
Under the urgent global context of addressing climate change, China’s "dual carbon" strategy is driving the landscape industry to transition from traditional aesthetics to systematic ecological engineering. The central government’s model support for urban renewal (launched in 2024) is accelerating green infrastructure upgrades, requiring landscape design to balance carbon sequestration with community resilience. We aim to collaborate with industry pioneers to explore "how landscape design can make new contributions to carbon reduction, authentically address human habitat needs, and continuously create works of sustainable value."This backdrop highlights the practical significance of the award’s "Technology, Ecology, and Humanity" theme, with its evaluation outcomes poised to provide replicable models for sustainable development in the industry.

In recent years, with the change of climate and environment, and responding to the national "dual-carbon" policy and the global future trend of low-carbon environmental protection, the adoption of more innovative "green" design techniques is becoming the goal of the design industry exploration. ELA is expecting more low-carbon sustainable landscape construction projects, combining the latest domestic and foreign design concepts, leading the market trend, exploring various innovative practices carried out with low-carbon concept, showing the people-centered exploration results to build a low-carbon landscape with healthy people.
UNLIKE LAST YEAR
The new ?"Best Humanistic Landscape Award"? category has been established to recognize landscape forms ?created or transformed by humanity within natural environments? that carry specific cultural values. These landscapes are shaped ?either through technological interventions or entirely new designs?, encompassing both ?utilitarian-oriented projects? and ?artistically conceived landscapes? .
We've added a new category, "The best technology landscape award". Achieving the wonderful harmony of the hi-tech elements and natural or artificial landscape, ELA is committed to break the traditional "static aesthetic" mode, and to realize the interaction between people and space by diversifying new media art form and digital technology. ELA is also adhering to the concept of "environmental protection, energy saving, health living” to develop high quality landscape projects which seek for the harmonious symbiosis between human and nature by high-tech solutions.
The single award will continue to add the "Best Cultural Tourism Landscape Award" to encourage the integration of natural foundations and cultural creativity, emphasizing the transmission of cultural values through environmental reconstruction and theme design.
Award category
Integrated Award
ELA Top Ten Landscape Projects of the Year
The best integrated landscape design projects of the year will be selected by the evaluation committee and the online voting. (Other individual awards may be applied at the same time)
ELA Social Impact Award of the Year
The award program has a significant impact on people's quality of life. The commitee will evaluate the projects by how they promoting healthy and positive lifestyles, carrying forward community spirit, using sustainable resources effectively for construction and operation, and preservating biodiversity. Contestant should also demonstrate a range of strategies for making a positive contribution to the local economy.
Single Award
ELA Best Residential Landscape Award of the Year
This award includes a variety of residential development projects, historical buildings and old residential reconstruction, renovation or protection projects, TOD residential development, etc.
ELA Best Demonstration Area Landscape Award of the Year
This award will be given to real estate landscape demonstration area and model area project. As a model of real life, demonstration area should make potential users experiencing the atmosphere and lifestyle of the future community, thus realizing the intention of consumption guidance. The creative mining in landscape design endows the personality and soul of the site, and realizes the purpose of touching the users and establishing the brand image of the enterprise.
Best Technological Landscape Award of the Year
Achieving the wonderful harmony of the hi-tech elements and natural or artificial landscape, ELA is committed to break the traditional "static aesthetic" mode, and to realize the interaction between people and space by diversifying new media art form and digital technology. ELA is also adhering to the concept of "environmental protection, energy saving, health living” to develop high quality landscape projects which seek for the harmonious symbiosis between human and nature by high-tech solutions.
ELA Best Open Space Landscape Award of the Year
This award encourages the most valuable development space projects in urban growth, which prepare for the regeneration of future cities, provide outdoor recreation places for urban residents, urban squares, parks and green spaces with disaster prevention and landscape functions, as well as green belts, green roads, park roads, trails, river corridors, heritage corridors and other projects.
ELA Best Commercial Landscape Award of the Year
This award includes shopping centers, shopping malls, shopping parks, shopping streets, retail centers and outdoor space items including commercial office buildings, hotels, etc.
ELA Best Ecological Landscape Award of the Year
It covers many professional directions, such as ecological landscape design and ecological town construction,The setting ofgreen environmental protection awards is aimed to encourage the participation of environmental protection and ecological technology, and to recognize the contribution to environmental sustainability.
ELA Best Urban Renewal Project Award of the Year
This award includes the reuse of old industrial areas, storage areas, urban villages, road and building environment reconstruction, and the enhancement of public space functions.
ELA Cultural Tourism Landscape Award of the Year
Intended to recognize exemplary projects that perfectly integrate natural ecology with cultural creativity, emphasizing the transmission of cultural values through landscape design, enhancing tourist experience, and achieving sustainable development. The award-winning project must possess three core characteristics: cultural depth, synergy between technology and ecology, and immersive experience design. This award encourages comprehensive landscape innovation that combines aesthetic value, social benefits, and environmental friendliness.
Entry Process
Application Requirements and Materials
Landscape projects which completed before Apr.1 2022 or at least into the construction stage .
Brief description of the project design , 800-1500 words, in word or ppt form.
Photo/video/ GIF, HD original image, quantity: 15-30 .(base original picture, project scene picture, construction process photo, effect picture, related drawing and company logo picture.
Please send the above materials to the Organizing Committee email:archina@gentmon.com with the subject of " Company name+2025ELA".
Participation fees
Registration fee is RMB2500 per project
Cost instruction:
· All-media platform coverage (10% off for ARCHINA Enterprise Members)
· All shortlisted projects can be displayed on AECHINA website and ELA website
· If the project does not win the final evaluation, it will get the compensation service for three additional other projects displayed on the double official website.
Apply for more than three projects (including three) to enjoy 10% discount
Apply for more than 5 projects (including 5) to enjoy a single project discount to RMB2000.

Landscape Design Firms:
AECOM, SWA Group, Sasaki Associates, Guangzhou S.P.I Design, L&A Design, GVL Gossamer Landscape Design, ASPECT Studios, Z+T Studio, JTL (Chongqing), EADG, EDSA, ADAO Design, UP+S, SPStudio, ATLAS Planning & Design, Ramboll Studio Dreiseitl, ATLAS Landscape, LANDO Design, QIDI Design, ECOLAND, ACA Maken Landscape, Shanghai Weima Landscape, BLVD, Lihe Landscape, Wheatfield Landscape, Lacime Landscape, SONGYA Landscape, SED Newscape Design, Weimei Landscape, C.S.C Landscape, Chengdu Scape Design, DDON Planning & Design, Hangzhou MOD Design, FLO Landscape Design
Architecture/Engineering Firms & Institutions:
SJ Surbana Jurong, LWK + PARTNERS, THAD (Tsinghua University Architectural Design & Research Institute), Shanghai Institute of Architectural Design & Research (SIADR), CSCIID Southwest (Shenzhen) Design Consulting Co., Ltd., Atelier Liu Yuyang Architects, Shanghai Shuishi Architectural Planning & Design, AUBE Conception, JZFZ Design, goa (Elephant Design), gad (Greentown Architectural Design), Tongyuan Design Group

