Engaging a Landscape Architect Guides

We are pleased to announce the roll out of the new OALA business guides for landscape architectural services and fees.

The Fees & Services Guide Task Force and the Professional Practice & Ethics Committee (PP&E), have prepared the following guides to assist landscape architects and clients:

Aligned with the strategic priorities identified in the OALA Strategic Plan, the Fees & Services Guide Task Force was created with the mandate to produce an updated version of the 2003 Business Guide.  Members had requested an update to this valuable resource to:

explain the services of a landscape architect to potential clients and the general public;
assist clients to better understand the practices and processes for engaging a landscape architect; and
provide a guideline to determine reasonable budgets and fees.

Part One provides landscape architects, the public and clients with a comprehensive set of business guidelines related to landscape architectural services. This will be made available to members and a broad range of organizations to assist them in assessing appropriate methods of procurement and the provision of landscape architectural services.

Part Two provides assistance in determining reasonable budgets and fee compensation when engaging consulting services of a landscape architect. This is intended to provide landscape architects, the public and clients with a comprehensive set of guidelines related to landscape architectural fees.

Part Three provides assistance to OALA members and potential clients in understanding the basic elements of a written contract between a landscape architect and the client for providing professional services. It also describes basic contract structures that may be used to inform and direct a typical contractual negotiation between a landscape architect and the client.

Part Four provides an overview and general guidance for sponsors and participants considering hosting or participating in a landscape architectural competition in Ontario. It covers a diverse range of key topics designed to encourage a successful competition and a creative winning submission.

Parts 1 & 2: We wish to acknowledge and commend the work of the following Fees and Services Guide Task Force members and sincerely thank them for their commitment to our Association:

Lawrence Stasiuk, OALA, FCSLA and Task Force Chair
Arnis Budrevics, OALA, FCSLA
Jim Melvin OALA, FCSLA
Don Naylor OALA, FCSLA
Glenn A. O’Connor, OALA, FCSLA
Tom Ridout OALA, CSLA
Jim Vafiades OALA, FCSLA

Part 3: We wish to acknowledge and commend the work of the following OALA members and the Professional  Practice and Ethics (PP&E) Committee:

Geoff Bayne OALA, CSLA (Contract Guidelines Task Force Chair)
Les Camm OALA, CSLA
Yvonne Battista OALA, CSLA
Michael Leonard OALA, CSLA
Colin Berman OALA, CSLA

Part 4: We wish to acknowledge and commend the work of the following OALA members and the Professional  Practice and Ethics (PP&E) Committee:

Ian Dance, OALA, FCSLA (Competitions Guidelines Task Force Chair)
Bob Parkin, OALA, CLSA (PP&E Chair)
Geoff Bayne, OALA, CSLA
Cameron Smith, OALA, CSLA
Alex Topps, OALA, FCSLA

The publication of these new services and fee guides, together with the standard agreements and design competition guidelines, demonstrate a strong commitment to the OALA Mission to promote, improve and advance the profession of Landscape Architecture and maintain standards of professional practice and conduct consistent with the need to serve and to protect the public interest. The Engaging a Landscape Architect series is intended to achieve a new level of exposure, awareness and understanding of the profession of Landscape Architecture in Ontario. The intention of the guides is to be useful as both an outreach tool and as a member resource tool.