Kurt Culbertson, FASLA, Director of the Robert Reich School of Landscape Architecture, has been awarded the ASLA Design Medal from American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Culbertson is a landscape architect, planner, educator, and former Chair and CEO of Design Workshop, the international landscape architecture, urban design, and planning firm he led for thirty-three years. He is a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of ASLA, AICP, and CELA. Over a fifty-year career, Culbertson has completed projects in forty-six states and twenty-three countries. In 2016, he received the ASLA Medal, the Society’s highest honor. A graduate of LSU, he holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from LSU, an MBA from Southern Methodist University, and a PhD from Edinburgh College of Art.

“It comes as no surprise to anyone that Kurt Culbertson was awarded the ASLA Design Medal. My biggest concern is he will soon need larger furniture to hold all his accolades,” wryly commented Dr. Arne Flaten, Dean of the College of Art & Design.  

ASLA is proud to announce its 2026 Honors recipients, highlighting some of the most noteworthy landscape architecture practitioners and firms nationwide. Selected by ASLA’s board of trustees, the honors represent the highest recognition ASLA bestows each year.

These awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and leadership across the field of landscape architecture—recognizing projects and individuals that shape more resilient, inclusive, and beautiful communities. The important recognition reflects the values of equity, climate action, and design excellence.

Culbertson received the Design Medal at the ASLA 2026 annual conference September 16, 2026, in San Francisco.