The competition brief revolves around the theme of Guiding Landscapes, with an emphasis on the subtheme Guiding Cities.  

The term "guiding" here refers to the leading or the directing towards a specific landscape goal. The guiding landscapes includes projects, initiatives, and strategies that place the landscape, in all its aspects and considerations, at the center of discussions, as a guiding thread. 

This subtheme invites proposals that prioritize ecological sustainability and social inclusivity. Cities should be approached as ecosystems, where a balance between nature and the built environment is essential. Projects should incorporate strategies that enhance soil health, promote sustainable water management, and support biodiversity. Students are encouraged to demonstrate how participatory design is integrated, involving local communities to create spaces that reflect shared memories and foster social cohesion.  

The competition has three categories of projects which include landscape planning, landscape design and applied research. The expected competition output, in each category, should be aligned to the subtheme Guiding cities.  

1: Landscape planning  

Human activities have put pressure on land resources, degrading natural ecosystems and contributing to climate change. In this context, cities and territories must be viewed as ecosystems, where balancing nature and the built environment is essential, and landscape planning provides the tools for sustainable management of physical, biological, and cultural resources. Proposals could include, for example, regional planning maps that emphasize these priorities.  

 2: Landscape design  

Under this category, students can submit work for Landscape Architecture projects that are site-specific and address relevant questions in the Landscape field. This category aims to place emphasis on design formulation techniques, narratives, methodologies together with detailed studies of the associated subject matter for better curated experiences and taking relevant sensitive approaches.  

The project topics could be, but not limited to, public / private projects of any kind and varying scales and landscape art or installations. The entries should emphasize on among others, the contextual site analysis of the physical elements, such as built / natural, and social, historical and cultural influences, and environmental factors, ecology and biodiversity.  

3: Applied research  

Research topics can range from life sciences, ecology, sociology, to human behaviour and socio-psychology. There is a great scope for applying proven research theories into scientific-based and/or evidence-based designs. Under this competition category, students can submit scientific-based and/or evidence-based design projects related to the competition theme. This award will distinguish works that translate recognized research from the landscape architecture field into creative design solutions. A project may also be documented and assessed, providing information regarding how “successful” its design is in meeting the design aims. That is, providing quantifiable information and lessons that can be applied in similar sites and can perhaps also act as a case study. The focus should be on the extent of realisation of environmental, social and economic benefits. The expectation is a presentation of such case studies of existing projects; drawings may include original drawings of the project and analytical drawings of the current use. 

The competition is open to all enrolled diploma, undergraduate, and graduate students of Landscape Architecture, or studying landscape architecture in university programs not specifically identified as Landscape Architecture. Students from related fields participate as part of a team lead by a landscape architecture student, however not as a single individual. Broad interdisciplinary submissions are welcomed; however, the team must be headed by a landscape architecture student. Both individual and group submissions will be accepted, and for each student or group, only one entry is permitted. Students must be enrolled in a program at the time of the competition’s judging to be eligible. The number of members in each participating group shall not exceed five (5). Professional collaborators and associates of jury members, and their relatives up to the third degree, may not enter the competition. Students are prohibited from contacting any member of the jury prior to or during the competition process.