The most transformative works of landscape architecture do more than just reshape physical spaces; they redefine our relationship with the environment, foster community resilience, and create lasting legacies of beauty and function. Recognizing these monumental achievements is the purpose of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Professional Awards, the highest honor in the profession. This prestigious program celebrates the full spectrum of the field, from intimate residential gardens to sweeping urban master plans and groundbreaking research. Esteemed juries meticulously evaluate submissions, seeking projects that not only display exceptional design quality and innovation but also deliver a measurable, positive impact on communities and ecosystems. For firms and individuals whose work pushes the boundaries of the discipline, the call for entries for the 2026 awards presents a critical opportunity to gain international recognition and contribute to the ongoing dialogue about the future of the built environment. Preparing a submission is a rigorous process that demands careful attention to detail, a clear articulation of a project’s vision and value, and a compelling visual narrative, making early and thorough preparation the key to success.
1. Navigating the Submission Timeline and Costs
The pathway to submitting a project for the 2026 ASLA Professional Awards is structured with a clear timeline and a tiered fee schedule, requiring entrants to be strategic in their preparation. The submission window opens with an Early Bird rate of $400, available from November 10 until January 9. Following this period, the Standard Rate of $450 applies from January 10 through January 30. For those needing additional time, an Extended Rate period runs from January 31 until the final deadline, with a fee of $560. It is crucial to note that the entire submission process, including the activation of the application and payment of the required fee, must be completed by 11:59 pm PST on February 6, 2026. This deadline is absolute, and late submissions will not be considered. Activating a submission by paying the entry fee is the mandatory first step, unlocking the subsequent stages of the application process. This structured timeline encourages early submissions and ensures that all entrants have a clear understanding of the key dates and financial commitments involved, allowing for proper planning and resource allocation within their firms.
Beyond the primary entry fees, the program includes specific financial considerations for multiple submissions and the unique Landmark Award category. Entrants receive a 25% discount on the current rate for their second project submission, offering an incentive for firms to showcase more than one exemplary work. However, this discount does not extend further; third and subsequent entries are charged at the full current rate. A separate, lower fee of $125 is set for the Landmark Award, reflecting its distinct nature. It is important to understand that submitting a single project to multiple categories requires a separate fee for each category entered. Regarding financial policies, entry fees are nonrefundable. The ASLA may grant exceptions only in extraordinary circumstances, which must be detailed in a written request sent to the Honors and Awards office no later than February 1, 2026. For ASLA members, logging into the submission portal with the correct member ID and password is essential for a smooth process. Any membership renewals or new applications may take up to 48 hours to be reflected in the system, a critical detail for those joining or renewing close to the deadline.
2. Understanding the Esteemed Jury Process and Core Guidelines
The prestige of the ASLA Professional Awards is fundamentally rooted in the high caliber and integrity of the juries convened each year. These panels are not merely groups of experts but are carefully assembled to represent the full breadth of the landscape architecture profession. The selection process prioritizes diversity across multiple dimensions, including practice type (private, public, institutional, and academic), professional experience, geographical location, gender, and ethnicity. This commitment ensures that submissions are evaluated from a wide range of perspectives, enriching the judging process and reinforcing the program’s national significance. For the 2026 awards, two distinct juries will be convened. The first, chaired by Adam Greenspan, FASLA, will evaluate entries in the General Design, Residential Design, Urban Design, and Landmark Award categories. The second jury, led by Chair Sierra Bainbridge, ASLA, will oversee the Analysis & Planning, ASLA / IFLA Global Impact Award, Research, Communications, and Landmark Award categories. The composition of these juries, featuring prominent practitioners, academics, and thought leaders from across the country, guarantees a rigorous and informed evaluation of every project.
Adherence to a set of critical submission guidelines is non-negotiable and directly impacts an entry’s eligibility. Any failure to submit a required portion of the application will result in immediate disqualification. Furthermore, all text provided within the application must be in English, as non-English content cannot be reviewed by the jury. Entrants must meticulously review all text for spelling and grammar and finalize any formatting before the submission deadline, as absolutely no changes will be permitted after the jury selections have been made. Perhaps the most critical responsibility for entrants is securing all necessary permissions for photographs. Prior to submission, entrants must obtain explicit clearance from photographers for publication and reproduction by ASLA. Similarly, all images must be approved by the client. Neglecting this crucial step will lead to an automatic disqualification of the entry. These stringent rules are in place to ensure a fair, consistent, and legally sound review process, placing the onus on the applicant to present a complete, polished, and fully authorized submission package.
3. Built Works Categories General, Residential, and Urban Design
The General Design category is dedicated to recognizing excellence in built, site-specific works of landscape architecture that do not fall under the residential or urban design classifications. To be eligible, the official entrant must be an Associate, Full, or International ASLA member or meet the qualifications to join in one of these capacities. This category encompasses a wide array of project types, including public parks, institutional campuses, private estates, historic preservation projects, land reclamation, green infrastructure, and landscape art installations. The jury evaluates these projects based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including the overall quality of the design and its execution, the project’s relationship to its physical and cultural context, its approach to environmental sensitivity and sustainability, and the value it provides to the client, the community, and the profession at large. The submission process is blind to conceal the identity of the designers. Applicants must provide a concise project title, a 750-character project statement summarizing its award-worthiness, a detailed 3500-character narrative addressing the evaluation criteria, and a selection of 5 to 16 high-resolution images, which must include at least one site plan. From these submissions, the jury may select one project for the highest honor, the Award of Excellence, and any number of others for Honor Awards.
