LIVE ONLINE COURSE

LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

Dates: 1 OCT 2026 - 19 NOV 2026

Duration: 8 WEEKS
TUESDAYS & THURSDAYS
5:30 PM PT / 8:30 PM ET

APPLY

CONARD LINDGREN
PWP LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

LIVE ONLINE COURSE

Landscape design is one of the few fields where technical precision and creative vision have to work as one. This course gives you both, and the portfolio to prove it.

Join Conard Lindgren, a registered landscape architect at PWP Landscape Architecture with 30+ years on landmark projects. In 8 weeks, he'll take you from site analysis to a complete, client-ready design portfolio, built around a real-world brief.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...

YOU ARE AN ASPIRING LANDSCAPE DESIGNER

You know landscape design is where you want to go, but breaking into the field can feel overwhelming. This landscape designer course gives you a structured process, practical skills, and hands-on project experience from day one. You'll finish with a complete portfolio project that demonstrates your ability to think and work like a professional designer.
YOU ARE A FRESH DESIGN OR ARCHITECTURE GRADUATE

You have design knowledge, but employers want proof that you can apply it in practice. Through a real-world project, you'll move beyond theory and develop skills in site analysis, planting design, documentation, and presentation. By the end, you'll have work that strengthens your portfolio and supports your next career move.
YOU ARE A TRANSITIONING CREATIVE

Your creative background gives you a strong foundation, but landscape design requires its own tools, processes, and technical expertise. This landscape design training helps you bridge that gap through guided instruction, practical assignments, and industry workflows. You'll learn how to turn ideas into buildable, professional landscape designs.
YOU ARE A FREELANCE DESIGNER OR SMALL STUDIO

Clients expect more than concepts; they expect complete, well-documented solutions. This landscape design education strengthens your technical documentation, presentation skills, and understanding of project delivery. You'll gain practical business knowledge while creating portfolio work that inspires greater confidence with clients and collaborators.

BUILD REAL WORLD SKILLS

Every assignment is hands-on and builds toward your final portfolio. From your first client brief to your finished construction drawings, you'll work the way a professional does: on a single, evolving project. You’ll receive feedback throughout the process, so you're not just completing tasks; you're learning to think like a landscape architect.

CASE STUDIES & DEMOS

Case studies include the National 9/11 Memorial and the Donelle Garden, two projects that illustrate how design principles translate into built reality at very different scales. Live demos cover everything from hand drafting and plant selection to digital rendering and AI visualization tools. You'll see professional decision-making in action, then apply it directly to your own work.

PORTFOLIO PROJECT

The final project, a fictional expansion of Missouri Botanical Garden, is designed to look exactly like a professional deliverable. You'll produce a complete package: site analysis, master plan, planting plan, hardscape details, renderings, and business materials. It's structured to meet APLD certification requirements and built to impress employers, attract clients, and give you something concrete to stand behind.

Conard Lindgren LinkedIn Profile

Delivered landscape projects across public and private sectors for more than 30 years.
Contributed to landmark projects including the National 9/11 Memorial, Salesforce Transit Center Park, and One Vanderbilt.
Specialized in construction documentation, project implementation, and technical project delivery.
Designed and managed mixed-use developments, residential communities, campuses, parks, and civic spaces.
Served on the Landscape Architecture Department Advisory Council at California Polytechnic State University.
Acted as a speaker, design critic, and awards juror for organizations including ASLA.
Earned recognition through numerous national and regional landscape architecture awards.

TUE (9/29), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Welcome Class

Meet your instructor, explore the course roadmap, and get familiar with the real-world site you'll transform throughout the program. You'll leave with a clear understanding of the assignments, final project, and learning journey ahead.

Instructor intro
Course structure
Assignments & final project overview
Assignment site overview

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THU (10/1), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Overview of Landscape Design

Discover how landscape design shapes the relationship between people, nature, and the built environment. Explore the profession, its impact, and the principles behind iconic outdoor spaces.

Evolution of landscape design & why design is needed
The landscape designer's role in today's market
Nature & the built environment
Interactive Discussion: Identifiable designed landscapes

Optional Assignment: Dream Board & Hand-Drawn Exercise

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TUE (10/6), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Site Analysis & Inventory

Learn to read a site like a designer. Analyze environmental conditions, physical constraints, and hidden opportunities that will inform every design decision moving forward.

