Landscape evangelist and Test of Time awards judge Kimberly Tryba of LILA Studio proclaims the transformational power of landscape jobs that get stronger in time.
It’s great to have you on board as a judge for Architecture Today’s Test of Time Awards. As a landscape expert, what makes these awards so fascinating for you?
What makes the Test of Time Awards so compelling is that they reward something design culture doesn’t constantly prioritise enough: durability. Landscape architecture is inherently about time. Unlike buildings, landscapes are living systems that evolve seasonally, ecologically, and socially. An effective job doesn’t simply carry out on opening day– it grows into its purpose over decades. Architecture Today has already acknowledged the value of landscape within the awards program, and I’m particularly delighted that the 2026 cycle will re-envision the landscape category. That evolution reflects how central landscape has actually ended up being to the way we think of cities– not simply as feature, but as facilities that supports environmental health, public life, and environment durability. I’m enjoyed be included not just as a judge, but also to assist raise the exposure of the awards within the wider built environment communityso that the landscapes that truly withstand receive the recognition they deserve.
How can you inform if a landscape project has stood the test of time?
The clearest signal is whether the landscape has actually become part of everyday life. Great landscapes remain socially appropriate. Individuals continue to use them, neighborhoods adopt them as shared space, and ecological systems develop instead of decrease. Trees prosper, planting strategies adapt, and the space continues to support public life. The other crucial factor is stewardship. Landscapes are living environments, so their durability depends on the relationship between design and long-term care. In that sense, the very best landscapes aren’t static structures– they’re structures that grow stronger with time.
The High Line, New york city, created by Jame Corner Field Operations, Diller Scofidio + Renfro and Piet Oudolf, is a prime example of a visionary landscape job that has had a transformative effect on the financial, social and physical environment of the areas it serves. Developed on 1.45 mile-long elevated freight rail on Manhattan’s West Side, the style is influenced by the landscape that grew on the tracks during the 25 years after the trains stopped running. Picture by Timothy Schneck.
When we caught up with you this time last year, you were on a mission to raise the profile of landscape architecture at MIPIM 2026. Have you seen any progress?
Yes– and the shift is obvious. Developers, financiers, and city leaders are progressively acknowledging landscape as more than a feature layer. It’s being comprehended as vital infrastructure that affects environment resilience, public health, and long-lasting real estate value. Events like MIPIM are very important due to the fact that they bring together the complete development environment. When landscape architects become part of those conversations early– together with planning, architecture, and finance– the outcomes tend to be far stronger. Awards programs like Architecture Today’s also contribute by highlighting jobs where landscape has actually developed effectively with time. That visibility helps reinforce the discipline’s long-lasting impact.
What are you dealing with at the moment?
My work significantly concentrates on how landscape architecture supports long-lasting civic and ecological systems. Through LILA Studio I’m exploring jobs that position landscape as infrastructure– places where planting, water systems, and public area interact to create resistant environments. Along with practice, I have actually also been writing and discussing the relationship between biophilic design and landscape architecture, particularly the idea that biophilia ought to move beyond aesthetics toward landscapes that are performative, quantifiable, and long lasting over time. Throughout these efforts, the goal is basic: helping make sure that landscape is comprehended not as decoration, however as a foundational layer of healthy, durable cities.
Why does landscape architecture deserve its own recognition in style awards?
Landscape architecture deserves its own recognition since it runs on a basically different timeline– and according to different steps of success– than many other style disciplines. A landscape is not a completed item. It’s a living system that progresses environmentally, socially, and culturally over decades. Trees mature, soils enhance, habitats emerge, and communities establish relationships with these areas in ways that typically extend far beyond the original design minute. That’s why awards programs produce an essential chance to examine landscape through the lens that matters most to it– performance instead of simply visual effect. While landscapes can definitely be lovely, their real success typically depends on what they do: alleviating heat, managing water, supporting biodiversity, and developing public areas that stay appropriate and actively utilized over time. When design awards identify landscape architecture by itself terms, they acknowledge that these tasks are doing more than contributing to the visual structure of the constructed environment– they are shaping its long-lasting ecological health and civic life. Programs like the Architecture Today Test of Time Awardsare particularly valuable in this regard due to the fact that they permit landscapes to be evaluated not just for how they looked when they opened, however for how well they have actually performed, adjusted, and sustained with time.