The Residential and Urban Design categories recognize excellence in built environments at both the private and public scales, with specific criteria tailored to each context. For the Residential Design category, entrants must be eligible ASLA members and submit projects ranging from single-family homes to large multifamily developments. The jury places a strong emphasis on design quality, materiality, environmental responsibility, and community benefit, with particular attention given to innovative techniques in low-impact development and projects pursuing SITES certification. In contrast, the Urban Design category focuses on larger-scale projects, typically greater than one block, that are either built or under construction. These entries might include streetscapes, waterfronts, mixed-use developments, or entire districts. The evaluation here centers on the quality of design, the project’s integration into the broader urban context, its contribution to environmental stewardship, and its commitment to social justice, equity, and inclusion. For both categories, the submission requirements are consistent with the General Design category, demanding a blind review process supported by a project title, statement, narrative, and a portfolio of images including a site plan. This structure allows the jury to assess a diverse range of projects that shape human experience from the intimate scale of a private garden to the complex fabric of a city.
4. Conceptual and Knowledge-Based Categories Analysis, Planning, and Research
The Analysis and Planning category honors the foundational activities that guide and evaluate landscape architecture design, recognizing that impactful work often begins long before construction. A key distinction of this category is that entries are not required to be built or implemented. It welcomes a broad range of professional efforts, such as urban and regional planning, development guidelines, transportation studies, brownfield reclamation plans, and environmental policy initiatives. Entrants must be eligible for ASLA membership. The jury’s evaluation focuses on the quality and thoroughness of the analysis, the project’s contextual understanding, its commitment to environmental sensitivity and sustainability, the likelihood of its successful implementation, and its overall value to the client and the public. A special designation, the ASLA / IFLA Global Impact Award, may be given to a project within this category that demonstrates transformative, scalable solutions to climate change challenges. The submission requirements mirror other categories, including a project title, a compelling project statement, a detailed narrative explaining the project’s goals and methods, and a set of images including a site plan, all submitted through a blind review process.
The Research category celebrates scholarly inquiry that identifies and investigates significant challenges within landscape architecture, producing results that advance the profession’s body of knowledge. Eligibility for this category is open to Affiliate ASLA members, meaning the primary entrant is not required to be a landscape architecture professional. This inclusivity encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and recognizes valuable contributions from allied fields. Typical entries include projects employing quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research to address topics relevant to practice. The jury assesses submissions based on the clarity and importance of the research question, the rigor of the methodology, the clarity of the presented outcomes, and the potential for the findings to be applied in practice and contribute to the field at large. The submission process is blind, but the required components differ slightly. Instead of a narrative, entrants must provide a detailed project abstract of up to 3500 characters that outlines the research problem, methods, results, and conclusions. A site plan is not required for this category, reflecting its focus on knowledge generation rather than site-specific design. As with other categories, the jury may confer one Award of Excellence and multiple Honor Awards.
5. Specialized Recognition Communications and The Landmark Award
The Communications category provides a unique platform to honor achievements in conveying the works, techniques, history, or theory of landscape architecture to a specific audience. Unlike most other categories, the entrant is not required to be a landscape architecture professional but must be an Affiliate ASLA member, and the submission process is not blind. This category recognizes that the successful dissemination of ideas is crucial to the profession’s influence and evolution. Entries can take many forms, including interactive online media, print publications, films, podcasts, exhibition designs, and public awareness campaigns. The jury evaluates these projects based on the effectiveness of their message, the innovation of their approach or delivery method, and the overall value they provide to their intended audience. The submission package requires a project title, a statement of award-worthiness, a detailed narrative describing the project’s purpose and impact, and a set of 5 to 16 images. A site plan is not necessary for this category, and entrants are encouraged to provide supplemental materials, such as direct links to online media, to give the jury a comprehensive understanding of the work.
The Landmark Award stands apart from all other categories, as it honors a distinguished landscape architecture project that has stood the test of time. This award recognizes a project completed between 15 and 50 years ago that has not only retained its original design integrity but has also contributed significantly to the public realm of its community. Eligibility is open to anyone, including public officials, civic organizations, and interested individuals; ASLA membership is not a requirement. This inclusive approach encourages nominations for iconic public spaces like parks, plazas, botanical gardens, and riverwalks that have become integral parts of their communities. The jury evaluates submissions on two primary criterithe project’s sustained value to the community it serves and the continued relevance of its design expression over decades of use and change. The project narrative is particularly important in this category, as it must describe the project’s original intent, its social context and history of use, and its lasting impact on the public realm and the profession. The submission process is blind and requires a standard set of supporting images, including a site plan, to illustrate both the original design and its current state. The jury may select only one recipient for this prestigious award each year.
A Legacy Cast in Design
The intensive effort invested in preparing a submission for the ASLA awards yielded more than just a potential accolade; it became a profound act of reflection. Teams delved deep into their project narratives, meticulously articulating the design intent, the challenges overcome, and the quantifiable impacts on the community and environment. This process of distillation and storytelling served as an invaluable internal audit, clarifying the core values and strengths of their work. The rigorous documentation and assembly of visual evidence reinforced the importance of capturing a project’s life and evolution over time. Ultimately, the endeavor of crafting a compelling and thorough entry package refined their ability to communicate the significance of landscape architecture, a skill that would undoubtedly benefit all their future client engagements and public presentations. The submission itself stood as a testament to their dedication, a comprehensive record of a vision brought to life, ensuring the project’s story was preserved and celebrated, regardless of the final outcome.
