Recommended Reading

Study Reference List - UPDATED February 2017

CLARB is pleased to announce that an updated L.A.R.E. Reference List is now available. The updated Reference List is applicable as of the April 2017 administration of the L.A.R.E. 

NEW! Student versions of several of the resources have been included which we hope will enhance access to these materials and is a direct response to candidate requests.  

Section 1 — Project and Construction Management

  • Professional Practice of Landscape Architecture / Rogers
  • Construction Contracts, 3rd Edition / Hinze
  • Project Management for Design Professionals / Ramroth
  • Sustainability and Design Ethics, 1st Edition / (Tom) Russ

Section 2 — Inventory and Analysis

  • Design with Nature / McHarg 
  • Site Analysis:  A Contextual Approach to Sustainable Land Planning and Site Design / LaGro
  • Site Planning and Design Handbook, 2nd Edition / Russ
  • The Living Landscape - An Ecological Approach to Landscape Planning / Steiner

Section 3 — Design

  • Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards - Student Version / Hopper
  • Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architects, 2nd Edition / Harris and Dines
  • Sustainable Sites Handbook / Calkins 
  • Planning and Urban Design Standards - Student Version / Steiner and Butler 
  • Site Planning and Design Handbook, 2nd Edition / Russ

Section 4 — Grading, Drainage and Construction Documentation

  • Landscape Architectural Graphic Standards - Student Version / Hopper
  • Site Engineering for Landscape Architects, 6th Edition / Strom, Nathan and Woland
  • Sustainable Sites Handbook / Calkins
  • Time-Saver Standards for Landscape Architects, 2nd Edition / Harris and Dines
  • Landscape Architect's Portable Handbook / Dines and Brown

Updated February 7, 2017

The reference material list has been prepared by the CLARB Examination Committee. While the Committee believes that mastery of the topics dealt with in the volumes on this list will be of assistance to you in preparing for the L.A.R.E., no representation is made that mastery of the topics dealt with by these volumes will ensure a passing grade on the examination, and no representation is made that the examination questions will be limited in scope to topics dealt with by the volumes contained on this list. 

Candidates are not expected to review all of the books on this list, as subject areas may be covered by several references. CLARB in no way guarantees that the contents of these references are accurate.