The Connecticut Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA Connecticut) has announced the winners of its annual Connecticut Professional & Student Awards competition, recognizing excellence in landscape architectural design, planning and analysis, communication, and research.

"We are thrilled to celebrate this year's awards showcasing the diverse approaches and forward-thinking designs that continue to push the boundaries of Connecticut landscape architecture," said Sean Ragan, President of ASLA Connecticut and Senior Landscape Architect at Halvorson|Tighe & Bond Studio in Shelton, CT. "Congratulations to the talented planners and designers on their extraordinary efforts behind these transformative projects."

Here are the winners of the 2025 ASLA Connecticut Professional & Student Awards competition:

Landscape Architectural Design/Built Works - Residential

Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture (New Haven) - EXCELLENCE AWARD for Esker Promontory: Garden, Grove, and Sculptural Steps

Kathryn Herman Design (New Canaan) - HONOR AWARD for Quiet Contemporary (Litchfield County, CT)

Brook Clark Landscape Architects (Sandy Hook) - MERIT AWARD for Modern Farmhouse (Ridgefield, CT)

Janice Parker Landscape Architects (Greenwich) - MERIT AWARD for Equestrian Facility (Greenwich, CT)

Louis Fusco Landscape Architects (Pound Ridge, NY) - MERIT AWARD for The Tree House (Stamford, CT/Pound Ridge, NY)

Wesley Stout Associates (New Canaan) - MERIT AWARD for Riverscape (Westport, CT)

Residential Category - Honor Award - While reimagining this degraded property in Litchfield County, Connecticut, Landscape Architects from Kathryn Herman Design worked with the architecture team to perfectly situate the new structure amongst the steep topography and legacy trees. Photo Credit: Kathryn Herman Design

Residential Category - Merit Award - Geometric forms inspired the makeover of this farmhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut by Brook Clark Landscape Architects. Photo Credit: Brook Clark Landscape Architects.

 
Residential Category - Merit Award - Janice Parker Landscape Architects honored the original touches in this 16.13-acre property that houses a residence and equestrian facilities. Photo Credit: Janice Parker Landscape Architects

Residential Category - Merit Award - Including a pool and entertainment areas in a way that caused minimal disturbance to the sensitive woodlands surrounding this North Stamford home was a challenge that Louis Fusco Landscape Architects readily accepted. Photo Credit: Louis Fusco Landscape Architects

Residential Category - Merit Award - The clients of this home along the Saugatuck River hired Wesley Stout Associates to restore a dilapidated boathouse and create a unique river experience. Photo Credit: Wesley Stout Associates

Landscape Architectural Design/Built Works - Corporate | Institutional Spaces

Langan (New Haven) - HONOR AWARD for UConn Toscano Family Ice Forum (Storrs, CT)

Richter & Cegan Inc. (Avon) - MERIT AWARD for Charter Oak International Academy (West Hartford, CT)
[See LASN's feature on Charter Oak International Academy from the June 2023 Campus Design Issue: https://landscapearchitect.com/landscape-articles/charter-oak-international-academy]

Corporate | Institutional Spaces Category - Honor Award - This new facility for the University of Connecticut Huskies Hockey team welcomes fans and the community while preserving the surrounding wetlands and woodlands thanks to the work of the team at Langan. Photo Credit: Langan

Corporate | Institutional Spaces Category - Merit Award - Richter & Cegan, Inc. emphasized the circular design of Charter Oak International Academy's K-5 campus with various outdoor rooms. Photo Credit: Richter & Cegan, Inc.

Landscape Architectural Design/Built Works - Municipal | Public Spaces

Kent + Frost Landscape Architecture (Mystic) - MERIT AWARD for Waterford Civic Triangle Community Park (Waterford, CT)

Municipal | Public Spaces Category - Merit Award - After 60 years of neglect, the man-made pond at Waterford Civic Triangle Community Park no longer supported life, but Kent + Frost Landscape Architects were able to restore this public space. Photo Credit: Kent + Frost Landscape Architects

Landscape Planning & Analysis

SLR International Corporation and Guide Studio (New Haven) - HONOR AWARD for Navigating the Cultural District: A Wayfinding & Placemaking Masterplan for New London (New London, CT)

Planning & Analysis Category - Honor Award - SLR International Corporation and Guide Studio developed a wayfinding and placemaking masterplan to guide visitors in the growing city of New London. Photo Credit: SLR International Corporation and Guide Studio

Planning & Analysis Category - Merit Award - Though the city of Norwich has poverty rate higher than the national average, the city's emphasis on providing quality public space for all residents resulted in a master plan process guided by FHI Studio. Photo Credit: FHI Studio

Planning & Analysis Category - Merit Award - To create safer active transportation networks for Provincetown, Connecticut, SLR International Corporation and Guide Studio designed a multi-use path and public parking network that would accommodate traffic by both tourists and locals. Photo Credit: SLR International Corporation and Guide Studio

FHI Studio (Hartford) - MERIT AWARD for Norwich Master Parks Plan (Norwich, CT)

SLR International Corporation (New Haven) - MERIT AWARD for Connecting a Singular Community: A Multi-Use Path for the People of Provincetown (Provincetown, MA)

Student Awards

Brendan Pugmire (University of Connecticut) - HONOR AWARD for Rooted in Time (East Lyme, CT)

Matthew Bacon (University of Connecticut) - MERIT AWARD for Northeast Science Quad Pollinator Pathway (Storrs, CT)

Student Category - Honor Award - Brendan Pugmire, a landscape architecture student from the University of Connecticut, imagines a restoration to the historic Brookside Farm property that would kindle activity on land and integrate it with the expanding East Lyme Community Center. Photo Credit: Brendan Pugmire, University of Connecticut

Student Category - Merit Award - Matthew Bacon, a landscape architecture student from the University of Connecticut, designed a pollinator pathway that would increase biodiversity on campus and create year-round interest due to a planting palette that varies in bloom time and plant type. Photo Credit: Matthew Bacon, University of Connecticut

To be eligible for the professional awards, applicants must be a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the entrant or project location must be based in Connecticut. Students must either be enrolled in the University of Connecticut Landscape Architecture program or state residents attending an accredited landscape architecture program in another location.

The jury for this year's competition comprised members of the Michigan Chapter of ASLA. Select images from this year's award winners can be viewed at https://www.ctasla.org/award-galleries.

Founded in 1899 and celebrating its 125th year in 2024, the American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 15,000 members. Landscape architecture is a comprehensive discipline of land analysis, planning, design, management, preservation, and rehabilitation. ASLA promotes the landscape architecture profession and advances the practice through advocacy, education, communication, and fellowship.

Learn more about landscape architecture online at www.asla.org. For more information on the Connecticut Chapter and the local profession, visit www.ctasla.org.

As seen in LASN magazine, February 2025.