California Landscape Design

Greetings,

For this issue of California Landscape Design, members of APLD’s Bay Area District have explored the topic of designing landscapes from the “Inside Out.” Reading some of the articles, I am amazed and pleased to see how many points of view we can have on the subject. I find myself remarking out loud in wonder, “talk about diversity!”, “talk about creativity!” During one of my conversations with John Black, Bay Area District President, I was encouraged to add my perspective on the topic, which as it turns out is very close to my heart.

As President of APLD CA, I am finding that in addition to all the responsibilities that come with the role, there are many benefits. One of these is how the position asks me to bring certain aspects of myself out, which I wouldn’t otherwise have done on my own — becoming more outspoken, for instance — allowing me to grow as a person and in the profession, growing from the inside out. I strongly encourage every APLD member to take full advantage of your membership and enjoy these benefits yourself, by getting more involved in APLD: participating in more events, and/or stepping up into leadership positions at the district or chapter level.

As a designer, I have often posed the question, “why do we do things the way we do?” Why do we landscape the way we do? What are the motivating factors that make us approach our work in a particular way, from a particular point of view? The answers I have found lead me to believe that the way we do things is nothing more and nothing less than a true reflection of who we are. In a way, we can say that with every landscape, we bring something from within out into the world. Our designs are an extension of ourselves. 

And it does not stop there: in my opinion, in order to serve our clients, we need to understand who they are, what they value… deep down, what motivates and drives them. I feel that only when we grasp that can we serve their vision, what they want, what they need. When we understand what their relationship is to the world, to nature, towards themselves, and towards others, we can provide value based upon what is within them as well as from our own expertise as designers.

Furthermore, I believe that as landscape designers, we are particularly well positioned to study, explore, expand, and influence those values rooted in our “inner landscapes” and connect them to larger and larger communities of people and places. In doing so, we can serve from a place of deeper awareness and understanding, and bring those values out into the world, manifested in the landscapes we create for our clients and communities.

From my own experience, I believe keeping these questions in mind at all times, and being able to explore and evolve them with like-minded individuals such as our APLD colleagues, allows us to keep learning and growing as individuals and professionals alike, refining the windows through which we perceive and experience the world, the doors through which we express ourselves into this world full of beauty and wonder.

May you find as much value in this issue as I have.

Sincerely,
Martin G. Carrion van Rijn