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Professor Jun Zou Dives into Real-World Lighting Design at Tillotson Design Associates
LSU’s Jun Zou spent summer 2017 learning about contemporary lighting design at Tillotson Design Associates in New York City.
“It was an excellent experience in a real-world lighting design firm,” said Zou, associate professor in the LSU School of Interior Design. “I experienced the whole spectrum of lighting design, from site work and construction drawings to client visits, meetings with manufacturers, and office meetings.”
Tillotson Design Associates is owned by Suzan Tillotson, who received her degree in interior design from LSU in 1981. Suzan has won numerous awards for her work, which includes the lighting design for Lincoln Center Plazas, the School of American Ballet, the New Museum of Contemporary Art, the Wright restaurant at the Guggenheim, and the East River Waterfront in New York. Her firm also worked on the Seattle Central Public Library, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and Israel Museum, and retail spaces for Diane Von Furstenburg, PRADA, and Vera Wang.
Zou said she got to work with a number of high-profile clients over the summer, including Nike, the Museum of Modern Art, and several high-end residential and institutional office projects.
“It was interesting to see how 99.9 percent of the lighting for commercial projects—and much of the residential projects—use the most up-to-date LED lighting fixtures,” said Zou. “I got to see the implementation of technologies I’ve only read about.”
While in New York, she took advantage of all the city had to offer, visiting museums and seeking out installations by some of the world’s most reputable lighting artists. She also met with the faculty of Parson’s MFA lighting design program. She said parts of their curriculum could inform the growth of LSU’s interior design program.
Zou’s research interests are in Eastern and Western architectural thinking, their aesthetics, technologies, and the inherited ecological philosophies. She works on digital technologies in architectural/interior design practice with an emphasis on the study of architectural and interior lighting.
“It’s such a rapidly evolving field,” stressed Zou, “so it’s important to stay up to date with new lighting fixtures and technologies.”
Zou brings this fresh perspective back to the classroom, where students design and create their own lighting fixtures in her lighting design studio.
LSU’s third-year interior design students will visit Tillotson Design Associates this fall on their field trip to New York City. TDA’s doors are always open to LSU students and faculty. “We show them the studio, the exciting projects, and they get an up-close look at a smaller, niche firm,” stated Tillotson.
Visit tillotsondesign.com for more information about Tillotson Design Associates and id.lsu.edu for more information about the Bachelor of Interior Design program at LSU.
Inspired by the Windy City: Notes from BLA Candidate Jacob McGill
Fourth-year LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture students in Professor Lake Douglas’s landscape design studio recently returned from their field trip to Chicago. Led by Associate Professor Kevin Risk, the students toured the Windy City’s abundance of famous landscapes, parks, and architecture. The students were instructed to write about their experience and keep a sketchbook throughout the trip.
Below, Bachelor of Landscape Architecture candidate Jacob McGill, 2017–18 recipient of the James D. Burnett & Ronald G. “Chip” Tragesar Endowed Scholarship, shares his travelogue, sketches, and photos from the studio’s field trip to Chicago.
Chicago Field Trip 2017
by Jacob McGill, BLA candidate
The fourth-year studio field trip to Chicago was an adventure that I will never forget. After hitting the ground running from the moment our flight landed, the class and I saw non-stop action in the Windy City. Though we may not have been able to cover everything that Chicago has to offer, I do believe that our itinerary allowed for a wide range of experiences and inspiration that can be applied to future projects throughout my career. I believe there is a great deal of brilliance embedded into this city and am enlightened by much of its beautiful urban and suburban landscape, not to mention the amazing weather. Many moments on this trip made an impression on me as a student of landscape architecture. Here I will share my top seven in chronological order.
The Dan Kiley garden next to the Art Institute was the first garden I experienced in Chicago, and definitely one that spoke to me the most. Its users were comprised of tourists and locals alike, even homeless bathing in the water feature. However, it was a superb design with much seating, calm sounds, and plenty of shade. It was a peaceful space, one I could see myself visiting on a day-to-day basis. It was excellent to see the strong formality in the design and how the threshold underneath the canopy drew one into its core. However, what was truly amazing about this garden was the ways the shadows were cast on the ground. I was awed by this subtle detail that felt truly intentional.
