Translating Research into Project Documentation and PublicationMon-CO1 | American Society of Landscape Architects Annual Meeting – Denver, CO

Research and writing are integral to effectively communicate analysis, process and design recommendations for clients, colleagues and the greater design community. Landscape architects are often called upon to translate complex concepts into concise, accessible design recommendations. This session discusses the trends and significance of research and how designers may capture comprehensive project analysis and metrics research and integrate them into written project documentation in order to narrate a compelling, published project story.

Seasoned professionals with experience in research, writing, editing, and publishing will present their best practices for moving from project start up through project completion and participate in a moderated panel discussion designed to improve the landscape architect’s ability to convey design process and solutions in a compelling manner and better prepare them to publish their work to advance the profession and foster recognition.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES1. Learn the trends being established by members

of leading national firms and agencies as well as specialized practitioners who explicitly mention the term ‘research’ in the scope of their professional services and design philosophy.

2. Learn how landscape architects can use standards and best practices for documenting research and analysis and design solutions in written form in order to better meet client expectations and reduce the potential for significant scope creep and cost over runs.

3. Learn how landscape architects can improve their ability to capture analysis, process, and design in the written form.

4. Discover how landscape architects can use publishing as a means to enhance their projects’ and office profiles.

5. Evaluate the opportunities for print and online publishing venues.

PRESENTATION OUTLINE1. Introductions/Session Overview – Stephanie

Grigsby, ASLA2. Practical Research and Professional Expertise in

Landscape Architecture – M. Elen Deming, D. Des., ASLA - Preliminary trends among firms doing “design

research.” - The conundrum of proprietary knowledge. - Integrating practical research into professional

offices.3. Best Practices for Research Project Documentation

in the Professional Office – by Rebecca Leonard - Establishing project expectations for analysis

and documentation: scoping the project. - Capturing analysis, process, and design in the

written form. - Navigating the review and editing process. - Publishing project findings.

4. Using Effective Writing to Enhance Office Profiles – by Lake Douglas, Ph.D., ASLA - Writing for design professionals. - Publishing projects in the professional press. - Opportunities for online self-publishing

options. - Creating a book proposal.

5. Moderated Panel Discussion6. Dialogue

- Questions and answers

Houston Arboretum and Nature Center,Design Workshop

A B O U T T H E P R E S E N T E R S

MODERATOR BIOSTEPHANIE GRIGSBY, PLA, AICP, LEED GA, ASLADesign WorkshopLake Tahoe, NV/CA

A Principal with Design Workshop, Stephanie Grigsby received her Masters of Landscape Architecture from Utah State University. As a registered landscape architect and certified planner her passion is for planning and designing places of enduring value and she works diligently to create collaborative, implementable solutions that balance transportation and community needs. Author of numerous project documents, Stephanie’s award-winning work with the Nevada Department of Transportation set the standard for addressing aesthetics and the environment along highway corridors. She also helped develop Design Workshop’s best practices and standards for project books – a guide for creating clear, high quality reports.

SPEAKER BIOSM. ELEN DEMING, D. DES., ASLAUniversity of IllinoisUrbana-Champaign, IL

Dr. M. Elen Deming holds professional licenses in Massachusetts, New York and Illinois, and serves on the Landscape Architecture Registration Board for the State of Illinois. A professor at UIUC, Elen’s cur-rent research is motivated by her combined practical, teaching and editorial experience. Co-editor of Landscape Journal from 2002 with James F. Palmer (emeritus, SUNY ESF), Elen became sole editor from 2006 to 2009. Prior to academia, Elen was an Associate at Sasaki Associates in Boston (1985 – 1992). Her education includes a doctorate in design from the Harvard Design School, and degrees in Art History, Landscape Architecture and Environmental Studies.

REBECCA LEONARD, AICP, LEED®GADesign WorkshopAustin, TX

Rebecca Leonard is Principal, Shareholder and President of Design Workshop. She has planned and designed award-winning projects and lectured, written and served as an adviser to numerous clients, community groups and professional peers. The scope of Rebecca’s interests is broad with a particular emphasis on community-based projects and public-private partnerships. Her leadership role in projects is redefining sustainable development practices in the Southern U.S. Rebecca’s leadership roles include Vice President of External Communications for the Colorado Chapter American Planning Association and Chair-elect of the Urban Design and Preservation Division. She is also a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

LAKE DOUGLAS, PH.D., ASLALouisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, Louisiana

Lake Douglas holds a Ph.D. in urban studies/history (University of New Orleans), an MLA (Harvard Uni-versity), and a BLA (Louisiana State University). A licensed landscape architect, he is currently Associate Dean of LSU’s College of Art & Design and associate professor at the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. Lake’s publications include books, academic journals, popular periodicals, professional publications and electronic media in America, Canada, the European Union and China. Public Spaces, Private Gardens A History of Designed Landscapes in New Orleans (2011), received the Williams Prize for Louisiana History in 2012 and an Honor Award from ASLA, 2013.

