When you graduate from this 'project driven' Diploma of Landscape Design, you will be capable of successfully running your own landscape consultancy or adding that service to an existing construction business. Our aim is to provide high class landscape training with a modern twist. While teaching landscape design, we will also show how to use Computer Aided Design (CAD) software so you can efficiently produce designs and interact with clients. We've developed the software and when you enrol, we will supply you with a copy of GardenCAD Lite, CAD software specially designed for landscapers.
If you can allocate a day a week for study, research and project work, the Diploma should take about a year of study. The Diploma is awarded by our company, Design Cad Pty Ltd. and although our tutors teach at University and TAFE level, this course has no formal accreditation. There are no exams - assessment is by project submission.
Feedback
We will provide feedback on these projects as you go, and the final project will be independently assessed. Please note that the time spent creating these projects is not wasted, as each is designed to demonstrate to a prospective employer or client, the range of your talents and services. We strongly suggest that you add each piece of work to your 'brag book' - your marketing portfolio.
Flexible, online learning
All tuition is delivered online. You can work at times which suit you, but with the support of online tutors.
The results and the value of CAD
Although we will expect you to develop hand drafting skills in this diploma (and we start with that), you will be encouraged to move to Computer Aided Drafting as soon as practicable. We believe that you cannot run a profitable business until you do so. CAD offers so much more than simply speed of drafting, it enables the calculation of quantities and provides a contractor with a highly accurate and dimensioned plan from which to work. The figure below shows a garden built to the CAD design shown below it.
Project based learning - (but with prior tuition)
Prior to tackling each project, you will take one or more online courses which will arm you with the skills needed to complete the project. These courses are comprehensive and contain comprehensive information, often in the form of on-screen movies.
Lower your carbon footprint as you learn
We aim to show that your design consultancy can become 'digital'. We will encourage you to work this way with us so when you work with clients, your carbon footprint is reduced.
Steen Riisgaard, Novozymes 2008.
Our learning system
We use a unique and flexible learning system which provides affordable training at times convenient to you. If you enrol for the Diploma of Landscape Design, you will have access to many online courses. Each course contains comprehensive instructional materials, many on-screen videos showing how things are done, links to other online courses, exercises, assignments, multiple choice tests, project work, check lists, workbooks etc. You also have access to an online course tutor who is available to answer questions.
Cost
Provided you do not want any feedback, there is no cost for most of the course; but we will be charging a fee if you want certification and copies of the software and other tools thatwe have developed specially for the courses.
Try our learning system and trial a course before you enrol
It is a pre-requisite that all new students complete the Basic Computer Skills course before an enrolment can be accepted. You are asked to set up a Gmail account and Google Docs space so all Diploma exercises can be held in one place. Here is the link to te basic skills course: http://www.designcad.com.au/sta
Commercial focus
Everything we do here in this Diploma of Landscape Design has a commercial focus. All course materials are designed to ensure that when you graduate, you are a competent landscape, GIS or environmental design drafter. In addition, we intend that you will have a well developed series of designs which you can use to market your services to clients. Our focus is on teaching you to use modern techniques so you can operate efficienly and run a profitable landscape design businesses.
About us:
This web site is under development. It is an initiative of Design Cad Pty Ltd, Adelaide, South Australia. Our aim is to provide high class training in landscape design and at the same time, teach the use of CAD and other modern computer software applications. If you master these tools, you will be able to give free reign to your design skills and work efficiently (and profitably) as a landscape design consultant.
Please email any comments you may have about the concepts behind this Diploma to: info@designcad.com.au
