18.09.25 - Rebecca Martin (MLA 2025) receives Award of Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects
Rebecca Martin, a graduate of the University of Toronto’s John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design, has received a 2025 Award of Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
Student awardees from around the world are recognized for graduate work in one of eight categories, providing a glimpse into the future of the profession. Landscape architects are uniquely positioned to engage complex contemporary issues such as climate change, urbanization, ecological resilience, social equity and cultural reconciliation.
Martin received the top honour in the general design category for her Master of Landscape Architecture project, “Opaque Ground: Reimagining Human-Soil Relations in the Lower Don.” Her project proposes an urban soil survey followed by the creation of experimental gardens in existing soil along a 10-kilometer trail in Toronto’s lower Don Valley sub-watershed. The project promotes soil literacy by demonstrating its role in regulating water cycles, storing carbon and sustaining life. Her faculty advisor was Daniels Associate Professor Alissa North.
The jury citation said Martin’s project, “Richly illustrated exploration of our essential but underappreciated soil and its role in renewing our urban environment.”
Martin will be recognized at the ASLA award ceremony in New Orleans, LA this October.