The most talked about park in Chicago, Millennium Park splits the city north and south and stretches along the Michigan lake-front in a grand fashion. I first noticed that it was extremely crowded with people during certain hours, especially towards the start of the weekend. I was really impressed with the capacity that the park could handle. Also, the park’s layout seemed very sectioned and divided, as each part served a different purpose. To me, the most astounding thing to see first-hand was how Millennium Park (and many other parts of the city) sits atop layers of garage, roads, and rails. This shows the history of the Chicago through the literal layers of city leading to how it came to be.
A section within Millennium Park, the Lurie Gardens, made a deep impression on me. This garden is so beautiful and I am extremely interested in this type of full/natural planting technique that provides a sense of exuberance and chaos that matched the city’s characteristics. The garden may have many interpretations, but I believe it reflects on the history of the site relating to the meadow lands that once ravished the natural countryside. It is quite interesting because this garden takes one out of the loud and noisy inner-city setting and provides a sense of peace and serenity from the distant borrowed scenery of the city’s sky-scrapers. I enjoyed it so much that I insisted on walking through the Lurie Garden every time I passed by Millennium Park from then on.
Growing up a huge Cubs fan, Wrigley Field is one of my all-time favorite places to visit. It is a simply scenic stadium on the inside and out, and there is an inexplicable amount of energy within. It was my third time inside the park, but every time seems to be better than the last. This time the Cubs played the Pittsburgh Pirates, and what better than a Tuesday night win in Wrigley Field? What impressed me most about the park is its priceless amount of history along with its classic design. Every seat in the ballpark has a great view, as the seats are so close to one another. This is why it’s nicknamed the “Friendly Confines.” Looking back, Wrigley Field is always a must-visit while in Chicago. Its simplicity and class are a true inspiration to me as a designer and always reminds me to keep views in mind.
The Kaneville Tree Farm visit was very educational and enlightened me on the process of supplying trees to large-scale projects. Paul Guzzeta showed the class around his farm of specimen-quality trees, and it was remarkable the amount of preparation and patience it takes to care for trees at that large of a scale. Every tree has its own quality, which the landscape architect will choose based of its form, texture, etc. Furthermore, the technique of harvesting a tree of this size is a phenomenal craft that one must see to believe. I take away from that visit the knowledge of the tree transplantation process and how that could ultimately weigh into a design implementation.
One of the most memorable experiences on this trip came within the Frederick Law Olmsted commissioned Riverside Community in the suburbs of Chicago. However, it was a certain estate within this planned community that really made an impression on me. This estate, the Coonley House, was designed by the renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and is on the National Historical Registry. We were allowed to tour some of the outside areas because the house was recently put on the market. What was amazing to me is that every corner of the house was laid out to be an anxious reveal, and it was so profound to imagine this house being present in the early twentieth century. It was extremely ahead of its time. I take true inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s artistic and innovative approach to design.
Finally, an experience that I will never forget is staying at the hostel. This stay was unlike anywhere I had ever lodged before, and to be truthful I was a bit skeptical before the trip. After arriving and seeing what hostel-living was all about, I was impressed with the living space and the location. The most impactful thing that I took away was the number of international students staying there. It was refreshing to see and hear so many different lifestyles and cultures. I have very rarely ever spoken with a true foreigner of the United States before. However, after doing so at the hostel, it put into perspective my role in the world and made me really appreciate where I come from. I have the great opportunity to do what I love for the rest of my life and this experience reinforced my belief to be passionate about this opportunity.
The field trip to Chicago made a profound impression on me, providing experiences that will truly last a lifetime. Chicago is a city full of excitement, art, heritage, inspiration, beauty and much more. The one of a kind city thrives on its rich historical presence, strong will, and utter magnificence which one can find much enlightenment through. This trip has had an ever-longing influence on who I am as a designer and the direction I want to pursue with my career. Although Southern at heart, I could actually see myself living in the city one day soon. In all, this field trip taught me that the world is full of opportunities and to capitalize/endure one must persist.
Fryling Goes Wireless
Professor Charles Fryling said a lightbulb went off while he was touring Spain this summer. He thought the tour guide’s electronic speaker system would work great for his plant identification tours—and he was right.
Fryling teaches the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture’s plant materials courses. He can often be spotted leading students across campus, pointing out key specimens and telling each plant’s unique story, much in the way a tour guide leads groups through museums and other tourist attractions.
