Courtney Klee Selected for the Metropolis Future100

Courtney Klee by LSU stadium

Courtney Klee, MArch 2023. Photo by Georgia Jones.

 

Recent graduate Courtney Klee, MArch 2023, was selected for the 2023 Metropolis Future100. Chosen by Metropolis Magazine, this award pools the top 100 graduating architecture and interior design students in the United States and Canada. She was nominated by LSU School of Architecture faculty Fabio Capra-Ribeiro, assistant professor, and Sergio Padilla, undergraduate coordinator & instructor.

“Notable for her versatility, breadth of knowledge, and technical skill, Courtney has excelled in studio design courses. She has developed a particular and sophisticated awareness of community and regional issues, and cultivated a practical focus on social, spatial, and environmental justice,” faculty nominators wrote.

“Courtney has shown skill and service acumen as an educator, both in her previous life as a preschool teacher and her excellent work as a tutor and teaching assistant for students in the School of Architecture. Her desire to support and assist others has particularly improved the personal and academic development of first-year students in the undergraduate program at LSU. Courtney has likewise excelled in research, focusing her work on the study of social and economic inequality in Baton Rouge and the ecologically degraded area of South Louisiana referred to as Cancer Alley.

“In short, Courtney is a model student and colleague in the architecture school, representing the highest in academic achievement, dedication, personal warmth, and demonstrated willingness to serve others.”

“It’s an honor to have been selected as one of Metropolis’ Future 100 along with many other talented student designers across the country,” Klee said. “I’d like to specifically thank Dr. Fabio Capra Riberio and Sergio Padilla for their nomination and mentorship throughout my time at LSU.”

Klee said that her graduate education at LSU “explored topics including coastal restoration, green corridors, afrofuturism, ways to decolonize design, strategies for net zero architecture, and more, have allowed me to grow as a community and environmentally focused designer prepared to tackle pressing challenges.”

Post-graduation, Klee is excited to be joining the Waggonner & Ball team in New Orleans as a Design Associate II.

About the Metropolis Future100

Following the debut of the Future100 program in 2021, Metropolis set out once again this year to designate the top graduating architecture and interior design students in the United States and Canada. The program, sponsored by CannonDesign, Daltile, Formica, Interface, Keilhauer, Rapt, Sherwin-Williams, and SOM, invited the most talented students from the class of 2022 to apply. The final 100 are featured below. 

Nominated by their instructors and mentors, these 56 interior design and 44 architecture students were chosen by the Metropolis team. They hail from some of the best schools in North America, from Tuskegee University to California College of the Arts, and call anywhere from Orlando, Florida, to Toronto home. A diverse group—with many identifying as female, BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, or neurodiverse—they are leaders on their campuses, advocating for equity and inclusion through their work and extracurriculars.

About the LSU School of Architecture Master Program

College of Art & Design 2023 Honors Ceremony Recipients

The LSU College of Art & Design held the Class of 2023 Honors Ceremony on May 17, 2023, recognizing the academic achievements of graduating students. Honorees:

University Medal Recipients

Clara Clark
Joshua Crawford
Donna Le

Dean’s Medal Recipients

School of Architecture

Clara Jimenez, BArch
Courtney Klee, MArch

School of Art

Sophia Perkins, BFA
Rachel York, MFA

School of Interior Design

Marguerite Eppling, BID

Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture

Taylor Lasorsa, BLA
Morgana Tetherow-Keller, MLA

Doctor of Design

Nasrin Iravani, DDes

Tau Sigma Delta Members and Latin Honors

School of Architecture

Alexis Albert, Magna Cum Laude
Natalie Angelette, Magna Cum Laude
Victoria Cheung, Cum Laude
Alixandria Cinquigranno, Magna Cum Laude
Clara Jimenez, Summa Cum Laude
Patrick Kindred
Berry Lee, Magna Cum Laude
Mandisa Otumile, Magna Cum Laude
Kyle Schmitt, Summa Cum Laude
Caleb Thibodeaux, Cum Laude

