Rhodeside Harwell is a landscape architecture and planning firm in Northern Virginia specializing in designing places for the benefit of the public. We have several landscape architects who are registered in Virginia and a staff that uses our professional expertise to impact public spaces in Virginia and around the world in a positive manner that supports public health, safety, and welfare. Many of our government based clients require registered landscape architects to be either prime consultants or subconsultants on every project touching the outside realm. Any changes to licensure of landscape architects in Virginia will have a direct consequence to our firm and the careers of our staff. I implore you to consider the points below as justification to continue licensure of landscape architects in Virginia.
Protection of Public Health, Safety, and Welfare
Landscape architects directly impact public health, safety, and welfare. Licensure is the most appropriate form of regulation to ensure that the public is adequately protected.
Licensure of landscape architects ensures that professionals are qualified by virtue of their education, experience, and examination.
Licensure of landscape architects ensures that untrained individuals are prevented from engaging in professional practice that substantially (or significantly) impacts public health, safety and welfare. Licensed landscape architects fulfill educational training and examination requirements that prepare professionals to protect the public from both physical and monetary harm.
Landscape architects are called upon for complex services that require highly technical skills, making it difficult for prospective clients to evaluate the competency of professionals. Licensure as a measure of competence can assist consumers in identifying appropriate professionals for design services.
The scope of landscape architectural practice includes site plans, plans of development, grading plans, vehicular roadways and pedestrian systems design, stormwater and erosion control plans, and the siting of buildings and structures, all work that localities and federal agencies require to be sealed by licensed professionals. Consequently, the scope of landscape architecture overlaps with other licensed design professionals including architects, engineers, and Class B land surveyors.
Fair Competition and Economic Impact
Without licensure, landscape architects would likely be prohibited from leading multidisciplinary teams. Currently, landscape architects serve as the prime consultants on projects where they coordinate and administer the services of engineers, architects, and land surveyors.
Without licensure, landscape architects will be unfairly disadvantaged in the marketplace. Oftentimes, federal, state, and local contracts require the work to be completed by licensed individuals.
Virginia landscape architects would be excluded from federal, state, and local work in Virginia that requires licensure.
Licensure of landscape architects is necessary to keep the profession on an equal footing with its related licensed design professions, architecture and engineering. This equality enables landscape architects to lead projects, form certain business partnerships, and serve as principals in multidisciplinary firms.
Licensure for one profession, and certification, registration, or no regulation for the other, can cause confusion in the marketplace and may be perceived by the consumer as an endorsement of the skill and competence of one profession over the other. Where the professions overlap, it provides a state-sanctioned advantage for one profession over the other. This destroys the competitive, free market in which design professionals compete.