Recently, we announced four jurors for the 2026 WLA Awards, and we are pleased to announce two additional Professional Awards jurors and two Student Awards jurors. We received over 35 applications for the 2026 WLA Awards juries, and we were happy with the high-quality candidates, which made our selection process harder. Please welcome the following jurors:
Professional Jury
The two jurors (of the eight jurors for 2026) include Chris Tidswell and Cindy Zerger.
Chris Tidwell is a Director at Arcadia Landscape Architecture, with almost 20 years of experience in the private and public sectors as a landscape architect and urban designer. With Master’s degrees in both landscape architecture and
architecture, as well as a project management qualification, clients benefit from Chris’ multi-disciplinary skills. These skills also extend to a deep understanding of masterplanning and the role of landscape design in creating cohesive, sustainable project outcomes at scale.
Cindy Zerger is Urban Design Practice Lead at Toole Design and a landscape architect and urban designer focused on advancing public space at the intersection of mobility, site design, and climate resilience. As Urban Design Practice Lead at Toole Design, she leads a national practice of 40+ designers delivering transformative public space projects. Her work moves seamlessly from visioning to implementation, translating bold ideas into built environments that prioritize human experience, ecological performance, and long-term resilience. Cindy champions multidisciplinary collaboration and innovation throughout the design process. She frequently speaks on innovative street design, equity in the public realm, and women in leadership, and has served as adjunct faculty and guest critic at multiple universities.
Student Jury
The final two jurors of the four jurors for 2026 include Dr Anastasia Nikologianni and Dr. Maj Plemenitas.
Dr Anastasia Nikologianni holds an EIT Climate-KIC labelled PhD in Landscape Architecture and climate emergency with regards to the role of low carbon, spatial quality and the contribution design can make to the development of regional landscape-based spatial strategies. Anastasia is also qualified as a Landscape Architect, MA, and Agriculturist/Horticulturist, M.Sc. Most of her recent research and work in landscape practice has focused on climate emergency issues, the extent to which spatial quality and low carbon can be delivered in regional landscape design, as well as the way visual representations contribute to the design process.
Dr. Maj Plemenitas is an inventor, researcher, and academic with an established design research practice and track record in Europe, USA and the Americas, Asia and Australia. His recent academic appointments at RMIT LA and UCL Bartlett include Associate Professorship and co-Directorship of the MA/MLA Landscape Architecture programs (UCL).
Plemenitas, the founder of London and Melbourne-based design research practice Linkscale, and the Amphibious LAB. Plemenitas is best known for pioneering work in Cross Scale Design, Territorial Automation, In-Situ Networks: Growing Islands and Resilient Shorelines (since 2010). For original contributions and research, Plemenitas received a range of critically acclaimed awards and grants. Plemenitas has exhibited globally at venues including the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and the Venice Biennale.