P R A C T I C A L R E S E A R C H & P R O F E S S I O N A L E X P E R T I S E I N L A N D S C A P E A R C H I T E C T U R EPRACTICAL PROBLEMATIZING TO RESEARCH THINKING“A practical problem originates in the world and exacts a cost… You solve a practical problem by making change, by doing….”

“A research problem originates in your mind, out of incomplete understanding…” you solve a research problem by learning…

RESEARCH BY DEFINITIONThe Collaborative Institutional Training Institute* defines ”Research” as “a systematic investigation including [research] development, testing, and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.”

*CITI co-founders Paul G. Braunschweiger, PhD, Miller School of Medicine—University of Miami, and Karen Hansen, Director Institutional Review Office, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

SYSTEMATIC V. PROPRIETARY KNOWLEDGE – CORE DOMAINSCore domains of knowledge in landscape architecture seem to pit systematic (academic) knowledge against proprietary (firm-based) knowledge across many categories.

MEASURES OF RESEARCH QUALITYFundamentals of research quality

1. Truth Value (validity/credibility)2. Generalizable (transferability)3. Consistent (reliability/dependability)4. Neutrality (transparency or confirmability)

Context-specific quality

1. Significance (the “so what” question)2. Efficiency (economy of means to ends)3. Clarity (organization and coherence)4. Originality (beyond normative; new-ness)

QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION• How and why should practical research be

integrated into professional offices? • Does any single practice have the responsibility

to help advance the discipline of landscape architecture?

• Or should the body of knowledge be entrusted to the University?

Table 2.2 Deming, E and S. Swaffield 2011. Landscape Architecture Research Inquiry, Strategy, Design (modified 2013)

Many models of good practical research are

emerging in many types and sizes

of firms, and in many global

regions.

B E S T P R A C T I C E S F O R P R O J E C T B O O K D O C U M E N T A T I O NDILEMMAA key deliverable of many Design Workshop projects is a Project Book or other type of report that captures the process, design and planning recommendations for a site, community or region. These documents are complex efforts that require a high level of coordination among different entities to generate and iterate content, to deliver a high quality product with no errors, and to secure all the necessary approvals so that the work can be finalized. Often, these deliverables become legal documents that are adopted by municipalities. Project teams face many challenges related to scope creep, ill-defined parameters for editing cycles and stakeholder reviewers, and a general lack of an industry standard for such documents.

THESIS Developing an internal guide to producing these kinds of project deliverables will create efficiencies, ensure quality, provide clarity on how to set up and contain documentation efforts and review processes, demonstrate ideal work flows, and empower project teams to stay within the parameters of a project’s scope and fee. The purpose of the document is to capture best practices for producing project books and reports that are delivered to clients and external audiences. The guide will be geared toward internal staff. It may be shared in part or in whole with collaborators (other consultants on a team, agency partners, etc.).

Design Workshop Standards and Best Practices: Project Books 1.0

• Develop TOC• Determine Exhibits• Storyboard

• Narrative Text• Photography• Illustrative Plans• Diagrams• CAD Linework• Section Renderings• 3D Renderings

FinalDocument

Document Production Process

DocumentLayout &

Production

REVISE

REVIEW

REVISE

REVIEW

• Budget & Schedule• Main Deliverables• Roles & Responsibilities• Comparable Projects• Decision Makers• Specific Exclusions• Client Vision• Critical Success Factors• Dilemma & Thesis• Selected Metrics

SCOPING DOCUMENT PLANNINGFILE SETUP & MANAGEMENT

CONTENT CREATION & COLLECTION DRAFT PRODUCTIONPRINTING

& DELIVERYBegins with sleuthing during proposal development

DW Standards and Best Practices: Project Books 1.0

December 2013

B E S T P R A C T I C E SStyle Guide

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Official DW Style GuidePurpose: The purpose of the Style Guide is to ensure consistency in terminology throughout the document. It is intended to be modified for each project and reviewed/approved by the client prior to document production, as well as shared with sub-consultants for production and writing.

The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law 2011.

Capitalization

1. Organizational Entities (including “state,” “region,” “department,” “neighborhood,” etc.)a. Capitalize the full and proper names of governmental agencies, departments and offices.

(Example: The Nebraska State Senate, the U.S. Department of State, etc.)b. Capitalize agency titles and initially spell out the full name before using the acronym (i.e.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or National Park Service (NPS)).c. All words that are capitalized when part of a proper name should be lowercased when they do

not refer to a specific, existing body or are, instead, referring to a geographic area. (Example: The town does not have a fire department. The bill requires city councils to provide matching funds.)

d. Capitalize any official tool names (Example: Green Roof Energy Calculator). In some instances both capitalization accompanied by lowercase is required (Example: i-Tree Eco.)

e. If referencing LEED, indicate the version (Example: LEED v4.)f. Italicize references to publications (Example: The New York Times.)