This year, his class of third-year landscape architecture students set out on their first day of class fully equipped with a new wireless audio system. The students could use the audio guides with their own headsets and earbuds, or they could use the ones provided with the Tour Guide Solutions wireless audio kit. As they set out for the day’s lesson, they looked just like tourists following a tour guide, minus the brightly colored flag.
Droves of students on their way to class passed by the group; LSU buses and campus traffic added to the noise. But Fryling never had to raise his voice above the fray once he donned the nifty pilot headset complete with noise-cancelling microphone. The students only heard Fryling, and some said it was easier to concentrate during the tour without all the noisy distractions.
The plants of the day were crape myrtles and elms. Fryling shared the benefits of using crape myrtles in the landscape, pointing out the unique attributes of a variety of cultivars, including Lagerstroemia indica ‘William Toovey’, ‘Griffin’, ‘Muskogee’, ‘Country Red’, and ‘Twilight’. He led the students into the sculpture quad to see a mature specimen of American elm (Ulmus americana), a Louisiana native, and then to the main quad to view a grove of Lacebark elm (Ulmus parvifolia). Emboldened by the success of the equipment thus far, he wrapped up the day’s lesson next to the campus’s noisy power house, where a mature row of Natchez crape myrtles grow along a fence that does little to dull the resounding hum emitted by the building. At the end of the class, Fryling said he couldn’t be more pleased with the new wireless audio system.
The equipment was purchased with funds from student enhancement fees, and Robert Reich School Director Mark Boyer has high hopes for its future use.
“We are pleased to have the system as it will make communication better for groups in classes that are conducted outside and for field trips,” he noted. “People will be able to hear what the leader is saying, and the leader won’t have to shout to be heard above ambient noise.”
Visit landscape.lsu.edu for more information about the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture.
House Designed by Professor Ursula Emery McClure Named 2017 Best in Custom Homes
emerymcclure architecture’s BSL-2 house won an ARDA in the Custom Home Category.
The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) named emerymcclure architecture as one of its top designers in the 10th annual American Residential Design Awards (ARDA) at the Academy of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia. During a banquet dinner held in conjunction with the AIBD Summer Conference, emerymcclure architecture was awarded the Grand ARDA trophy in the Custom Home category. The winning entry, BSL2, was chosen from 140 finished and proposed projects submitted by 35 design firms from 17 states.
The BSL2 house is a Gulf-side second home in the historically designated area of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. It is not only the client’s second home; it is the second design and second site for the house. The simple goals for the home are to create a small interior three-bedroom, two-bath house, efficient in space and low on maintenance while maximizing exterior spaces. The more complicated goals include designing a house that can be open when occupied and closed when not as it is 300 feet from the Gulf of Mexico and must be secure from storms. For anyone who lives in hurricane-prone areas, “boarding up the house” is an important part of storm preparation as it not only protects the home but also the neighbors’ homes. The clients live just far enough away and along the major evacuation routes to make “boarding up” even more difficult than it already is. They requested that boarding up the house be part of the design. They did not want the off-the-shelf hurricane shutters; they wanted large pieces of glass, and they wanted the house to look inviting even when closed for a storm or when the owners are away. Couple these goals with the historic district requirements, and the design challenge was set.
Emerymcclure architecture principals Michael A. McClure, AIA, FAAR, and Ursula Emery McClure, AIA, FAAR, LEED AP BD+C, are architects and educators. Ursula Emery McClure is a professor at the LSU School of Architecture. The firm’s work and writing has been published in books, journals, and popular magazines including Places, 306090-05, Architecture Record Online, JAE, Dwell magazine, and Southern Living. The work of the firm has won numerous awards including being recognized by the 2006 and 2010 Venice Beinnale, Architectural Record, and the AIA and was awarded the Rome Prize in Architecture in 2008 for their project Terra Viscus: Hybrid Tectonic Precedent. Most recently, emerymcclure architecture won the Sukkah City STL competition and the 2013 Unbuilt Visions competition. Both principals lecture on their work at numerous conferences and universities and often find themselves between the global petro-chemical infrastructure and an alligator.
ARDA is a progression of the AIBD Annual Design Competition, which has been in existence for more than 65 years. This year’s jury included Stephanie Henley, principal and co-owner of Beasley and Henley Interior Design, Orlando, Florida; Sean Sullivan, owner of Living Stone Design+Build, Asheville, North Carolina; Lyle Breeze, owner of Breeze and Associates, Tarpon Springs, Florida; and the ARDA Committee Chair Karen Kassik-Michelsohn of Michelsohn & Daughter Construction Inc.
