ASLA Iowa Chapter Recognizes Excellence in Design

November 17, 2020
Landscape Architecture Lighting Design Experiential Design Civil Engineering & Water Resources Parks & Open Space Public Art

RDG Planning & Design honored for designs that protect natural environments, revitalize neighborhoods and improve quality of life for future generations.

The Iowa Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) has recognized RDG Planning & Design with six 2020 Iowa ASLA Awards. These awards recognize organizations and individuals who demonstrate superior skill in the practice and/or study of landscape architecture.

The six projects recognized include the 1908 Springfield Race Riot Memorial Concept Video for Springfield, Illinois (Award of Excellence, Communication); Central College Peace Mall in Pella, Iowa (Honor Award, Design Built); the Douglas Avenue Corridor Plan for Des Moines, Iowa (Merit Award, Planning and  Analysis); the LIVE DSM Des Moines Parks and Recreation Comprehensive Plan for Des Moines Iowa (Honor Award, Planning and Analysis); the Water Works Master Plan for Des Moines, Iowa (Merit Award, Planning and Analysis); and the Waukee Railroad Pergola “In the Shadow of the Rails” in Waukee, Iowa (Merit Award, Design Built).  

“This is a record number of Iowa ASLA awards for RDG, and reflects the hard work, dedication and strong collaboration between our teams and our clients,” said RDG Landscape Architect and Senior Partner Cary Thomsen, PLA, ASLA. “These now award-winning projects, which span work in landscape architecture, integrated art, architecture, planning, engineering, lighting design and video production, truly represent the depth and breadth of RDG’s work and our mission to create meaning together.”

Central College Peace Mall in Pella, Iowa. Photo by IRIS22 Productions.

Participation in the Iowa ASLA awards program helps broaden professional boundaries, increases public awareness of the role of landscape architects and raises the standards of the discipline. For the 2020 awards, a jury of professionals from the ASLA Michigan Chapter reviewed each submittal to determine winners in each award category.

Written by Erin Van Zee, Communications Director