The ASLA Medal: Joseph A. Porter, FASLA

• Joseph A. Porter, FASLA, of Aspen, Colo., will receive the ASLA Medal ?EUR??,,????'??? the highest honor the ASLA may bestow upon a landscape architect ?EUR??,,????'??? for his lifetime achievements and contributions to the profession, the welfare of the public, and the environment. Porter holds more than four decades of experience in the landscape architecture profession. He is also a founding principal of Design Workshop, a leading landscape architecture firm with over 200 employees and this year?EUR??,,????'???s Firm Award recipient. He is known for his ability to champion a collaborative approach to design, his willingness and effectiveness in harnessing economic development as a positive agent of landscape change, and his leadership in challenging the profession to think big thoughts and to embrace grand challenges.

The Design Medal: Kathryn Gustafson, ASLA

• Kathryn Gustafson, ASLA, of Gustafson Guthrie Nichol Ltd. in Seattle and Gustafson Porter in London will receive the ASLA Design Medal in honor of her exceptional accomplishments. For over 25 years, Gustafson has created award-winning work across the globe, focusing on civic, institutional, and corporate projects. Recent examples include the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London?EUR??,,????'???s Hyde Park; the Garden of Forgiveness in Beirut; Lurie Garden in Chicago; Arthur Ross Terrace at the American Museum of Natural History in New York; and the Seattle Civic Center Campus. She is an honorary fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architecture and medalist of the French Academy of Architecture.

The Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal: Linda Jewell, FASLA

• Linda Jewell, FASLA, of the University of California at Berkeley, will receive the ASLA Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal for her sustained and significant contributions to landscape architecture education. Jewell?EUR??,,????'???s three decades of teaching have influenced hundreds of landscape architects, with many former students now holding prestigious positions at leading design firms, government institutions, or universities. Throughout her academic career, she committed herself to the integration of professional work and construction technology into her teachings.

The LaGasse Medal: Rodney Swink, FASLA

• The ASLA LaGasse Medal will be awarded to Rodney Swink, FASLA, of Raleigh, N.C., for his leadership in management and conservancy of natural resources and public lands. Since 1984, Swink has served as director of the North Carolina Office of Urban Development. His award-winning work has led to more than $700 million of new investment to revitalize Main Street communities across the state. A champion of smart growth and historic preservation, Swink continues to lead urban downtown development and revitalization efforts.

The Medal of Excellence: National Association of Olmsted Parks

• The ASLA Medal of Excellence will be awarded to the National Association of Olmsted Parks, based in Washington, D.C., for its significant contributions to landscape architecture policy, research, education, project planning, and design throughout the United States. A coalition of design and preservation professionals, historic property and park managers, scholars, municipal officials, citizen activists, and representatives of numerous Olmsted organizations around the United States, the National Association of Olmsted Parks has advanced the field of landscape architecture and Fredrick Law Olmsted?EUR??,,????'???s legacy for nearly three decades.

The Olmsted Medal: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

• The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, based in Austin, Texas, will receive the ASLA Olmsted Medal for environmental leadership, vision, and stewardship. Founded in 1982 by the former first lady and actress Helen Hays, the organization works to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants, and landscapes. Most recently, the organization has taken a leading role in the Sustainable Sites Initiative?EUR??,,????'??+a program that will create the first rating system and guidelines for sustainable site planning and landscape design.

The Landscape Architecture Firm Award: Design Workshop

• Design Workshop will receive the 2008 ASLA Landscape Architecture Firm Award. Don Ensign, FASLA, and Joseph Porter, FASLA, founded Design Workshop in 1969 when both were teaching in North Carolina. Five years later they relocated to Aspen, Colo., where the firm earned a reputation for solving the complex problems found in fragile ecosystems and development challenges of the Western landscape. Today, Design Workshop?EUR??,,????'???s seven offices across the country employ 200 people, whose work in county master plans, planned communities, urban centers, resorts, public parks, residences, and roadways has earned more than 125 awards from ASLA and other organizations.

The Community Service Award: Peter Pollack, FASLA

• Peter Pollack, FASLA, of Ann Arbor, Mich., will receive the ASLA Community Service Award for his sustained, pro bono service to the community demonstrating sound principles and values of landscape architecture. Pollack has contributed his landscape architecture expertise to citizen advisory committees, ad hoc mayoral committees, and neighborhood and civic groups for over 30 years, spanning policy making, physical planning, and project implementation. In his volunteer leadership positions, Pollack seeks to guide vision and perception, sort fact from emotional response, and create consensus.