The program is sponsored by PortfolioHomePlans.com, an online home plan resource developed for builders by designers. Through their network of resellers, they offer thousands of high-quality home plans in an easy-to-use web portal that provides customers access to conceptual plans and home plans with full construction documents.
The American Institute of Building Design is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to supporting and promoting residential design professionals. Its members have specialized knowledge and expertise in residential design and are held to a high level of professionalism and ethics in their business practices.
View all winning ARDA entries at ResidentialDesignAwards.com.
Visit emerymcclure.com/bsl-2 for more information about emerymcclure architecture’s winning project.
Digital Art Graduate Student’s Work Featured in Two Exhibitions
Work by Hunter Stabler, a graduate student in the LSU School of Art, is featured in two exhibitions: Under the Knife: Contemporary Cut Paper Art, August 23–October 14, at the Hicks Art Center Gallery at Bucks County Community College in Newtown, Pennsylvania, and Season of the Witch, July 22–September 4, at the Seligmann Center for the Arts in Chester, New York.
Under the Knife, curated by Sean Stoops, features 15 contemporary artists that utilize paper craft techniques, including finely cut paper artworks and installations, paper silhouettes and shadow puppet art, sculptural pop-up books, street art, and stop-motion animations. Season of the Witch, curated by Sarah Potter, reflects on the ways artists engage in ritual to reveal their personal beliefs and spirituality through the creation of their artwork. The artists featured in this exhibition turn artmaking into a modern-day magical practice.
Stabler is an artist creating intersections between handmade images and technologically generated images. His work explores notions of paranoia, ontological awakening, esoteric symbolism, and the ornamental eschaton. The formal elements of his work involve a play between the illusion of space, physical three-dimensional space, and the two-dimensional nature of paper. He creates pieces that are in conversation with ancient, canonical, modernist, and contemporary ideas of spatiality in art making. His work has been widely exhibited across the country and internationally including exhibitions at the Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn, New York; the Shelburne Art Museum in Shelburne, Vermont; the Hunterdon Art Museum in Clinton, New Jersey; and the Islip Art Museum in East Islip, New York.
Stabler received a BFA in painting from Maryland Institute’s College of Art and an MFA in painting from the University of Pennsylvania. He is currently a first-year graduate student pursuing an MFA in digital art at LSU. He comes to Baton Rouge from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Marwan Ghandour Named Director of the LSU School of Architecture
Former Iowa State University Professor Marwan Ghandour has been named the new director of the LSU School of Architecture.
“I am thrilled to move to Louisiana, a region that was crucial to the historical development of North America,” stated Ghandour. “The College of Art & Design offers great opportunities to investigate this important geographic confluence of waterways, coast, and the diverse communities that settled the watershed that fans from this confluence. I am enthusiastic to work with the architecture faculty and students of LSU to develop original, impactful knowledge on the relationship between building, urban settlement patterns, and social dynamics inspired by the spatial conditions of Louisiana but with far-reaching global applications.”
Ghandour joins the School of Architecture as director and tenured professor. He received a Bachelor of Architecture from the American University of Beirut and a Master of Science in Building Design and Architecture from Columbia University. Previous to his appointment at LSU, he was a professor of architecture at Iowa State University, where he directed the Urban Design and Sustainable Environments interdisciplinary graduate programs and taught multidisciplinary theory seminars and integrated urban and architecture design studios. His extensive administrative background includes his appointment as ISU College of Design’s associate dean for academic programs (2010–14), director of graduate education (2007–10), and associate chair for academic practices in architecture (2005–07). Prior to his years at Iowa State, he was a visiting professor of architecture and senior lecturer at the American University of Beirut.
In addition to teaching, Ghandour is a partner in the Beirut-based architectural firm Bawader Architects, with a practice in institutional architecture and urban design projects in Lebanon. His research and practice include collaborations with landscape architects, planners, graphic designers, and transportation engineers. He has authored several academic projects, including comparative urban regeneration strategies in the global south (Beirut, Lebanon; Lima, Peru; and Kigali, Rwanda); the expansive space of the modern state and its urban management tools (American Midwest and Latin America); and design at the geo-communal scale where ecology, urbanization, infrastructure, and politics are mutually constituted (Middle East, East Africa, and Latin America).