2. “City”a. In the case where the word is referencing the organization acting as the city’s government, the

word “city” should always be capitalized. (Example: The City has several economic development programs in place.)

b. In the case where the word is referencing the geographic area of the city, the word “city” should never be capitalized. (Example: The creeks in the city provide an opportunity for a connected greenbelt.)

c. In the case where the word “city” is part of the official name of place, it is always capitalized. (Example: New York City has several significant park spaces that contribute to the quality of life of residents.)

3. “Park,” “Corridor,” “Greenway,” “Community,” “Plaza,” etc.a. Capitalize when part of a full and proper name or when used in reference to a full or proper

name. (Example: The Lafitte Greenway, the Greenway, Central Park)b. All words that are capitalized when part of a proper name should be lowercased when they do

not refer to a specific, existing body. (The town is divided into seven neighborhoods. Each has two parks.)

4. “Landscape architect (or landscape architect)”a. Does not need to be capitalized. Similarly, architect, engineer, planner, etc. do not need to be

capitalized.5. Cardinal directions

a. North, south, east, west, etc. do not need to be capitalized.

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6. Trees and plant namesa. Capitalize any proper nouns (i.e. Colorado blue spruce) but do not capitalize the full tree name

(i.e. blue spruce, oak tree).7. When in doubt on use of acronyms defer to the following :

a. ASLAb. ESRIc. HUDd. Architectural Landmarks Preservation Commissione. SITESf. USGBC

Commas

1. Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series (The flag is red, white and blue. He would nominate Tom, Dick or Harry).

2. Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series, however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction (I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.)

3. Use a comma also before the concluding conjunction in a complex series of phrases (The main points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.)

Figures (title for maps, title for tables, etc)

1. Typically a phrase: not a complete sentence2. Capitalize all words (except “and,” “or,” “a,” etc.)3. Always include source information4. Make sure that they include correct north arrows, scales and other graphic conventions as necessary

Grammar and Writing Style

1. Only submit original writing – information obtained from other sources should be paraphrased.2. Avoid passive voice (Example: ‘it was decided’ should be ‘the landscape architect decided’),

especially for discussions of the design/development process given the many parties involved, such as the landscape architect, developer, municipality, etc.

Highlighting or Calling out Terms

1. Use italics (not quotes) to highlight a specific term or phrase the first time it is used. Subsequent uses of terms and phrases should not be italicized.

Numbers

1. In general, in narrative text, spell out whole numbers below 10, use figures for 10 and above. (Ex: There are four urban parks highlighted in the City’s redevelopment plan. The plan recommends adding 25 trees along the Lafitte Corridor. The 10-year storm.). In lists, figures are acceptable.

B E S T P R A C T I C E SStyle Guide

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2. Always spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence (except when the numeral identifies a calendar year).

3. Site sizes: use dashes (-), i.e. 10-acre site.4. Measurements: Always spell out ‘per’ for measurements (i.e. saved $700 per year, not $700/year).

Hyphenate measurements that serve as adjectives preceding a noun. (Examples: The 5-acre site, a 6-foot-wide bench, a 3,000-gallon cistern, 250-year-old-trees, 100-year storm event, a 3,000-square-foot greyfield site.) When measurements do not precede the noun, hyphens are not required. (Examples: The site is 5 acres, the bench is 4 feet wide.)

5. Fractions: Spell out amounts less than 1, using hyphens between the words: two-thirds, fourth-fifths, etc. Use figures for precise amounts larger than 1, converting to decimals whenever practical. For mixed numbers, use 1 ½, 2 5/8, etc. with a full space between the whole number and the fraction.

6. Ratios: Use figures and hyphens: the ratio was 2-to-1, a ratio of 2-to-1, a 2-1 ratio. As illustrated, the word to should be omitted when the numbers precede the word ratio. Always use the word ratio or a phrase such as a 2-1 majority to avoid confusion with actual figures.

7. Percentages: Use figures for percent and percentages: 1 percent, 2.5 percent (use decimals, not fractions). For a range, 12 to 15 percent, or between 12 and 15 percent. For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6 percent. In narrative text, always write out the word percent; in lists and figures, always use %.

8. Chapters: Always use figures: Chapter 1, Chapter 209. Dimensions and Weights: Use figures and always spell out inches, feet, yards, pounds, ounces, etc.10. Miles: Use figures for amounts under 10 in dimensions, formulas and speeds: The park measures 2

miles by 4 miles. The new posted speed limit in the school zone is 5 miles per hour. Spell out below 10 in distances.

