John Whitaker, a master’s candidate in landscape architecture and advanced architectural design at the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts’ Graduate School of Architecture & Urban Design, has won an Award of Excellence from the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).
Whitaker took top honors in the general design category of the ASLA’s annual Student Awards competition. His project, “Dark Matter,” is a research-by-design thesis that investigates organic reduction (composting) of human remains as a means of promoting biological and cultural diversity in human cemeteries.
Founded in 1899, the ASLA is the professional association for landscape architects in the United States, representing more than 15,000 members. An awards presentation will be held as part of the group’s annual conference Oct. 2-5. Recipients also will be featured in the ASLA’s Landscape Architecture Magazine.
