Maksym Kotsiuba, a Ukrainian landscape architect and the founder of KOTSIUBA Landscape Architecture, has been appointed as a member of the jury for the ASLA-NY Design Awards 2026. This marks the first time a representative from Ukraine has participated in evaluating projects for this prominent American landscape architecture competition.
The ASLA-NY Design Awards, organized by the New York branch of the American Society of Landscape Architects, annually honors outstanding projects based on design excellence, sustainability, climate resilience, and overall impact on the field. For the 2026 competition, the jury reviewed 80 entries and selected a total of 22 winning projects, comprising one grand prize, eight Honors, thirteen Merit awards, and special recognition for a young architectural firm. The official awards ceremony is scheduled for April 23 at the Central Park Arsenal in New York.
The top grand prize was awarded to the Central Park Conservancy for its Harlem Peace Lake and Davis Center renovation project in Central Park, which focuses on natural system restoration and the creation of new public recreational spaces. Other notable projects recognized in the competition include the Carol Pinault Learning Garden in Brooklyn, Domino Square in Williamsburg, the historical Terminal Warehouse complex revitalization in Chelsea, and the Gowanus Canal revitalization plan. According to the organizers, this year’s winning projects highlight innovative approaches to urban environments, focusing strongly on ecology, public spaces, and sustainable development.
Previously, KOTSIUBA Landscape Architecture achieved international recognition when its landscape architecture project for the UNIT.City innovation park won the Honor Award in the Urban Design category at the ASLA Professional Awards 2025.
