The 2026 WLA Student Awards received over 130 Entries from more than 20 countries worldwide. The projects were submitted by students and academics from some of the world’s most prestigious university programs. With only three categories, the jurors had difficulty selecting a shortlist of high-quality projects by current and graduating students.
The full shortlist/finalist list is at the end of the winners list.
Jury
Yadan Luo
Lecturer, Landscape Architecture Department, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania and Associate Director, Future Cities Initiative, Weitzman School of Design, University of Pennsylvania Creative Director, YH LAB
Dr Anastasia Nikologianni
Research Fellow at Birmingham City University. Director of the Young Landscape Architects and Emerging Professionals IFLA World
Dr. Maj Plemenitas
Founder and Director of LINKSCALE, and a pioneer of Cross-Scale Design. In parallel to the design practice, he is also an Academic and Researcher at RMIT and UCL Bartlett.
Professor Stefan Tischer
Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Sassari in Sardinia and Aga Khan Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Design GSD at Harvard University (2023-2024), and Landscape Architect
Student Awards
The following winners were selected from the shortlisted entries as the winners of the 2026 WLA Student Awards.
Concept Design
Award of Excellence
Fluid Itineraries: Rewetting Hobrec
Hanrui (Freya) Fu – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Chris Reed & Laila Seewang – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Jury Comments
The proposal demonstrates an extraordinary ability to translate complex ecological and hydrological systems into elegant spatial experiences. Its powerful visualizations, thoughtful sequencing of landscapes, and strong design vision create a compelling model for how infrastructure can become both environmental process and public experience.
Very powerful graphics and well thought-through project. Lots of attention and detail.
Outstanding Award
Keep Carpet Dusty
Sabrina HoiYan Young & Nils Hayoz (ETH Zurich)
Supervisor: Martina Voser (ETH Zurich)
Promenade Sylvatica
Hanrui (Freya) Fu – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisor: Anita Berrizbeitia – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Honourable Mention
Jump into the River
党方红 – 天津美术学院 | Supervisor孙奎利 – 天津美术学院
石珏玮 – 天津大学 | Supervisor 张春彦 – 天津大学
张永欣 – 山东建筑大学 | Supervisor 王越 – 山东建筑大学
Supervisor 郭哲良 – 华南理工大学
Water As Calender
Chutong Liu – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Jungyoon Kim, Shunsaku Miyagi – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Graduate
Award of Excellence
Cle(an/p)sydra: Civic Water Cycles
Mu He and Zhiming (Zenith) Zhang – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Chris Reed & Laila Seewang – Harvard Graduate School of Design, Stoss
Jury Comments
The project is deeply connected to its community and context, with a sharp reading of the site’s social and ecological conditions. The three ideas of Reviving, Cultivating, and Nourishing are clear and effective, successfully linking water infrastructure, ecological repair, and public life. The proposal is both imaginative and grounded, and the visualizations are stunning, helping communicate the concept with great clarity and atmosphere.
The cycle idea works well and shows how it links to the project and the water element.
Mu He and Zhiming (Zenith) Zhang – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Outstanding Award
Between Utopia and Rust
Ammu Anitha Muraleedharan, Vidula Dinesh – Politecnico di Milano
Supervisor: Sara Protasoni – Politecnico di Milano
Ecological Firebreak
Aneena Jose – University College London
Supervisor: Günther Galligioni, Christina Geros, Technical Supervisor – Vladimir Guculak;
Honourable Mention
Oyster Islands, Living Seas
Qiwen Xiong & Ye Zhang, Zeyu Cao – Beijing Forestry University; Yike Wu – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Yuxuan Cai – University of Chicago;
Advisors: Peng Yao; Ying Luo;
Topography of Aqua-Succession
Angelika Duda – Cracow University of Technology
Supervisor: Katarzyna Łakomy – Cracow University of Technology
University Studio
Award of Excellence
Becoming Birds: Iceland Coexistence – Agricultural University of Iceland
Supervisors: Ivan Juarez and Helena Guttormsdóttir – Agricultural University of Iceland
Jury Comments
The studio presents a very inspiring framework for rethinking coexistence between humans, birds, and fragile ecological systems. Its core idea is strong: to consider humans as one species among many, and to use the perspective of birds as a way to read, map, and redesign the landscape.
The project is especially successful in working across different scales, from the body and sensory experience to migration routes, habitats, and larger ecological systems. The process is thoughtful, collective, and deeply connected to place.
The visualizations and structure are elegant and powerful. Overall, this is a highly inspiring studio that expands how landscape architecture can engage with biodiversity, empathy, and environmental care.
The concept and idea are really good, and it contributes to our profession.
Becoming Birds: Iceland Coexistence – Agricultural University of Iceland
Outstanding Award
Dynamics & Encounters – University of Hong Kong
Supervisors: Francisco Cevallos Barragan, William Shivers, PhD, Ivan Valin – University of Hong Kong
Urban Landscape Futures – CEPT University
Tutors: Mansi Shah and Vaishal Patel – CEPT University
Teaching Assistant: Lopamudra Baruah – CEPT University
Honourable Mention
Politics of Conservation – The National University of Singapore
Supervisor: Xiaoxuan Lu
2026 WLA Student Awards – Shortlist/Finalists
Conceptual Design
AI Fungi and Residual Ground
David Hancong Ding – Cornell University
Supervisor: Duarte Santo – Cornell University
Deities or Disasters?
