Graduate Profile: Philippa Keys

Managing Landscapes

Designing park sculptures that couple as gym equipment for office workers on their lunch breaks was just one of the projects Philippa Keys tackled as part of her degree in Landscape Management with the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at The University of Western Australia.

“Landscape management is a broad term to describe the management of open spaces,” explains Philippa.  “Career options range from working with mining companies to design rehabilitation areas that can be accessed and used by the general public through to managing the design and landscaping of urban parks.”

Philippa is amongst the first group of graduates from the Landscape Management degree that began in 2000.  Local government organisations are keen to take on the new graduates who have accrued considerable skills in the management and use of native flora in public open spaces.

Majoring in landscape design meant Philippa shared her time between the Faculty of Architecture and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.  “The design units were very creative and challenging,” says Philippa.  “We were given assignments to redevelop Cottesloe beach with a shark-safe swimming area through to turning a disused warehouse into a gallery for Rodin’s sculptures.”

A highlight of the degree was the organised interaction between students and professionals already working in landscape design.  “Excursions to open spaces throughout Perth and talking with the people who managed them really helped to put theory into practice,” explains Philippa.