School of Art

Nyako Arana, Magna Cum Laude
Cecilia Blanchard, Cum Laude
Nicholas Budde, Summa Cum Laude
Bailey Butts, Cum Laude
Katie Chemin, Summa Cum Laude
Vicky Chen, Summa Cum Laude
Olivia Christopher, Summa Cum Laude
Clara Clark, Summa Cum Laude
Caleb Coleman, Cum Laude
Caitlin Davis, Magna Cum Laude
Amanda Farris, Cum Laude
Jackson Ferber, Magna Cum Laude
Krystal Figueroa, Summa Cum Laude
Melissa George, Summa Cum Laude
Reagan Henderson, Summa Cum Laude
Emily Kukura, Cum Laude
Emma Little, Magna Cum Laude
Alyssa Loseke, Cum Laude
Sophia Morstead, Summa Cum Laude
Brianna Olivier, Summa Cum Laude
Annabelle Pavy, Summa Cum Laude
Sophia Perkins, Magna Cum Laude
Jesus Sanchez-Vera, Summa Cum Laude
Emily Tran, Magna Cum Laude
Isabel Webre, Cum Laude
Nikolas Wismar, Magna Cum Laude
Anna Wright, Summa Cum Laude
Ilai Wright, Summa Cum Laude

School of Interior Design

Marguerite Eppling, Magna Cum Laude
Donna Le, Summa Cum Laude
Hannah Lockhart, Summa Cum Laude
Victoria Porretto, Cum Laude
Grace Roberto, Cum Laude
Jennifer Stauss, Cum Laude
Lauren Thompson, Magna Cum Laude
Kayla Weidel, Cum Laude

Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture

Joshua Crawford, Summa Cum Laude
Taylor Lasorsa, Summa Cum Laude
Peyton Mahoney, Cum Laude
Claire Samaha, Magna Cum Laude

Allison Young a Cybersecurity Arts Contest Juror

Allison Young

Allison Young, assistant professor of art history

Allison Young, assistant professor of contemporary art history, was a juror on UC Berkeley’s 2023 Cybersecurity Arts Contest, which highlights the issue of cybersecurity through art. Read more.

The primary goal of the Cybersecurity Arts Contest is to expand representations of cybersecurity, broadly defined, through artistic expression and public dialogue, according to Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity. Following a review by the independent and interdisciplinary panel of judges, three projects were selected based on their artistic merit, relevance, and potential impact. Young’s fellow judges were Mayola Charles (Lead, Social Impact Creator Partnerships, Meta) and Martin Rauchbauer (Executive Director, Djerassi Resident Artists Program & Founder, Tech Diplomacy Network).

“I have served as a juror for arts competitions before, but I was interested in this opportunity because of its timely and very contemporary theme,” Young said. She is an art historian at the LSU School of Art, and is an affiliate faculty member in the LSU department of African and African American Studies.

“The issue of cybersecurity isn’t necessarily an ‘art world’ buzzword yet, but it is nonetheless one that is extremely relevant to all of our lives today, in ways that can sometimes be difficult to wrap our minds around,” Young said. “As such, contemporary art can provide more personal or empathetic entry points into seemingly abstract concepts like surveillance, security, digital vulnerability, and online identities, in ways that can spark the viewer’s curiosity and imagination.”

“I was intrigued by the questions put forth by the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, which include prompts such as: ‘Whom does security affect?’ and ‘What are new ways of representing the human impacts of security’s failures?’ These allow us to imagine the subject of cybersecurity on a human scale.”

“Another thing that really excited me about this opportunity was the chance to collaborate with individuals outside of the art and creative industries,” she said. “The other members of the jury had expertise in fields such as social media and technological diplomacy, and I learned so much from them during this process. It also reaffirmed my belief that art can have a powerful impact even across the spheres typically associated with STEM, communications, or the social sciences.”

“Art can have a powerful impact even across the spheres typically associated with STEM, communications, or the social sciences.”

The submissions were extremely wide-ranging, and addressed cybersecurity both from the macroscopic level of global politics, and from the intimate scale of our individual lives and experiences. The three winning artists utilized a range of techniques – from game design to a digital spin on portraiture. For instance, the art collective Seeyam created an animated simulation in which the narrative touched on matters such as social media activism and online censorship, while Kyle McDonald’s interactive game considered the future risks of facial analysis and machine learning technologies, if they continue to encroach on our everyday lives. 

Cybersecurity is a priority of LSU’s Scholarship First research agenda. Read more.

LSU School of Art

Joshua Crawford Named to 2023 Tiger Twelve

Congratulations to Tiger Twelve senior Joshua Crawford! Joshua is graduating from the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture this May!
 

Joshua Crawford. Photo by LSU Campus Life.

 
“LSU has provided me with a plethora of knowledge and opportunities to succeed both in and outside of the classroom,” Crawford says.
 
“My professors, work supervisors, colleagues, and LSU’s support staff have encouraged me to strive for success, participate in meaningful conversations, and create designs that have a real-world impact.”
 
Future Plans: “I will be moving to Aspen, Colorado in August to work as a designer for Design Workshop, an international landscape architecture, urban design, and planning company. After gaining several years of experience, I plan on attending graduate school for urban planning and design to broaden my knowledge and scope as a designer with the possibility of returning to academia to teach.”
 
Since 2003, LSU has presented the Tiger Twelve honor to 12 students graduating each calendar year. Students selected as members of the Tiger Twelve are undergraduate seniors who contribute positively to the life of the campus, surrounding community, and society and who demonstrate commitment to intellectual achievement, inclusive excellence, leadership in campus life, and service. All must carry at least a 2.5 cumulative grade-point average. This year’s class GPA average is 3.97.
 
 
 
Pictured (left) are Assistant Professor Kevin Benham in the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, and Joshua Crawford, one of the Tiger Twelve cohort class of 2023.
 
Photos by LSU Campus Life.

2023 LSU Distinguished Communicators

A&D 2023 Distinguished Communicator Medalist Students and faculty mentors

A&D 2023 Distinguished Communicator Medalist Students and faculty mentors. Photo by Kevin G DiBenedetto.

During May 2023 Commencement, 84 graduates across eight colleges will receive the LSU Distinguished Communicator Medal. 23 are College of Art & Design graduates. This will be the largest class of Distinguished Communicator graduates to date. 

Recipients of this honor are outstanding writers and speakers, with a strong command of visual literacy and technological communication. They have earned high GPAs in their communication-intensive courses throughout their baccalaureate years, sought 1-1 mentorships with faculty and have built websites that display their communication competencies and professional talents, both in and beyond the classroom. LSU Distinguished Communicators also graduate with the LSU Communicator Certificate, launched in Fall 2018.

This distinction is the first of its kind in the nation and is sponsored by LSU Communication across the Curriculum (CxC), a nationally-recognized program for its excellence in enhancing learning experiences and improving students’ communication skills across all disciplines. As of May 2023 Commencement, LSU has awarded 908 graduates with the Distinguished Communicator Medal.

College of Art & Design

Kaitlyn Borel, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kris Palagi

Vicky Chen, Studio Art (Graphic Design)
Faculty Advisor: Luisa Restrepo Perez

Victoria Cheung, Architecture*
Faculty Advisor: Fabio Capra-Ribeiro

Alixandria Cinquigranno, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Tara Street

Joshua (Josh) Crawford, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Haley Blakeman

Caitlin Davis, Studio Art (Graphic Design)
Faculty Advisor: Luisa Restrepo Perez

Marie French, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Sergio Padilla

Jackson Hartley, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Haley Blakeman

Clara Jimenez, Architecture*
Faculty Advisor: Sergio Padilla

Alexis Lafleur, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Irene Brisson

Stephen Lemoine, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Haley Blakeman

Emma Little, Studio Art (Graphic Design)*
Faculty Advisor: Courtney Barr

Zed Lobos, Studio Art (Digital Art)
Faculty Advisor: Allison Young

Grayson Loudon, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kristen Mauch

Jaycie Macdonald, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kristen Mauch

Ivy McClure, Architecture*
Faculty Advisor: Kristen Mauch

Kensy Menocal, Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kristen Mauch

Adam Miller, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kevin Benham

Shellie Milliron, Studio Art (Graphic Design)
Faculty Advisor: Lynne Baggett

Victoria Porretto, Interior Design
Faculty Advisor: Tracy Burns

Collin Roan, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kathleen Bogaski

Claire Samaha, Landscape Architecture
Faculty Advisor: Kevin Benham

Ilai Wright, Studio Art (Graphic Design)*
Faculty Advisor: Courtney Barr

*Honors students are designated with an asterisk.

Brisson Named a 2023 Getty/ACLS Fellow for Kreyòl Architectures Book

Irene Brisson

Assistant Professor Brisson

Irene Brisson, assistant professor of architecture, is a 2023 recipient of the Getty/the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Postdoctoral Fellowships in the History of Art for their book Kreyòl Architectures: Design in Dialogue in Haitian House Building.

“Haitian architectures have been produced by the interlacing of colonial, industrial, and diasporic spatial practices, but while historic creole styles are lauded as valuable patrimony, contemporary creolized practices—and practitioners—are frequently demeaned,” Brisson wrote.