Jiacheng He, Xiang Yu, Chi Zhang, Yiming Huang, Jiayi Chang, Siyuan Feng, Yuanting Xu – Southeast University; Guangyuan Zhao – Peiking University
Supervisor: Xiang Zhou – Southeast University
Fluid Itineraries: Rewetting Hobrec
Hanrui (Freya) Fu – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Chris Reed & Laila Seewang – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Jump into the River
党方红 – 天津美术学院 | Supervisor孙奎利 – 天津美术学院
石珏玮 – 天津大学 | Supervisor 张春彦 – 天津大学
张永欣 – 山东建筑大学 | Supervisor 王越 – 山东建筑大学
Supervisor 郭哲良 – 华南理工大学
Keep Carpet Dusty
Sabrina HoiYan Young & Nils Hayoz (ETH Zurich)
Supervisor: Martina Voser (ETH Zurich)
LANDSCAPE AS HOME Glacier Flour as a Circular System
Chutong Liu & Tong Li – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Dan Stubbergaard – Harvard Graduate School of Design; Bert de Jonghe – Founder of Transpolar Studio;
Promenade Sylvatica
Hanrui (Freya) Fu – Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Supervisor: Anita Berrizbeitia – Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Reframe Shade as Negotiated Ground
Zenith(Zhiming) Zhang – Harvard Graduate School of Design;
Supervisors: Anita Berrizbeitia, Eric Kramer & Max Piana – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Re-wilding with Rain
Devi S Nair – CEPT University
Supervisors: Prof. Rhea Shah & Prof. Prasanna Mattikop – CEPT University
The Courtyark Strategy
Mika Magtanong, Emma Marini, Jack Mok, Georgia Papworth – University of Toronto
Supervisors: Fadi Masoud, Robert Wright, Matt Perotto – University of Toronto
The Sub-Way
Student: Orly Sacke – University of Toronto
Supervisor: Robert Wright – University of Toronto
Water As Calender
Chutong Liu – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Jungyoon Kim, Shunsaku Miyagi – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Graduate
Between Utopia and Rust
Ammu Anitha Muraleedharan, Vidula Dinesh – Politecnico di Milano
Sara Protasoni – Politecnico di Milano
Cle(an/p)sydra: Civic Water Cycles
Mu He and Zhiming (Zenith) Zhang – Harvard Graduate School of Design
Supervisors: Chris Reed & Laila Seewang – Harvard Graduate School of Design, Stoss
Ecological Firebreak
Aneena Jose – University College London
Supervisor: Günther Galligioni, Christina Geros, Technical Supervisor – Vladimir Guculak;
FRACTURES OF COEXISTENCE
Susmita Dey, Alwin Mathew, Roma Mudhol – Politecnico di Milano
Supervisor: Sara Protasoni; Co-Supervisor: Ali Reza Hakim
Harvesting Futures
José Fabián Jiménez Viñas, Yuxiang Huang
Supervisor: Jose Alfredo Ramirez – Architectural Association School of Architecture
Oyster Islands, Living Seas
Qiwen Xiong & Ye Zhang, Zeyu Cao – Beijing Forestry University; Yike Wu – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich; Yuxuan Cai – University of Chicago;
Advisors: Peng Yao; Ying Luo;
RE-CONNECT. Prądnik River Park
Student: Tomasz Jaróg – Cracow University of Technology
Supervisor: Katarzyna Hodor – Cracow University of Technology
The Fold of Différance
Rui Chen -Tianjin University
Supervisor: Weiyang Jia – Tianjin University
The Living Scar
Jaeyong Ahn – University of Toronto
Supervisor: Liat Margolis – University of Toronto
Topography of Aqua-Succession
Angelika Duda – Cracow University of Technology
Supervisor: Katarzyna Łakomy – Cracow University of Technology
University Studio
AI-Enhanced Landscape Engineering – Shanghai JiaoTong University
Supervisors: Zhu Liqing, Li Yanpeng, Fu Kai – Shanghai JiaoTong University
Becoming Birds: Iceland Coexistence – Agricultural University of Iceland
Supervisors: Ivan Juarez and Helena Guttormsdóttir – Agricultural University of Iceland
Dynamics & Encounters – University of Hong Kong
Supervisors: Francisco Cevallos Barragan, William Shivers, PhD, Ivan Valin – University of Hong Kong
Metropolitan Areas Landscape Design – Shanghai JiaoTong University
Supervisors: Wang Ling, Zhu Liqing, Lee Parks – Shanghai JiaoTong University
Politics of Conservation – The National University of Singapore
Supervisor: Xiaoxuan Lu
Urban Landscape Futures – CEPT University
Tutors: Mansi Shah and Vaishal Patel – CEPT University
Teaching Assistant: Lopamudra Baruah – CEPT University