Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

While studying at the landscape architect program in Uppsala I found stress to play a major roll in the education. To help myself and others to handle the negative stress within the profession and the education I choose to write my thesis about landscape architects' work cultures. Swedish Association of Architects is in second place in the SACO study on long-term sickness for fatigue syndrome, stress and depression. The issue needed to be addressed.

My purpose with the thesis has been to study the work cultures in the landscape profession and training and to study and find ways to manage negative stress in the profession and in education. I found there was little written about landscape architects' work cultures and there were few studies that showed how landscape architects or architects feel about their profession and education. I therefore chose to make surveys among professional landscape architects and landscape architecture students in Uppsala. The survey responses can not represent an entire
profession, but gives an indication of how landscape architects and landscape architect students perceive their work and their studies. Survey results show that many work overtime or are flexible with their time, skip breaks and work during the evening. In addition to the survey, I
interviewed key people within the profession, education and unions. The thesis also includes litterature studies in the domains of work culture, health factors, stressors, underlying factors, quality management systems and personal efficiency. My conclusions are that the profession needs a better balance between structure and freedom. Quality management and personal effectiveness can help to build a framework both at the enterprise level and at the individual level. We need more studies on how landscape architects relate to their profession and we need to concern ourselves more for the individuals’ sustainability within the profession.