Kuala Lampur, March 11 -- Architects should not assume that landscape design is something they can do themselves. Period.

Look, I have nothing against the profession. Some of my best friends are architects. I was married to an architect. And currently, I am educating architecture students on the importance of landscape in their architectural design.

Architecture is, and will always be, part of who I am.

But landscape design is often regarded as a cosmetic afterthought, when in reality it can make a significant contribution to improving the environmental impact of a building (internally) or on an urban area (externally). Internal environmental control includes allowing natural cross- ventilation thus reducing the use of energy, such as ...