonwealth and beyond. ASID Virginia views the elimination of voluntary certification to be poor public policy and urges the Board of Professional and Occupational Regulation to recommend the continued certification of Landscape Architects.
Please also consider the thoughtfully laid out points below.
Protection of Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
Fair Competition and Economic Impact
Thank you for consideration.
Sincerely,
Matthew Lee, CID, ASID, LEED BD+C, WELL AP
President, ASID Virginia