For a long time, AutoCAD has been considered the software of choice for landscape architecture. There are many reasons why, a major one being it’s used for architecture as well (along with its BIM counterpart, Revit).

Many firms find that AutoCAD doesn’t have enough dedicated capacity to support all of a landscape architect’s requirements, leading to a need to incorporate several separate software programs to complete a workflow. Landscape Architecture Bureau (LAB) of Washington D.C. were among this group until they switched to Vectorworks Landmark.

Owner Jonathon Fitch says this of their transition: “Vectorworks has worked out quite well for us. I think it’s a terrific program. People love it and the software is straightforward in becoming familiarized. It’s been a revelation, really, and the support we get is much better than anything we’ve ever gotten from Autodesk. As a BIM program, there isn’t anything Vectorworks can’t do.”

Semantically, no, Vectorworks Landmark can’t do it all — unfortunately, taxes will still have to be handled elsewhere. For the purpose of BIM, though, he’s really onto something.

Foremost is the ability to collaborate with anyone, including civil engineers and architects. Vectorworks Landmark can import and export more common file formats than any other BIM solution, and cloud workflows are a convenient way to host and share files with your team and collaborators. A robust, live project sharing environment helps keep teams on the same page.

Fitch enjoys the simplicity of drawing and modeling, too. “I think if I were to describe it to someone, I would start with its ease-of-use. The basics of the program are really simple. It’s a dream to draw with and that’s really important to us.”

LAB and many others are drawn to Landmark for its landscape-specific toolset — tools built for the way landscape architects work. The Plant tool is a hallmark of landscape architecture workflows, allowing designers to accurately layout planting plans with plant symbols which are easily packed with needed data.

Throughout the entire design process, designers can wow clients with top-notch graphical presentations and renderings via an integrated engine, MAXON’s Cinema 4D, which has also been used to create the popular titles Chronicles of Narnia and Avengers: Endgame. AB finds Vectorworks more than capable of entirely replacing InDesign for presentation layouts.

Landmark supports the entirety of a landscape workflow, even into the construction document phase. Designers can coordinate drawings, models, and spreadsheets so that automatic updates occur across data reports when they make changes, eliminating the need to manually update reports.

All this considered, it’s no surprise LAB made the switch. Find out more at vectorworks.net/start/bim-for-landscape.

Published on March 3, 2021