back to all faculty

Lisa DuRussel

Lisa DuRussel
Assistant Professor of Practice
Landscape Architecture
Cities + Mobility + Built Environment
lduruss@umich.edu

About

Raised in a family of farmers in rural Michigan, Lisa developed a formative respect and commitment to the sophistication and complexities of nature at a young age.

As a practicing landscape architect and educator, Lisa draws from 15 years of professional design experience where she has led the design and implementation of award-winning projects that innovate on ecological design. Her practice, Site Science, places focus on research-based design and implementation strategies that integrate deep ecological design principles into forward-thinking functional and experiential landscapes. Through the craft of exploration, experimentation and cross-disciplinary study, Lisa’s work amplifies collaborative action with deep community engagement. 

Lisa has held project leader positions with established design firms: Unknown Studio Baltimore, West 8 New York, Future Green Studio Brooklyn, MNLA New York, and Hoerr Schaudt Landscape Architects Chicago. She currently collaborates with Unknown Studio on green infrastructure and urban afforestation initiatives in Baltimore and with Horizon Geospatial on geodesign-based community engagement workshops around the country. 

Her work has been published for the Landscape Architecture Foundation, and in Landscape Architecture Magazine, World Landscape Architecture, and Metropolis POV. Lisa received her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy and her Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Michigan.

Publications

PEER REVIEWED JOURNAL ARTICLES

DuRussel, L., and D. T. Meehan. 2021. Tough Clients/Complex Sites: A Community Conversation Strategy to Build Public Trust.CELA, Council of Educators in Landscape Architecture Conference Proceedings (IN REVIEW)

DuRussel, L., and D. T. Meehan. 2020. Under The Eye: Using an Ecosystem of Digital Tools to Analyze and Solve Land Use Planning Issues. Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture.

DuRussel, L. and Singh, A. 2019. Case Study Investigation: Hunters Point South Park, Queens NY. Landscape Architecture Foundation 

DuRussel, L. and Singh, A. 2019. Case Study Investigation: West Point Foundry Preserve, Cold Spring NY. Landscape Architecture Foundation

REPORTS

Cole, C. A., L. DuRussel, L. Goldberg, T. Gould, D. Meehan, N. S. Parkhill, and E. Pennypacker. 2020. Musser Gap to Valleylands (MG2V): A Report on Potentials for Site Management. Penn State Department of Landscape Architecture, Penn State University, University Park, PA. 96 pp.

BLOGS

DuRussel, L. 2014. Urban Paddling. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2014.  Vectors of Change in Nature. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2014. Living in a Digital World. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  Outdoors in the Digital World. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  It’s just Dirt, isn’t it? Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  From Field to Park. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  Dumpster Diving. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  What Lies Beneath. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  Tree Tag. . . You’re It! Metropolis Magazine POV. 

DuRussel, L. 2013.  Colors only Dogs can See. Metropolis Magazine POV. 

Brightman, T. and DuRussel, L. 2013. An Introduction to Metropolis Magazine's Green Team. Metropolis Magazine POV.

 

Accolades

2020

Hunter's Point South Case Study Investigation (with SWA Group, LAF):
Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA), Honor Award
Roberto Clemente State Park (with MNLA NY):
ASLA-NY Chapter Merit Award in General Design
The Waterfront Center Honor Award

2018
New York Botanical Garden Edible Academy (with MNLA NY):
ENR New York, Best Green Project
Society of American Registered Architects, National Design Award of Honor

2017
Governors Island Hills (with West 8 NY):
Architizer A+ Awards Jury Winner in the Public Park Category
MASterworks Award for Best Urban Landscape
ASLA-NY Chapter Honor Award in General Design
ULI New York Excellence in Civic Space Development
Honorable Mention Architect’s Newspaper Best of Design Awards

2016
Governors Island Hills (with West 8 NY):
New York Design Awards, Gold Award in Landscape Design
Spring Street Park (with MNLA):
NYC Public Design Commission Award for Excellence in Design

2015
Governors Island Park & Public Space, Phase 1 (with MNLA):
ASLA-NY Design Merit Award

2014
Governors Island Park & Public Space, Phase 1 (with MNLA):
Built by Women NYC, Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation
New York Botanical Garden Edible Academy (with MNLA):
NYC Public Design Commission Award for Excellence in Design
Hudson Square Streetscape Improvement Plan (with MNLA):
ASLA-NY Design Merit Award for Collaborative Design 
2012 
Governors Island Park & Public Space, Phase 1 (with MNLA):
ASLA Professional Honor Award in Analysis and Planning
Construction of Governors Island Park & Public Space, Phase 1 (with MNLA):
NYC Public Design Commission Award for Excellence in Design

2011 
Dignity of Restraint: A Historic Landscape Preservation Study for UNC, Chapel Hill (with HoerrSchaudt):
ASLA Professional Honor Award in Analysis and Planning

2009
Dignity of Restraint: A Historic Landscape Preservation Study for UNC, Chapel Hill (with HoerrSchaudt):
SCUP Excellence in Planning Honor Award
 

Education

Master of Landscape Architecture, SEAS '06
Bachelor of Science in Resource Ecology & Environmental Policy, SEAS '02

Affiliations
  • Licensed Landscape Architect:

    • Michigan #3901001814 
    • Illinois #157.1307 
    • Florida #LA6667309
  • LEED Accredited Professional, CLARB Certified
  • ASLA Member
  • Founder + Strategist at Site Science / Ann Arbor, MI
  • Landscape Architect at Unknown Studio / Baltimore, MD
  • Public Engagement Mentor Fellow / University of Michigan 2021
  • Research Fellow / Landscape Architecture Foundation 2018
  • National ASLA Public Awareness Representative: 2015 - 2017
  • NY-ASLA Board Member: 2014 - 2016
In the News