“Director Ghandour will infuse the School of Architecture with a new perspective,” said LSU College of Art & Design Dean Alkis Tsolakis, who served as the School of Architecture’s interim director in 2016–17. “His administrative and leadership skills and his many years as a practicing architect and professor combined with his global vision will help establish the school’s reputation as one of the best places to study architecture in the country.”
Visit architecture.lsu.edu for more information about the LSU School of Architecture.
Marsha Cuddeback Named Director of the LSU School of Interior Design
Ruth Z. McCoy Professor Marsha Cuddeback has been named director of the LSU College of Art & Design’s School of Interior Design.
“Director Cuddeback’s appointment is a natural extension of her long and diverse service to the college,” stated College of Art & Design Dean Alkis Tsolakis. “Her experience, enthusiasm, and professionalism guarantee a bright future for the School of Interior Design.”
Cuddeback holds degrees in interior design, architecture, and design studies (sustainable design) from Ryerson University in Toronto and Boston Architectural College. She is National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) certificate holder, licensed architects, LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction, and is accredited by the International Living Future Institute.
Cuddeback’s administrative service stretches well beyond her directorial responsibilities at LSU. She has served as the teaching collaborative coordinator and chair of the Academic Integrity Task Force of the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC), as a member of NCIDQ Champions Task Force, and she currently serves as the director of teaching on the IDEC Board of Directors. She is also a practicing interior designer and architect in the firm Desmond Cuddeback Architects, which was awarded an American Institute of Architects Gulf States Regional Honor Design Excellence citation for the Bluebonnet Swamp Nature Center exhibition building located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Her research interests include sustainable design theory and practice; ethics and the natural and built environment; a narrative approach to understanding the creation, selection, and application of materials; and the scholarship of teaching and student-centered learning. Cuddeback’s research support includes grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Louisiana’s Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation and Development, and Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism. Her creative scholarship explores the relationship of natural and interior terrains. She has conducted research and published extensively on the subject of advancing teaching and learning pedagogy and was awarded the LSU Communications across the Curriculum (CxC) Outstanding Faculty Award in 2016. She is also the recipient of the LSU Tiger Athletic Foundation Teaching Award from LSU’s University College (2014), the Gulf South Summit Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award (2010), and the LSU Outstanding Service-Learning Faculty Award (2009).
Prior to her appointment as a faculty member in the School of Interior Design in 2012, Cuddeback served as director of LSU’s Office of Community Design & Development and was a faculty member in the School of Architecture. OCDD was established in 1999 as an interdisciplinary community outreach center funded through grants and sponsored research and committed to a practice-centered pedagogy strengthening the efficacy of student learning through a comprehensive approach to professional education, active learning, and assessment. During her tenure as OCDD director, the office was recognized by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards for creative integration of the profession in the academy.
For more than 10 years, Cuddeback served as Louisiana’s state intern development coordinator and as a member of the NCARB IDP Advisory Committee, and she was the IDP educator coordinator in the School of Architecture. Her efforts, in collaboration with the Louisiana State Board of Architectural Examiners and AIA Louisiana, were recognized with an AIA Grassroots Excellence Award for Component Outreach Communications. Before relocating to Southeast Louisiana, Cuddeback practiced in the office of Kallman, McKinnell & Wood Architects in Boston, Massachusetts and was associate director of academic affairs at Boston Architectural College. She was also the career advisor for the Career Discovery program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design.
“Interior design is a growing profession rife with opportunities as we move further into the 21st century. How we design and build our interior environments to create innovative spaces that support human health, wellbeing, and productivity while respecting our natural environment is essential,” shared Cuddeback. “I am truly looking forward to addressing these challenges and opportunities with the students, faculty, and staff in the School of Interior Design as we continue to cultivate an outstanding professional degree program.”
Read more about LSU’s School of Interior Design at id.lsu.edu.
Four Alumni Elevated to Fellows of the American Society of Landscape Architects
Four of the 23 ASLA members elevated to fellowship in 2017 are LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture alumni.
George “Bob” Richardson III, BLA 1969, CEO and founding principal of RVi Planning in Austin; Dana Nunez Brown, BLA 1979, of Dana Brown & Associates in New Orleans; Dr. Kamel O. Mahadin, MLA 1984, Jordanian senator, educator, and consultant in Amman, Jordan; and Evan Mather, BLA 1993, independent filmmaker and principal of AHBE Landscape Architects in Los Angeles, were nominated for their exceptional accomplishments. The new fellows will be recognized at the 2017 ASLA Annual Meeting + EXPO, October 20–23, in Los Angeles.
Richardson, Brown, Mahadin, and Mather join the 35 other Robert Reich School current, active, and emeritus fellows of the ASLA. Fellowship is among the highest honors the ASLA bestows on members.
Click the links below to read each of these four “fellow” alumni’s stories, and trace their career paths from their days at LSU to how they got where they are today.
- George “Bob” Richardson III, BLA 1969
- Dana Nunez Brown, BLA 1979
- Kamel O. Mahadin, MLA 1984
- Evan Mather, BLA 1993
View the complete list of ASLA’s 2017 Class of Fellows at asla.org.
LSU College of Art & Design Implements Doctor of Design in Cultural Preservation
The Board of Regents has approved the LSU College of Art & Design’s proposal for a multi-disciplinary Doctor of Design (DDes) in Cultural Preservation. Arising from the confluence of current professional trends, educational conditions, and college administrators’ interest in leveraging existing resources into new opportunities, the DDes is the first advanced academic degree offered within the College of Art & Design—and the first of its kind in Louisiana and the Gulf Region. The degree will be launched in fall 2017.
“The Doctor of Design in Cultural Preservation is a landmark in the history of the College of Art & Design,” said Dean Alkis Tsolakis. “The program’s support from the LSU Office of Academic Affairs and approval by the Board of Regents show recognition for the unique importance of Louisiana’s culture and the role of our college in the stewardship and preservation of the state’s heritage.”
Several years ago, the lieutenant governor’s office identified cultural resources as one of the state’s top engines of economic development. The college’s DDes program highlights the many ways in which the study, preservation, and enhancement of cultural initiatives benefit the state’s economy and, in turn, takes advantage of the research resources across LSU’s campus and centered in the college. The new advanced degree serves a market of interdisciplinary professionals by building on the strengths of existing faculty in the College of Art & Design and across the university, integrating expertise to address contemporary issues in design, policy, production, and preservation.
The DDes gives practicing design professionals an opportunity to blend interests in design and the studio arts with scholarship and research, either to gain further experience in aspects of their field of practice or to expand their professional capacities into new, emerging, and related fields. Graduates will find work in the increasingly interrelated array of professional fields, governmental agencies, businesses, and academic disciplines.
The DDes in Cultural Preservation includes four choices for specialization:
- History and Theory of Material Culture: studies in the production and history of art, architecture, cultural landscapes, interiors, and representation, with explorations through different lenses of environmental consideration, geographical location, national/international movement, and corresponding examples from related cultures.
- Environmental Policy: investigations of policy and technical expertise arising from environmental and social sciences, law, and public policy to build on previous academic training and professional practice experience in the design and planning disciplines (architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, regional planning).
- Fabricative Cultures: Materials & Technology: inquiry and exploration through digital design as a research tool contributing to the analysis, understanding, and improvement of the built environment at new levels of scale and complexity, with an experimental design project that develops new methods, material systems, or technologies in digital design and fabrication through production of a large-scale artifact and a critical thesis.
- Museum Studies: combined academic study of art history with training in administration, conservation, and interpretation skills through a blend of managerial, presentation, and technical skills.
The 60-credit-hour program encompasses six semesters of study and 45 hours of new course offerings specific to the curriculum and its advanced nature, mostly devoted to individual, supervised research, requiring students to work one-on-one with faculty. Students will share a common core of seminars on cultural preservation and research methods, while the curriculum for each specialization includes allied subjects and special requirements to ensure cross-disciplinary study.
As an advanced academic degree, the DDes will generate graduates prepared to fill leadership positions in numerous professional and academic fields related to the cultural economy and thereby make significant contributions to the advancement of cultural preservation in Louisiana and throughout the country.
For more information, contact Dr. Lake Douglas, associate dean of research and development and associate professor of landscape architecture, at wdougl1@lsu.edu.
About LSU College of Art + Design
The LSU College of Art + Design includes programs in studio art, art history, architecture, graphic design, digital art, interior design, and landscape architecture. The college brings together a focus on creativity and expression, talented faculty, specialized concentration areas, outstanding studio and gallery spaces, and a connection to the community to create a dynamic program. For more information, visit design.lsu.edu.