11. Dollars: Use figures and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure. For specified amounts, the word takes a singular verb: “Currently $5.3 million has been assessed.” For amounts of more than $1 million, use up to two decimal places.

12. Dates: Always use Arabic figures without st, nd, rd, th.13. International Conventions: When writing for an international publication or audience, always include

a. Units of Measure in both English and Metric figures (mile/kilometer and acre/hectare, etc.)b. Monetary references in both U.S. dollars and appropriate international unit

Punctuation of Bulleted Lists:

1. In the case where bullets complete a sentence, bullets are really just acting as a graphic convention for breaking down long sentences. In a strictly technical document, bullets would just be avoided and the text would be written (and punctuated) as a sentence. In the type of documents we write (user-friendly…made for public consumption), it helps to break up long sentences with bullets thereby giving a hierarchy to the text. In this instance, they should be punctuated in the same manner as the sentence would have been with consistent use of a comma (or semi colon) after each phrase and a period after the last.

2. In the case where bullets are not completing a sentence, bullets are really just providing information or a menu. An example would be a table of contents or a plant list. If the menu is just a collection of phrases (not complete sentences) like a table of contents, we would not punctuate.

3. In the case where bullets contain one or more complete sentences (such as this bulleted list), punctuate completely.

B E S T P R A C T I C E SStyle Guide

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Photograph Captions

1. Always include captions that are full sentences with appropriate punctuation.2. Include credit and source information – i.e. the design firm, or the photographer. Photos taken by DW

teams do not need credit.3. Preferably include the location (and date) the photo was taken.

Street Names

1. Always use an abbreviation for north “N.” or “S.”2. Always spell out entire street name including words such as Avenue, Street, Boulevard.

Word Treatment

• baseline • bicycle, not bike• biodiversity • bioremediation• bioswales• brownfield• brownwater• buildup (n.)• build up (v.)• citywide• cost-benefit analysis• dataset• densify• farmland • floodplain• geothermal• graywater• green roof• greenfield• greenhouse gas• greenspace• greenwaste• greenway• greyfield • groundwater• hardscape• infill• life-cycle cost, life-cycle assessment.

• long-term and short-term• mixed-use• multi-family• multimodal• ongoing is one word• on-site, not onsite or on site• open grid pavement• photovoltaic• place-making• pre-consumer, post-consumer.• rain garden• revegetation• reusability, reuse• right of way, rights of way• runoff• semi-pervious• shared lane• single-family• stakeholder• stormwater• streetfronts• subconsultants • total suspended solids • treatment train• viewsheds• wastewater• wayfinding• wetland

Signature: Date: .

B E S T P R A C T I C E SStyle Guide

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E F F E C T I V E W R I T I N G & P U B L I C A T I O NWRITING IN THE PROFESSIONAL OFFICEBooks and publications from landscape architect offices serve as examples of how writing has a place in the professional office.

• Office brochures• Promotional material• Press kits• Project proposals• Responses to RFQs/RFPs• Project books• Blogs

Three types of book publications, all of which can result in positive publicity, increased community visibility, higher professional profiles, and successful marketing tools for an office.:

• Self-published books as marketing tools (examples: Pete Walker; Reed-Hildebrand; Mary Palmer Dargan; Raymond Jungles; Ken Smith; EDSA; DW)

• Academic books (examples: Crosby Arboretum book; Dana Brown’s book; Public Spaces/Affleck)

• Professional textbooks (example: Jim Richards’)

GENERAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT STEPS When considering documenting what you and your office/practice/experience is about and proposing that as a book project, there are general steps to follow, with variations depending on who the publisher might be.

First, organize your idea:

• What is this book about? Content?• What kind of book is it? Scholarly? General

reader?• Who is audience/market? Who will want this book? • What are competing titles? How will my book be

different from others?• What is word count? Size• What about the images? Color? B&W? How many?• Table of contents• Sample chapter(s)• What production values do you envision? Paper,

cover, image qualities; etc.

Second, search publishers’ catalogues for similar books.

• Academic subjects related to design: Yale; MIT; Abrams, Princeton Architecture Press, etc.

• Landscape history: University Press of Pennsylvania; University of Virginia Press; and LSU Press

Third, go online and look for the publisher’s “Submission Requirements” to understand what you must provide.

• Follow the publisher’s submission requirements

Fourth, make contact with appropriate acquisitions editor on the publisher’s staff.

• Have a conversation to explore the project’s viability

• Test the waters before committing to a full proposal (project may take a new direction)

Fifth, be patient.

• Many factors contribute to how long a book takes: from idea to proposal, to acceptance to publication contract to manuscript completion to production to appearance on the shelf may well be 2-3 years

Public Spaces, Private Gardens A History of Designed Landscapes in New Orleans (2011) by Lake Douglas