CONCEPT + MISSion
Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture creates significant, thought-provoking, and elegant environments. We specialize in ecological systems design with a focus on integrating stormwater and green infrastructure into the landscape. Our designs are guided by advanced principles of sustainability while remaining true to historical context culture and community. We aim to lift the human spirit and celebrate our ties with the earth and the living systems that thrive upon it.
Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture believes that ecological (green) infrastructure design interventions produce a cascade of inherent benefits to communities. Our practice embraces an ecological systems-based and disciplined approach to providing enhanced ecological services for the health and well-being of the community, including the enrichment of aesthetics, sense of place, health, and safety. Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture seeks to find value though an integrative design process and focuses on creating solutions that are creative and cost-effective.
TEAM
Joseph Evans - Principal, LEED AP
Joe Evans specializes in ecological systems design and contributes technical and management expertise to sustainable development, renewable energy technologies, and regenerative landscape design. As a Horticulturist, LEED AP BD+C, and a Certified Permaculturalist, he is a consultant, designer and project manager to projects with a focus on sustainability. Joe's interdisciplinary background in fine arts provides a unique contribution to teams that are exploring opportunities to advance and innovate standard practice.
Joe creates large scale ecological installation art, some of which has been featured recently in New Orleans at the Contemporary Arts Center, Art for Art's Sake, DesCours, Colton Studios and Prospect 1. He has been funded by a grant from the Louisiana Cultural Economy Foundation for his work in developing innovative stormwater strategies and was a Creative Alliance of New Orleans resident artist at the Colton Studios. He was recently honored as one of Gambit Weekly's 40 under 40 and is a Fellow of Loyola University's Institute of Environmental Communications.
Joe has served as the Board President of Groundwork New Orleans, a regional branch of Groundwork USA supported by the Environmental Protection Agency Brownfields Program and the National Park Service Rivers, Trails and Conservation Assistance Program. Is a member of the Horizon Initiative Water Committee, the New Orleans Water Collaborative,and has served on the board of the New Orleans Healing Center. In addition he has served as an expert for the AIA's Center for Communities by Design, Sustainable Design Assessment Teams, and serves as a consultant to many local urban farming initiatives.
He lives with his wife and son in New Orleans where he and his family enjoy good food, rich culture, and the great outdoors.
Barney Lighter- Principal Landscape Architect
Barney Lighter is a talented designer and experienced landscape architect with 25 years experience earned at top firms in Louisiana and Texas, placing him in the elite of New Orleans’ landscape architects. As Landscape Architect and Design principal, Barney is responsible for developing creative initiatives and generating ideas that form the foundation of the firm's designs. He is involved throughout all phases of each project to ensure that the project's design vision remains strong and consistent at every level of detail and construction. His close attention to detail and sensitivity to program integration play equally important roles in the creative development of any design. Barney supports an integrated design approach, bringing creative solutions to projects from concept to completion. His work has influenced our public parks, zoos, recreational facilities, golf courses, and some of New Orleans' and the greater region's streetscapes and memorials. He is exceptionally skilled in the integration of stormwater systems and interactive spaces.
Several projects with which Barney was involved at previous firms have won ASLA awards, including the Baytown Wetlands Mitigation Project in Baytown, Texas; Lakeshore East Park in downtown Chicago, Illinois; and a FedEx Technology Campus in Collierville, Tennessee. Barney was the designer and detailer at Torre/Design Consortium/NBBJ, for all eight fountains at The University Medical Center, the recipient of an AIA New Orleans Honor Award.
Barney holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University. The father of two children and one grand-daughter, he resides with his wife in Uptown New Orleans.
The WoRK
Evans + Lighter landscape architecture was incorporated in 2013. In the following years, they have been covered by numerous publications including being featured in Dwell Magazine and Landscape Architecture Magazine in 2016, and they were named 2017 New Orleans Design Masters.
They have been awarded numerous awards for excellence in design including an Award of Excellence in Historic Restoration and an AIA New Orleans Award of Merit with Studio/WTA for the Lakeview Residence at 566 Emerald Street and an AIA New Orleans Honor Award with Lee Ledbetter & Associates for Stormwater Design and Retention for the Joan Mitchell Center Artists' Studio Building.
Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture is a small and highly specialized landscape architecture firm that focuses on the design and creation of cutting-edge landscape architecture and ecological infrastructure projects in the gulf south. The firm balances a concentration on expertly crafted design with a hands-on knowledge of systems installation. We are intimately familiar with the many opportunities and challenges presented by the environments within the region.
Evans +Lighter Landscape Architecture is interdisciplinary in nature, with a comprehensive systematic approach to sustainable and resilient design. Our services include landscape architecture, master planning, urban design, landscape horticulture, permaculture design, green infrastructure/stormwater management, comprehensive LEED consulting and project administration, construction administration, acreage planning, ecological systems design, historically and culturally sensitive adaptation planning, placemaking, recreation planning and design, educational landscapes, renewable systems integration, ecological restoration and regeneration, and adaptation and resilience planning.
Evans + Lighter Landscape Architecture has extensive experience in preparing design, schematic, preliminary, and final construction documentation. Our team applies innovative approaches to complex landscape architectural design issues to achieve sound, cost effective, and sustainable solutions. The firm utilizes Vectorworks and Autocad, Computer Aided Design Software and Building Integrated Modeling software (BIM) to prepare accurate and highly coordinated drawing sets. This system enhances consultant coordination, speed in production, and quality of contract documents. We provide design services to governmental, commercial, institutional, residential, and community-scale projects that demand a high-level of systems integration and knowledge.
