LSU Students Won 2025 ASLA Georgia Student Honor Award
LSU landscape architecture students won the 2025 ASLA Georgia Student Honor Award, presented by the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) in August 2025. The winning project titled, “Eco Collective: Designing Inclusive Futures for Savannah, Georgia” was a collaboration between LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture and the University of Georgia.
In fall 2024, under the guidance of Dr. Yao Wang, assistant professor of landscape architecture at LSU, and Dr. Qiong Wang, assistant professor of landscape architecture at the University of Georgia (UGA), students from LSU and UGA collaborated on a mixed-use development project in Savannah, Georgia, through the LSU LA 3001 and the UGA PLAN 6520 Urban Planning and Design Studio.
Two UGA MUPD students focused on urban design, while three LSU BLA students (Gregory Crawford, John Roche, and William Fanning) contributed their expertise in landscape architecture.
The site, located at 105 Fort Argyle Road in Savannah, spans approximately 300 acres and is currently used as a borrow pit/sand mine. The project’s goal was to design and implement solutions that prioritize accessibility, environmental stewardship, and equity. By integrating community-driven design, sustainable practices, and long-term maintenance strategies, eco | equity aims to promote thriving and resilient neighborhoods where nature and people coexist.
“Congratulations to our students for their creativity, dedication, and commitment to designing more inclusive and sustainable futures!” said Drs. Wang.
“We extend our sincere appreciation to Mr. John Anagnost (Planning Manager) and the Planning, Zoning, and Urban Design Department of the City of Savannah, Georgia, for their valuable support and guidance,” they said. “Special thanks to RRSLA Director Dr. Brent Fortenberry for his strong support and Kalia Jarvis for her help. We are grateful for the support of RRSLA at LSU and CED at UGA!”
“This work, led by Dr. Wang, epitomizes the high-impact learning of the RRSLA program and further demonstrates that the practice of Landscape Architecture is a force for good in our communities,” said Dr. Brent Fortenberry, interim director of the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture. “The School and College are incredibly proud of the work that our students and faculty undertake for the benefit of our stakeholders.”
The ASLA chapter award winners “showcase innovation and represent the highest level of achievement in the landscape architecture profession across Georgia,” according to the Georgia Chapter. “The 2025 State Honor Awards individual winners are recognized for their contributions to ASLA’s core values and the leaders in the profession.”
Award recipients were honored at the gala in Atlanta on August 19.
Read more about the LSU Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture.