Real Life Profile: Wing Lai
Wing Lai - Student, Diploma in Landscape Architecture, Sheffield University
I'd studied Art & Design, Maths and Physics for my A levels - architecture had always been my ambition. Looking at the courses on offer I stumbled across something that felt different, less traditional. I had always realised that the landscape around us was created, not just there by accident, so decided to find out more.
Landscape is about more than just about 'growing' things - trees, grass and gardens. It's about creating spaces for people, improving and maintaining the environment for both the benefit of nature and people. The most exciting aspect for me has been urban design, particularly the social aspects of landscape - the ways in which landscape can be a tool to combat social exclusion.
Design theory is particularly strong at Sheffield; you explore how space works, that it can be linear, permeable or deliberately non permeable, and how to relate those concepts to real life situations. My year out at The Landscape Partnership helped me to complement that with a clearer technical understanding of the design process - making sure that ideas work in practice.
Of course there are deadlines and it can be hard work, but there is a sense of pride in landscape design. You are changing places for people, and through that you can change people's lives. There's real job satisfaction.
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