TEAM PROJECT EXPERIENCE:
INSTITUTIONAL
Annunciation Church and Rectory New Orleans LA
Brother Martin School Chapel New Orleans LA
Groundwork EarthLAB New Orleans LA
Abramson School New Orleans LA
Livingston School New Orleans LA
Medard Nelson School New Orleans LA
Gentilly Terrace School New Orleans LA
Yu Ying School Washington DC
Parkview School New Orleans LA
McMain School New Orleans LA
Sacred Heart School: Gym and St. Joseph Hall New Orleans LA
Andrew H. Wilson School New Orleans LA
L.B. Landry School New Orleans LA
Craig Elementary New Orleans LA
Hillel Center Tulane Broadway New Orleans LA
University of Houston Cullen Entry Houston TX
James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy Rice University Houston TX
Grace Presbyterian Church Master Plan Houston TX
Grace Presbyterian Church Courtyard and Fountain Houston TX
RESIDENTIAL
Chippewa St. New Orleans LA
Grand Rt. St. John Residence New Orleans LA
St. Mary St. Residence New Orleans LA
Magazine St Residence New Orleans LA
Emerald St. Residence New Orleans LA
Patton St. Residence New Orleans LA
Harmony St. Residence New Orleans LA
Bellaire St. Residence New Orleans LA
Lopez St. Residence New Orleans LA
Kabacoff Residence New Orlean LA
Camp St. Residence New Orleans LA
Pine St. Residence New Orleans LA
Houma Residence Houma LA
Builders of Hope New Orleans LA
HANO, Scattered Sites Renovations New Orleans LA
Holy Cross Project New Orleans LA
Project Home Again New Orleans LA
Magee Residence River Oaks Houston TX
Prytania Street Residence New Orleans LA
6333 Prytania Street Residence New Orleans LA
RECREATION
City Park Rugby Complex New Orleans LA
Florida Ave. Learning Trail: Conceptual Master Plan New Orleans LA
London Ave. Canal New Orleans LA
Mirabeau Water Garden New Orleans LA
Planter’s Grove Pocket Park New Orleans LA
Lafitte Greenway Sculptures for Way-finding New Orleans LA
Basketball Arena Site Selection Houston TX
Stadium Site Downtown Houston TX
Downtown Ballpark Houston TX
Downtown Gateway Studies Houston TX
Audubon Zoo Entry New Orleans LA
The Park at Lakeshore East Chicago IL
Laurence Square Park New Orleans LA
Norwood Thompson Park New Orleans LA
Square 26 Park New Orleans LA
Steeplechase Greenbelt Houston TX
Bay Oaks Section 11 Park and Street Tree Clear Lake City TX
Bay Oaks Section 12 Park and Street Tree Clear Lake City TX
Pinebrook Landscape Reserve and Park Clear Lake City TX
Walnut Park Webster TX
Inwood Park Greenbelt Fairfield TX
Brownwood Wetlands Mitigation Baytown TX
HOSPITALITY / HEALTH
St. Bernard Behavioral Health Center Arabi LA
Claiborne Mansion New Orleans LA
Khoobehi & Associates Metairie LA
Rainbow Hills Resort Terpang, Serpong Indonesia
Kemer Holiday Village Kemer, Turkey
St. Joseph Hospital Parking Garage Houston TX
St. Joseph Hospital Ambulatory Services Houston TX
St. Joseph Hospital Campus Master Plan Houston TX
M. D. Anderson Cancer Center Texas Medical Center Houston TX
Bertner Ave./Moursund St. Streetscape Texas Medical Center Houston TX
CORPORATE
Federal Express-East Campus Collierville TN
Metairie Small Animal Hospital Metairie LA
Fuqua Park and Ride Facility Houston TX
West Belt Park and Ride Facility Houston TX
Moriarty Property-Law Office Houston TX
RAIN CII, Chalmette, LA Chalmette LA
Chevron Chemical Port Arthur TX
New Gold, Mesquite Mine Imperial County CA
AGRICULTURE
Dumaine St. Residence and Gardens New Orleans LA
Camp St. Residence and Gardens New Orleans LA
ARC Farm Chalmette LA
Common Ground Relief Native Plants Nursery New Orleans LA
VIET: Wetland Education Center and Nursery New Orleans LA
Holly Grove Farmers Market New Orleans LA
CIVIC
Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans Green Roof New Orleans LA
Kelerec St Green Infrastructure Streetscape New Orleans LA
Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans- WEB project New Orleans LA
The Greater New Orleans Water Plan:
St. Bernard, Orleans and Jefferson Parish, LA
Ecosystem Services Metrics New Orleans LA
Valmont St. Streetscape and "Front Yard Initiative" New Orleans LA
Keller Library New Orleans LA
Marines Forces Reserve Headquarters New Orleans LA
United States Coast Guard Integrated Support Command New Orleans LA
Federal City New Orleans LA
Downtown Houston Redevelopment Plan Houston TX
Downtown Houston Tree Master Plan Houston TX
City of Webster Civic Center Webster TX
City of Webster Streetscape Webster TX
Basketball Arena Site Selection Houston TX
Stadium Site Downtown Houston TX
Downtown Gateway Studies Houston TX
Downtown Streetscape (Metro Transit Streets) Houston TX
US 59 Freeway Redevelopment Houston TX
University of Houston Cullen Entry Houston TX
Harrison Ave Streetscape New Orleans LA
Sala Avenue Streetscape Westwego LA
Clear Lake City Boulevard Landscape Clear Lake City TX