Skills
Landscape Architect Skills & Tools
The technical skills, people skills and tools employers look for in landscape architects, and how to build and show them.
What skills do landscape architects need?
Landscape Architects need technical skills such as site design, cad and design software, and plant knowledge, plus people skills like creativity and communication. They also use tools such as AutoCAD and SketchUp and Rhino.
Technical (hard) skills
- Site design
- CAD and design software
- Plant knowledge
- Grading and drainage
- Construction documents
- Sustainable design
People (soft) skills
- Creativity
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Problem solving
Tools, equipment and technology
- AutoCAD
- SketchUp and Rhino
- Adobe Creative Suite
- GIS
- Lumion or rendering tools
- Sketching supplies
Skills in action: common tasks
These step-by-step guides show how landscape architects put their skills to work:
How to show these skills on a resume
- Lead your skills section with the technical skills from the job posting, for example, “Site design” and “CAD and design software.”
- Prove soft skills with results: instead of listing “creativity,” describe a situation where you used it.
- List credentials such as State landscape architect license near the top, with the issuing organization and date.
- Use the employer’s vocabulary. Our landscape architect glossary covers the terms hiring managers expect.
How to build these skills
Formal training, supervised practice and certification are the most direct routes. Our Landscape Architect training introduces each of these skills with plain-language lessons, procedures and a final knowledge check: a strong foundation before hands-on training or your first day.