We are thrilled to announce that SCAPE’s Design Principal, Gena Wirth, will be elevated to the American Society of Landscape Architects’ (ASLA) Council of Fellows. The Fellowship is among the highest honors bestowed by ASLA and recognizes the sustained contributions of a select group of landscape architects to their profession and society.
Gena is being recognized in the Works category, demonstrating mastery of the art, stewardship, science, and social responsibility of landscape architecture, through works both built and adopted.
“The 2025 Class of ASLA Fellows reflects the very best of landscape architecture—visionary leaders whose work uplifts communities, restores ecosystems, and advances climate-ready design,” said ASLA President Kona Gray, FASLA, PLA. “Their careers are defined by excellence, service, and a deep commitment to shaping a more inclusive, resilient, and beautiful world. On behalf of the profession, I congratulate this year’s Fellows and thank them for raising the bar for what landscape architects can achieve.”
Throughout her practice, Gena has focused on advancing urban projects that evolve the field through innovation in resilience, climate adaptation, and multi-species design. Gena’s long dedication to exemplary idea-driven work, composed of unique projects united by a strong conceptual design vision, has solidified her reputation as a passionate advocate for resilient urban ecosystems.
As SCAPE’s sole Design Principal, she has emerged as a thought-leader in the profession and explores research threads within client-commissioned projects, bridging research and practice. She has shaped the firm over a 15-year trajectory, leading innovative projects and advancing unique forms of landscape storytelling. She is deeply committed to design mentorship, where she has structured a model for inquisitive office design culture that breaks down barriers and trains new generations of design leaders. Her influence at SCAPE was acknowledged at an early age through her promotion to principal in 2016 and equity partner in 2019, and she remains a committed member of SCAPE’s collaborative leadership team alongside fellow equity partners Kate Orff, Alexis Landes, John Donnelly, and Pippa Brashear.
In Gena’s nomination package, Catherine Seavitt Nordenson, FASLA, FAIA writes, “Gena Wirth’s longstanding commitment to progressive design practice has produced visionary projects in the public realm, connecting social equity, climate resilience, and ecosystem health. Her mentorship has inspired a new generation of students and practitioners. From advancing resilience work at SCAPE, to developing new methods of public outreach, to envisioning flux with the Dredge Research Collaborative, Gena has shaped a disciplinary approach to design research across systems and scales, from tiny pollinators to vast watersheds.”