“This book argues for a holistic understanding of design as a social and discursive project that crosses geographic, classed, racialized, and linguistically marked divisions. Based on extended ethnographic study of residential construction in western Haiti, the book uses the concept of Kreyòl architecture to describe the open-ended process of creolization in design which is both rooted in Haiti and a product of centuries of transnational circulation of people, technologies, images, and materials.”

Brisson (they/their) is a scholar and designer of built environments invested in the cultivation of just and sustaining places for people. Their research and pedagogy centers historically marginalized narratives of building culture and designers in Haiti and the Afro-Caribbean diasporas of the Americas in pursuit of a radically expanded field of global architecture.   

Their current book project, Kreyòl Architecture: Design in dialogue in Haitian house building, theorizes Kreyòl architecture as a design process which has continuously emerged from the interlacing of liberatory, (neo)colonial, vernacular, industrial, and diasporic spatial practices and which exceeds any fixed historical creole style. Based on extended ethnographic research with architects, bòsmason, NGOs, and residents involved in housebuilding in Leyogàn, this work consider how intimate desires, global influences, and collective politics of domestic environments reproduce and challenge the status quo of building culture. A new research project focuses on the transnational linkages and parallels between building cultures, racial capitalism, and environmental risk in the greater Caribbean and Gulf Coast regions. 

Brisson’s research has been supported by the US Department of Education Fulbright-Hays program, the Institute for the Humanities and the Rackham Graduate School at the University of Michigan. Their dissertation received the Carter Manny Dissertation Writing Award from the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.  

“I’m immensely grateful for the space this fellowship will allow me to think and write this book,” Brisson said.

Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowships support innovative scholarship by recent PhDs that will make substantial and original contributions to the understanding of art and its history. A distinguished committee of diverse senior scholars with wide-ranging expertise selected this year’s 10 fellows for their capacity to expand the field of art history and explore previously understudied regions of the world.

View the 2023 recipients of the Getty/ACLS Postdoctoral Fellowships in the History of Art. This program is made possible by a major grant from Getty.

LSU Architecture Students Win International Competition

LSU architecture students in associate professor Robert Holton’s senior studio architecture course won the Earth Made Competition, an international design challenge to plan buildings using earth materials.

“The project focus was on the use of earth blocks as a contemporary building material to construct multi-family housing in Bolgatanga, Ghana,” Holton said.

This is the second of professor Holton’s studio courses that has won this competition, the first was in 2020.

The winning project, called Courtyard Living, proposed housing that reflects Bolgatanga’s culture and lifestyle by incorporating the spatial arrangement of the region’s traditional compound houses and courtyards, which encourage community engagement among inhabitants. This LSU team included four architecture seniors: Thu Nguyen of Addis, La., Shane Boone from Bay Shore, N.Y., Clara Jimenez from Venezuela and Berry Lee.

“For the competition, we were dealing with a building material that we weren’t familiar with; but with the help of our professor, we were able to learn more about earth blocks and produce a project we were proud of,” Nguyen said.

“Our winning project of ‘Courtyard Living: Weaving life and livelihood block by block’ was a great team effort that resulted in a housing design that is affordable, accessible, sustainable and environmentally responsive, and preserves the most important cultural aspects of the region,” Jimenez said. “Through this experience, we were able to get hands on experience with earth block material, which allowed us to dive deeper in sustainable strategies and improve our design. I’m super happy that we won first place. We were a great team with great ideas!”

“The greatest experience gathered from this competition was learning how to create so much using so little,” Boone said. 

A second project from Holton’s studio course, called Terra Firm, was the competition’s runner up. The student team is made of: Declan Wilkerson, Elliott Burns, Jason Morgan and Nicholas Schulin.

“The project was an enjoyable experience overall. I learned a lot of new techniques and methods of construction. It was also nice to receive an award for the first design competition that I’ve ever entered my work in,” said Texas-native Wilkerson. 

Holton’s research centers around sustainable architecture practices and advancing construction techniques with a focus on earth as a primary building component. He has worked with several prominent architectural offices in the US and France including Bernard Tschumi Architects in New York and Paris; Smith-Miller+Hawkinson, Gensler, Peter Marino Architect and Peter Gluck Architect in New York; and Oppenheim Architects and Design GH in Miami. His professional experience spans a variety of project types and scales and includes the Corning Glass Center, University of Cincinnati Athletic Center and office buildings for MasterCard International. Additionally, he has worked on winning proposals in Europe, such as the New Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece, and concert halls in Rouen and Limoges, France.