Design

The ASLA student awards program is an underused, largely unrecognized testing ground for student accomplishment. Out of 45 accredited undergraduate programs in the United States, only 16 were represented with submissions to the 2001 student awards program, while Canada had showings from both of their eligible undergraduate programs. A mere 61 undergraduate entries, 21 of which came from Guelph and Toronto students, were received overall from programs with the required student ASLA chapter.

Why are so many undergraduate programs refusing to meet the challenge or make the effort? The student awards program's tangible awards include free admission to ASLA's annual meeting, a certificate presented by the president of ASLA, and display of the winning projects in front of several thousand pairs of eyes at the annual meeting, some of which presumably belong to potential employers. In addition, the rewards for participation include the opportunity to compete with other designers, to have student work evaluated by academic and practicing landscape architects, and to practice creating and producing proposals and presentations, all beneficial preparation for the professional world.

So why aren't professors and professionals alike encouraging students to participate? The competition requires a two-board presentation format but is not otherwise limited by topic or medium. This flexibility should make it easy for professors and students to incorporate preparation and potential submission into the studio year.

…To read the entire article, subscribe to LAM!