Landscape Site Grading Principles: Grading with Design in Mind by LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture Professor Bruce Sharky, FASLA, was published by Wiley in November 2014 and is now available. The book is a comprehensive guide to grading, written specifically from the design perspective.

Heavily illustrated and non-technical, Landscape Site Grading Principles meets the needs of designers and visual learners by presenting the principles and methods of site grading with less emphasis on engineering and a strong focus on the effect on the overall aesthetic. Sharky guides readers through the process of solving various grading problems in real-life scenarios. Read more at wiley.com.

Designers at Sawyer|Berson read Sharky’s book. Photo by Tim Orlando (BLA 1983), senior associate at Sawyer|Berson in New York City

Sharky served as the principal landscape architect for wildlife habitat and landscape restoration for the 860-mile Trans-Alaskan Oil Pipeline and his master’s thesis at the University of California, Berkeley, was the basis for legislation that established the California Coastal Commission. His current focus is on informing design through culture and environment and non-structural approaches to planning natural disaster-resilient communities. Read more about Professor Bruce Sharky.