When you get right down to it, people are people. And designers are designers. What’s so different between creatives who work on interiors vs. exteriors vs. graphics vs. landscapes vs. products vs. art vs. (insert field here)” Not a whole heck of a lot. Members in these fields share a common passion for form and function, design and beauty. Garden Designer Lara Moffat is no different. Her creative mind first led her to investigative studies in art, sculpture and psychology, but she then followed the proverbial breadcrumbs, guiding her down the organic path of ornamental horticulture and landscape architecture. Pack your picnic basket and let’s compare design notes with her.
What is evident when you converse with her is that Lara loves life. She embraces not only landscape design, but also architecture, interiors, furniture, and the like. She admits to tuning into a variety of design-focused programs while also devouring a broad range of books. However, what she really enjoys is the occasional treat of sneaking away to a museum, slowing down (to smell the roses, of course – we couldn’t resist) and filling a sketchbook with drawings and personal observations. A very necessary pleasure for one who first looked to the art world for her inspiration.
Lara shifted her focus from sculpture and art to landscape design “out of a love of design and gardening.” At first she had little interest in going so far as to pursue her graduate degree, but she realized it was imperative she do so: “The more I studied, the more I realized that I wanted and needed to get the degree for the area I wanted to work in, which is high-end residential.”
Dallas’ lauded Lambert Landscape Company (better known simply as Lambert’s) has benefited from Lara’s employ since October 2000, the point at which she began interning there. Though she was taken on as a full-time Garden Designer when she finished up all of her coursework at The University of Texas at Arlington, Lara continues to be a Master’s in Landscape Architecture Candidate until she fully completes her thesis, a goal she’s determined to reach this spring.
So what is a “Garden Designer” anyway” Just as with interior design and architecture registration, the State of Texas requires those in the landscape architecture field to follow a stringent set of guidelines before they become licensed. “Since I have not finished my degree (just have my thesis to write), I cannot sit for the licensing exam. After graduation I will need to apprentice under a registered Landscape Architect for 2 years before I can apply for the exam. The exam is an intensive assessment of the following: Legal and Administrative Aspects of Practice, Analytical Aspects of Practice & Structural Considerations and Materials and Methods of Construction.”
Lara fully appreciates the interdependence of a formal education and on-the-job training, and she understands why the State encourages a developing designer to wait a little while before taking the exam: “Every facet that I learned in school has in some way or another been evident in my daily workload, but there are two specific areas that for me I feel can only be learned through experience. Those two areas are construction and grading & drainage. No matter how many times you draw a detail or work on a grading plan, it just does not click until you see the structure being built or the grades being sculpted into the earth.”
Just as most interior designers must wear many hats, landscape designers better be ready for anything from day to day: “My work is extremely varied and that is one of the benefits of my position. The projects I am involved with range from garden renovations to complete residential site planning. On any given day I can be: out a site completing a survey, checking on materials (both hard and soft), handling a client’s concern, working on construction documents, selecting garden ornaments, reviewing plans with a subcontractor, etc.”
To stay in the landscape loop and to keep her creativity flowing, Lara takes trade magazines and attend lectures. She also networks with her peers through membership in American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
She first joined the professional organization while she was college because she knew she could really benefit. From trade seminars to scholarships to networking, the membership was invaluable. Now, as a practicing garden designer, she stays active for the continuing education opportunities and the ever-important personal and business connections. Wisely, she admits that, “even though I work in the residential arena, it is still important to know what is happening in the other areas of landscape architecture.”
After studying and working so hard on such a diverse range of topics, it’s understandable that Lara gets a bit peeved when, after she’s told someone what she does for living, the common response is, “So you plant plants”” On a good day, she bites her tongue and responds courteously, “Yes, this is one of the many things we do, though I don’t personally plant…”
Lara elaborates: “It is amazing how many people view a landscape as a non-living entity and do not realize there is a science to its design. We deal with soil structure, lighting conditions, energy efficiency, space allocation and aesthetics all while using living organisms in appropriate applications. The only way to dispel this notion is through the education of the client, both current and potential. This responsibility lies on each and every landscape designer and landscape architect to professionally represent their chosen field in a manner that expresses the esteem in which it should be held.”
All of you interior designers out there, does this sound a little too familiar” It appears that in all disciplines of design, education of the public is the key to respect and recognition.
Speaking of interior designers… does Lara ever work directly with her clients’ interior designers on projects” “In general, the firm I work for has more interaction with the architects and builders than interior designers. On the larger projects – where we are involved from the conception of the project – we do tend to work with a team of professionals and actively support the collaboration of the diverse disciplines of design.”
Lastly, P&C asked Lara what she felt all designers – regardless of their specific field – inherently share: “Designers tend to live life in a different reality than people who aren’t in touch with their creativity. For example, a chair is not just a chair, it is a chocolate brown chenille club chair, or the ‘coffee table’ is a richly lacquered mid-century modern piece with gently tapered legs. To designers, everything has a texture, a color, an era…”
Vive la difference! But long live the similarities, too.
The lighter side of Lara…
P&C: Where are you from originally”
LM: I was born on a tiny island – Portsmouth – in England. I spent the school year here and then traveled to Europe in the summers – practically every summer until I was 23.
P&C: What was your first job ever (not in the design industry)”
LM: My first job out of college was as a director of a fine arts gallery in Shreveport, LA.
P&C: Where have you always wanted to go but never had had a chance to visit”
LM: I would love to go to Greece. The history, architecture, culture and scenery are greatly appealing.
P&C: Do you have any New Year’s resolutions”
LM: Write my thesis and graduate! Become a better designer. Balance my personal and professional life to the benefit of individual growth. Enjoy life to the fullest. Resist the urge to over analyze situations.
P&C: If you won the lottery, what would you do first”
LM: After dealing with the necessary legalities, I would take a sabbatical to travel. I have always wanted to tour in an RV to every state, so this would be my first trip. I know it sounds crazy, but the adventure of the open road and almost limitless destination possibilities with no time constraints tied with ‘mobile’ housing seems ideal.
P&C: Are there any links that you would like to include for our readers”
LM: www.laramoffat.com (coming soon) and www.lamberts.net (you can see my portfolio page here)
