Illinois Institute of Technology and the University of Tokyo Joint WS Design Studio Receives ASLA Honor Award for Student Collaboration

September 2, 2025 — The joint WS Design Studio led by Professor Ron Henderson of the Illinois Institute of Technology and Professor Mitani of the University of Tokyo has been awarded the Honor Award for Student Collaboration by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
The project, “TREES ALIVE!” — a research and exchange travel program exploring the technologies, details, and cultural traditions of trees in contemporary urban landscapes — received international recognition. The achievement is featured in the September 2025 issue of Landscape Architecture Magazine, the world’s most widely circulated publication in the field of landscape architecture.

The ASLA recognizes the best work done by landscape architecture students from the United States and around the world. This year, the ASLA received 394 eligible entries, of which 34 received awards for work in the United States, Canada, Ukraine, Germany, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, and China. The award jury noted:

“Beautiful book! The research that the team conducted is very thorough and collaborative — an exciting exchange of insights, cross-cultural camaraderie, and learning…”

For further details, please visit the link below.

『TREES ALIVE! Techniques, Details, Traditions』
Participating students:：
（UTokyo）Erika Aoki, Sakuro Tajima, Reiju Tomita, Shuta Miura
（IIT） Mohammad Arambazar, Mariannys Lopez, Brendan Hall, Viona Chiang, Ruth Muniz, Jonathan Cienfuegos, Mistika Jimenez, Brenda Cardenas, Susan Muiz, Caleb Hadley, Michell Ruiz, Subil Lee, BreAnne Long
Faculty Advisers：
（UTokyo）Toru Mitani, Tetsuki Nakakura
（IIT）Ron Henderson, Susan Weiler

LINK：https://www.asla.org/2025studentawards/13268.html

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