Testimony

I am a project manager : I organize and lead a project from start to finish, taking responsibility for the different phases, from the analysis of the client's sites and needs to the spatial translation and even to the operationalization.

 

Marie's job

I work for a consulting firm specialized in urban and regional planning (private and public sector):

- Territorial strategy

- Development of sustainable districts

- Reconversion of industrial / disused / wasteland sites

- Environmental impact

- Design of public spaces and landscape projects

- Citizen participation

I am a project manager, which means that I organize and lead a project from start to finish, taking responsibility for the different phases, from the analysis of the sites and the clients' needs to the spatial translation (identification of the stakes, objectives and strategic axes) and even to the operationalization (urban planning documents such as permits, specifications, follow-up, etc.).

A typical day

My days are very varied depending on the type of project and the phase we are in.

It is also the advantage of my function (management of a project from start to finish) and of the size of the structure in which I am (small design office with 5-6 people).

In general, I have a lot of exchanges with my collaborators because I work in a multidisciplinary office (architects, urban planners, geographers, engineers sometimes, etc.) as well as with the actors concerned by the project (exchanges of e-mails, telephone calls, meetings) in order to obtain data, ask questions, validate elements, etc.

We also often work with other consulting firms specialized in certain themes (mobility, soil pollution, programming, etc.) and therefore exchanges are just as important to coordinate the missions.

Every project begins with a site visit and an important phase of reading and assimilating the available documents and data. Several other site visits are usually useful depending on the scope of the projects

When I am not on a site visit or in a meeting, I work on the production of the elements necessary for the good development of the project:

- Written report

- Diagrams or analysis maps

- Plans / sections / details etc.

Why this choice of studies?

I always wanted to work in an artistic and creative field (stylist, interior designer, jeweler, etc.). But I have also always been sensitive to the plant environment and to nature in the broadest sense.

The choice of this profession was therefore very appropriate since being a landscape designer allows me to express myself creatively but also to work with living things, to improve the living environment by analyzing and developing landscapes, to know plants, ecosystems.

Objectives achieved...

The study and understanding of large territories has always interested me. Indeed, working on a large scale makes it possible to question important current issues, on the stakes of the territory that affect a large number of actors (preservation and enhancement of landscape and cultural heritage, flood management, erosion management, preservation of ecosystems, limitation of soil artificialisation and urban sprawl, etc.)

Working in an urban and regional planning office is not the first place one would think of for a landscape architect... But on the contrary, this type of office allows one to work on large-scale missions (municipality, portion of territory, district, valley, etc.) and to be able to include landscape in all types of projects and reflections, whether it be in planning tools, analyses for districts, or even for more local developments such as public spaces

Memories of student life

It's a small-scale campus where everyone knows each other and the atmosphere is very family-like. There is a lot of mutual support, whether it is for organizing student events or in the classroom. Everything is +/- a good memory in Gembloux 😊

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Marie is the author of this drawing through which she shares with us her vision of the master landscape architect and the associated professions.