OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS 



141 



instead of the element of real collabora- 

 tion and of temporary partnership. That 

 is why I prefer, in collaborating either 

 with an architect or with any other pro- 

 fessional man, to avoid the separate per- 

 centage commission basis of compensa- 

 tion. Even if one of two collaborators 

 is to be paid on a percentage basis it is 

 much better that the other should not be 

 so paid. 



Suppose an operation in which there is 

 a major architectural element for which 

 an architect is primarily responsible and 

 certain other elements for which a land- 

 scape architect is primarily responsible, 

 while there are various minor elements of 

 a more or less architectural character 

 within or interlocking with the latter. 

 These minor architectural elements ought 

 to harmonize both with the major archi- 

 tectural element and with the major ele- 

 ments of the landscape design. The 

 plans for them should be such as both 

 collaborators approve without qualifica- 

 tion. From the client's point of view it 

 is immaterial in which office the finally 

 approved drawings for them are made, so 

 long as the above essential is covered. If 

 those who have drawn the plans for the 

 major architectural element can and will 

 work up the plans for these minor archi- 

 tectural elements of the landscape scheme 

 with the guidance of the landscape archi- 

 tect and to his satisfaction without too 

 much waste of effort, there are obvious 

 advantages in having the work so done, 

 because they are already familiar with 

 the spirit and quality of the major archi- 

 tectural element. In the case of plans for 

 parts of the operation in which the value 

 of this intimate familiarity with the prin- 

 cipal architectural work is less, or where 

 the difficulties of arriving at mutually 

 satisfactory detailed plans by this method 

 are greater, it is expedient to have the 

 plans drawn in the landscape architect's 

 office with the guidance of the architect 

 and to his satisfaction. The ideal arrange- 



ment for getting out plans for such ele- 

 ments of design as lie in this borderland 

 of over-lapping professional responsibili- 

 ties is therefore one in which each of the 

 responsible designers is paid a fee for 

 his services in the joint work and the ser- 

 vices of draftsmen are paid for as used, 

 leaving the responsible designers free to 

 use their best judgment as the work de- 

 velops, assigning to each particular piece 

 of work any draftsman in either office 

 who happens to be the best man for it 

 under the circumstances. The nearer the 

 arrangements come in practice to those 

 of a temporary partnership which uses to 

 the full the abilities of both offices as 

 though they were one, the better it will 

 be for the result. 



In such collaborative work I personally 

 don't care two straws, on general prin- 

 ciples, whether drawings for minor archi- 

 tectural elements are made in the archi- 

 tect's office or my own. All I want is to 

 get the best results at a reasonable cost 

 to the client. Where I think those re- 

 sults can best be secured by having them 

 drawn in my office and then revised un- 

 der the architect's criticism until they 

 suit us both I say so frankly and give my 

 reasons. If they are good reasons they 

 generally convince a good architect. If 

 they are not good reasons I am ready to 

 be convinced and to ask him to work up 

 the drawings in his office to my satisfac- 

 tion. 



If in any discussion of methods the in- 

 terests of the client in the particular case 

 at issue are emphasized as the criterion, 

 there is seldom much trouble. Trouble 

 comes mainly from selfishness on the part 

 of one or both collaborators. 



The only safe rules are: first, that the 

 relations of the collaborators should be 

 adapted in each particular case to the cir- 

 cumstances of that case in the best in- 

 terests of the client : and secimd that 

 there should be a clear understanding be- 



