Survey indicates slowdown impacting landscape architects

Less than half of landscape architecture offices responding were busier than usual last quarter, and only a quarter of firms plan to hire in the short term as the economic turmoil begins to be felt across the profession, according to the latest Business Quarterly survey by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Only 44 percent of the 267 responding landscape architecture offices reported average or above billable hours in third quarter 2008, (July 1 – Sept. 30), and just under 43 percent reported average or above inquiries during the same period—12 and 7 percentage-point reductions, respectively, from the previous quarter. Additionally, just over 25 percent plan to hire in the upcoming quarter, down from 29 percent in the second quarter.

“The reduced demand for landscape architecture work comes as no surprise considering the current problems with the economy,” said Nancy Somerville, executive vice president and CEO of ASLA. “International projects, particularly in the Middle East and Pacific Rim, are a strong and expanding source of work for many firms. Domestically, the public sector remains the most robust source of projects.”