Leeds PhD researcher recognised at prestigious landscape architecture awards
A University of Leeds researcher has received international recognition at a major Asia-Pacific awards ceremony.
Dewi Rezalini Anwar, who is studying her PhD in Architecture and Urbanism, was awarded an Honourable Mention in the Disaster Response category at the 2025 IFLA Asia Pacific-LA Awards. The accolade, organised annually by the International Federation of Landscape Architects, celebrates excellence and innovation across the region, with this year’s competition attracting 324 submissions from 16 countries.
Her winning proposal, “From Ruins to Sustainability: Aceh Tsunami Memorial Park for Social & Environmental Quality Improvement”, was developed as a collaborative, non-profit initiative by emerging landscape architects from tsunami-affected nations.
As the team lead, Reza reimagined the Aceh Tsunami Memorial Park as a living tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, drawing on her doctoral research in landscape design and disaster resilience to combine ecological restoration, cultural memory, and community-based adaptation.
The concept provides a strategic vision for the redevelopment of the Ulee Lheue Port area in Banda Aceh, integrating restored mangrove ecosystems, adaptive housing, and an interconnected evacuation system to reduce future risk.
A defining element of the proposal is its symbolic use of mangrove trees – each representing a life lost – transforming ecological renewal into a collective act of remembrance. Preserved ruins, educational interpretation, and community gathering spaces further embedded commemoration into everyday experience.
Reza accepted her Honourable Mention at the award ceremony held on 14 November in Mumbai during the IFLA Asia Pacific Region Congress 2025, hosted by the Indian Society of Landscape Architects.
This award is the latest success for Reza in 2025. In June, she was selected as an academic delegate for the United Nations Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction (GP2025) in Geneva, Switzerland.