Reading a site: Topography, hydrology, sun/shade patterns, flora & fauna
Soil analysis & microclimate assessment techniques
Documenting existing features & constraints
Site measurement techniques: Standard equipment, baseline, inventory

Assignment #1: Client Vision & Site Assessment

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THU (10/8), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Design & Process

Turn observations into ideas through proven design frameworks and creative problem-solving techniques. Learn how successful landscape concepts evolve from first sketch to finished vision.

Core design principles: Unity, balance, proportion, rhythm, focal points
Design process framework: From concept to completion
Idea generation & development
Bubble diagrams
Case Study: Donelle Garden & 911 Memorial
Demo: Design principles for solving site challenges

Assignment #2: Site Analysis & Bubble Diagram

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THU (10/15), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Creating Base Plans & Site Planning

Build the foundation of every successful project. Translate site data into scaled plans, organize circulation, and create functional spaces that work beautifully together.

Translating site measurements to scaled drawings
Establishing design zones & circulation patterns
Functional space allocation techniques
Scale & proportion: Translating a bubble diagram to physical design
Demo: Hand drafting techniques for base plans

Assignment #3: Concept Plan & Spatial Layout

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THU (10/22), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Introduction to Design Tools

Explore the tools that bring landscape ideas to life. Compare hand drafting and digital workflows while building confidence with essential design software and drawing techniques.

Choosing appropriate software for different design tasks
Basic draftingprinciples for landscape design
Digital workflow efficiency techniques
Demo: Software& hand drafting
Workshop: Drawing a tree

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TUE (10/27), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Plant Selection

Learn to choose plants with purpose, balancing beauty, performance, and ecology. Develop planting palettes that thrive in their environment while supporting your design goals.

Plant selection criteria: Form, function, ecology
Creating cohesive plant palettes for various design styles
Right plant, right place: Matching plants to site conditions
Nurseries, selection, availability
Demo: Interactive plant selection exercise

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THU (10/29), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Planting Plans & Specifications

Transform plant concepts into professional documentation. Learn how to organize, specify, and compose planting designs that create structure, atmosphere, and spatial experience.

Professional planting plan symbols & conventions
Plant spacing & arrangement techniques
Writing detailed plant specifications & quantities
Demo: Planting plan software techniques
Workshop: Planting design

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TUE (11/3), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Hardscape Design & Materials

Design the built framework that supports outdoor living. Explore materials, construction principles, and sustainable solutions that connect hardscape seamlessly with the landscape.

Material selection criteria: Durability, aesthetics, sustainability
Hardscape construction detailing fundamentals
Integrating hardscape with plantings
Demo: Material selection & specification exercise

Assignment #4: Planting & Materials Package

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THU (11/5), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Construction Detailing & Special Features

Elevate your designs with outdoor rooms, lighting, water features, and custom details. Learn how thoughtful detailing turns functional spaces into memorable experiences.

Designing functional outdoor rooms & entertainment areas
Water feature & fire element fundamentals
Construction detailing & how to draft construction details
Outdoor lighting design principles: Safety, function, aesthetics

Final Project: Professional Landscape Design Portfolio

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TUE (11/10), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Rendering Techniques,3D Graphics & AI

Bring your ideas to life through compelling visual communication. Master rendering, visualization, and emerging AI tools to create presentations that clients can instantly understand.

Color theory for landscape plans
2D plan rendering techniques: Plan & section
Creating simple 3D models for client presentations
Demo: Digital plan rendering demo & practice

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THU (11/12), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Managing a Landscape Design Business

Learn what it takes to build a successful landscape design career or practice. Explore pricing, branding, marketing, project management, and the business systems behind sustainable growth.

Business models & positioning strategy
Pricing your services & creating proposals
Setting up efficient business systems
Building a brand: Digital marketing strategies & portfolio
Client communication & project management
Case Study: Website & portfolio critique

Optional Assignment: Project Rendering

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TUE (11/17), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Introduction to Landscape Construction

Understand how great designs become built realities. Learn construction sequencing, budgeting, contractor coordination, and quality control to bridge the gap between design and execution.

Working with contractors & installation teams
Project timelines, budgeting, management tools
Contracts & legal considerations for designers
Cost-estimating, quantity inventories, unit pricing
Value engineering
Construction observation & quality assurance

Optional Assignment: Quantity Survey, Budget & Timeline

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THU (11/19), 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET

Portfolio, Presentation & Career Guide

Prepare for the next step in your career with portfolio reviews, industry insights, and professional development strategies. Refine how you present your work, communicate your value, and pursue opportunities with confidence.