ASLA 2026 Sierra Chapter Design Awards

Site-specific works of LA for park & recreation use, for the purposes of new development, reclamation, restoration or mitigation of parks/open space.

Typical entries include:

Public, institutional or private park or open space landscapes of all kinds, including:

• passive and active uses

• preservation

• reclamation

• conservation

• stormwater management

• sustainable design & more!

Criteria:

The jury will consider the quality of design and execution; context; environmental sensitivity and sustainability; and design value to the client, to other designers and to the general public.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury may select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.

Built, site-specific works of landscape architecture. Large, incremental projects must have at least the first stage/phase completed. Landscape scope of work construction budgets for projects in this category must generally be greater than $2,000,000.

Typical entries include:

• Public spaces

• urban design

• streets

• institutional

• transportation corridors

• facilities (non-agency)

• resorts

• open space

• reclamation

• conservation

• landscape art

• earth sculpture

• historic preservation & restoration (non-agency)

• private commercial landscapes of all kinds & more!

Criteria:

The jury will consider the quality of design and execution; environmental sensitivity and sustainability; innovation and context; and design value to the client, to other designers and to the general public.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury may select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.

Built, site-specific works of landscape architecture. Small projects must have at least the first stage/phase completed. The landscape scope of work construction budget for projects in this category must be for $2,000,000 or less. Total project construction budget may be greater than $2 million.

Typical entries include:

• Public spaces

• urban design

• streets

• institutional

• transportation corridors

• facilities (non-agency)

• resorts

• open space

• reclamation

• conservation

• landscape art

• earth sculpture

• historic preservation & restoration (non-agency)

• private commercial landscapes of all kinds & more!

Criteria:

The jury will consider the quality of design and execution; environmental sensitivity and sustainability; innovation and context; and design value to the client, to other designers and to the general public.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury will select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.

Site-specific works of landscape architecture for residential use, including single-family residential and development/multi-family use.

Typical entries include:

Single-family residential projects;

• sustainable landscape applications

• new construction or renovation projects

• historic preservation, rehabilitation, or restoration

• affordable landscape concepts and innovations

• small site development

• private gardens

• rooftop gardens & more!

Multi-family residential projects;

• master planned communities

• sustainable landscape applications

• new construction or renovation projects

• historic preservation, rehabilitation, or restoration

• affordable landscape concepts and innovations

• rooftop gardens (for a multi-family residential use project) & more!

Criteria:

The jury will consider the quality of design and execution; context; environmental sensitivity and sustainability; and design value to the client and to other designers.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury may select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.

Products born of research, analysis, or planning that are built or unbuilt; communication of landscape architecture works, techniques, technologies, history or theory; and the wide variety of unbuilt projects and professional activities that lead to, guide, and/or evaluate landscape architecture design.

Professional and/or student research that identifies and investigates challenges posed in landscape architecture, providing the results advance the body of knowledge for the profession is also allowed.

Entries in this category are not required to be built or implemented.

Student research and/or design projects qualify for submission.

Typical entries include:

• Unbuilt designs of all kinds

• urban, suburban, rural, or regional planning efforts

• development guidelines

• transportation, town, or campus planning

• plans for reclamation of brownfield sites

• environmental planning in relation to legislation, policy initiatives or regulatory controls

• cultural resource reports

• cultural and/or natural resources protection, conservation, or historic preservation planning & more!

Criteria:

For Research submittals: The methods, results and context, resources of study.

For Analysis & Planning submittals: The quality of both the analysis and planning efforts; planning context, environmental sensitivity, sustainability, innovation, and likelihood of implementation.

For Communication submittals: The effectiveness of message presentation, innovation in approach and delivery.

For Unbuilt submittals: Quality of design and project breadth with regards to: social/environmental justice; environmental sensitivity; sustainability; innovation and context; and clarity in visual communication of the designer’s intent and meeting stated project’s goals.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury may select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.

Student projects completed as part of curriculum required by an accredited landscape architecture program.

The student may be in any year of study, must currently be enrolled or have completed their degree within the last 12 months.

No work may be included that has been completed during an internship (paid or unpaid) or during professional work immediately following graduation.

Submissions for the student project category shall consist of one project per submission.

Typical entries include:

• Work completed on an individual project including but not limited to computer and hand graphic representations developed for the project

• independent or team effort design exhibits (team projects must clearly identify the submitter’s contribution)

• unbuilt/built/research & more!

Criteria:

The jury will consider the quality of the work included in the project submission in addition to the graphic aesthetics.

Recognition:

The Awards Jury may select one Honor Award and any number of Merit Awards in this category.