When undertaking work a landscape architect should always have the standards of the Code at heart. The 13 standards can be grouped under three overarching themes:
Promoting professional attitudes
The removal of a well-loved public park could be the result of your client’s brief for an extension to a residential development. Would you simply follow the brief or advise the client on the importance of the park and show how it could still be incorporated as part of the development?
Standard 1: The Landscape Institute expects members who are carrying out professional work to have regard to the interest of those who may be reasonably expected to use or enjoy the products of their work.
You have responsibilities to the character and quality of the environment. You should seek to manage change in the landscape for the benefit of both this and future generations, and should seek to enhance the diversity of the natural environment, to enrich the human environment and to improve them both in a sustainable manner.
Your business partner is considering sending an email to a previous client advising them never to use another landscape practice as their work is of poor quality, the senior personnel never tell the truth and financially they are unstable. Is this acceptable?
Standard 2: The Landscape Institute expects members to uphold the reputation and dignity of their profession and their professional organisation.
You should not be party to any action or statement that is likely to bring the profession into disrepute.
In addition to complying with legislation, you should not be party to any communication that is likely to be construed as defamatory by the profession, the public or others, or which may be considered discriminatory in any form.
Standard 5: The Landscape Institute expects members to act at all times with integrity and avoid any action or situations which are inconsistent with their professional obligations.
You should not be party to any statement, written or otherwise, which is contrary to your professional opinion, or which you know to be misleading, unfair to others, or otherwise discreditable to the profession.
You are aware that your friend, a practising landscape architect and Chartered Member of the Landscape Institute, has taken on a partner that has been expelled from the Institute. Should you take any action?
Standard 3: The Landscape Institute expects members to actively and positively promote the standards set out in this Code of Conduct.
You are expected not only to order your own professional life in accordance with the Standards of the Code, but also to do whatever can reasonably be done to ensure their observance generally by other members. You should also report to the Chief Executive any serious falling short of these Standards on the part of any other member of which you are aware.
You shall not take as a partner/co-director an unsuitable person, such as a person who has been expelled from membership of the Landscape Institute for disciplinary reasons, or has been disqualified or expelled from membership of another profession.
If your employer asked you to attend the local Landscape Institute Branch meeting would you avoid it and meet your friends in the pub instead?
Standard 4: The Landscape Institute also expects members to actively and positively promote and further the aims and objectives of the Landscape Institute, as set down in its Charter, and to contribute to the work and activities of the Institute.
You should also actively promote participation in the Institute’s activities to your staff.
You have been asked to advise two separate clients (large retail operator and local campaign group) opposed on the same potentially text_noindent_mrgtop0ious matter – what do you do?
Standard 5: The Landscape Institute expects members to act at all times wit...
