April to Lecture at LSU’s Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture
April Philips, landscape architect, author, artist, LSU alumna, and founding principal of April Philips Design Works, will lecture at the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture at 5 p.m. on Monday, January 30, 2017, in the LSU Design Building Auditorium (Room 103). This lecture is part of the Max Z. Conrad Endowed Lecture Series.
April’s design work is grounded in design thinking and sustainable systems as a way of practice. She observes that as the world becomes more urban there is an urgent need to rethink man made urban systems as ecological based systems and integrate the human experience, social responsibility, and technology into the equation. Through a systems thinking approach and an artist’s mindset, the result is design work that is a fusion of nature, science, culture, and technology. She believes that designers must act as change agents to shift the paradigm towards a regenerative landscape ideology and to build a collective consciousness towards a beautiful, resilient and eco-literate future.
Ms. Philips graduated with a Bachelor’s of Landscape Architecture from the LSU College of Art & Design. She is a national leader in both research and practice associated with Sustainable Sites and urban agriculture. April was instrumental in leading the charge within ASLA for the Sustainable Sites Initiative which has culminated in the recently released national SITES rating system. She provided key input to ASLA’s Designing Our Future’s Sustainable Landscapes animation series for The Edible City. Her recently published book Designing Urban Agriculture is a comprehensive guide to urban agriculture, from initial planning and design through successful construction, maintenance and management. The firm’s work includes urban parks and waterfronts, high density mixed use, landscapes on structure, urban agriculture, and post-industrial sites. Ms. Philips was honored by the American Society of Landscape Architects as a fellow in 2010.
