By Aimee Serafin
CAD drawing courtesy of Davis Design Group
“There is a big difference between a landscape architect and a landscape designer,” says Roger Davis, president of Davis Design Group in downtown Augusta. “I have a five-year degree, a two-year professional practice under a landscape architect and passed a state exam to be registered and licensed.” According to Davis, this difference is not widespread knowledge. “Most people think they are the same, but they are not.”
A landscape architect degree includes coursework requirements in architecture, civil engineering, land surveying, grading and drainage in conjunction with the horticulture studies of small trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials.
On the contrary, a landscape designer mostly studies plant aesthetics and works on smaller residential properties. Landscape architects have a higher level of technical expertise and knowledge in plant and structural design, and most importantly, their knowledge is supported by a license.
So, if you are in the market to build an arbor with a surrounding stone patio and outdoor fireplace in an English-style garden, call a landscape architect. “Even grading an area for structural support, and providing correct drainage, takes technical knowledge that a garden designer does not normally have,” says Davis.
Davis Design Group does it all — lawn care and maintenance, irrigation and garden design to master redevelopment plans for multi-million dollar developments. From just a few acres to several hundred, his landscape architect team has the knowledge and expertise to make any area appealing and long-lasting.
For full article pick up a copy of the May 2023 issue of Augusta magazine on stands.
