We are happy to announce two Professional Awards jurors and two Student Awards for the 2026 WLA Awards. We received over 35 applications for the 2026 WLA Awards juries, and we were happy with the high-quality candidates; this made our job harder when selecting this year’s juries. Please welcome the following jurors
Professional Jury
The two jurors (of the eight jurors for 2026) include Niels de Bruin and Stephanie Lau.
Niels de Bruin is a Senior Landscape Architect and Head of Landscape Architecture at Kragh & Berglund, with more than 20 years of experience in public realm design. He is President of the Landscape Architecture Chapter of Architects Sweden and a permanent member of the Swedish Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Educated in Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark, his work focuses on resilient urban landscapes, nature-based solutions, and resource-efficient design.
Stephanie Lau is a California-licensed landscape architect practicing in Hong Kong, offering a distinctive cross-Pacific perspective. Her leadership extends from serving as President of the ASLA California Sierra Chapter to her current role as Convenor of the Asian Townscape Awards’ Young Designer Forum, where she actively fosters emerging talent across Asia. With direct experience as an awards juror and facilitator, she is deeply committed to evaluating design excellence and championing the future of the global landscape architecture profession.
Student Jury
The two jurors (of the four jurors for 2026) include Yadan Luo and Professor Stefan Tischer.
Yadan Luo is a lecturer in the Department of Landscape Architecture at the University of Pennsylvania, teaching several Core Studios and seminars. He is also the Creative Director and Co-founder of YHLAB. During his professional career, he has participated in and led a wide range of iconic projects, including Philadelphia Chinatown Stitch Park, the University of Pennsylvania Monument for Hope, and New York City’s Pier 26 park and playground, whilst working at OLIN and Turenscape.
Professor Stefan Tischer
Stefan Tischer is a landscape architect and Professor at the University of Sassari in Sardinia. Previously, he was Professor and Director of the School of Landscape Architecture at the University of Montreal (2002-2007), Professor of Landscape Theory and Design, and Head of Department at the École Nationale Supérieure de Paysage (ENSP) in Versailles (2012-2015) and Aga Khan Visiting Professor at the Graduate School of Design GSD at Harvard University (2023-2024).
His office was involved in master plan projects worldwide. He realised award-winning design projects, including the memorial site of the former women’s concentration camp in Ravensbrück. Most recently, he received the German Landscape Architecture Award 2025, in recognition of 25 years of innovative landscape practice.
We welcome these jurors to the 2026 WLA Awards and look forward to announcing additional jurors over the coming weeks.