Karl Langer Awards
The Karl Langer Award is an annual AILA award presented to the student completing the Landscape Architecture degree at QUT who shows ‘marked potential for the profession of Landscape Architecture’. They are chosen by an AILA Qld Panel from nominated final year students and recent graduates selected by the majority of QUT landscape staff.
Karl Langer himself was a visionary. He was an Architect and Town Planner that introduced the concept of urban design and modernist architecture to many Australian cities and towns. He was always concerned with and outspoken about planning relationships and the breadth of influence of any change to the physical environment ‐ an essential factor in landscape architecture. The legacy of the Karl Langer Award represents the potential in our graduating students, the future visionaries for our profession.
The Karl Langer Award is the highest honour awarded to a graduate of Landscape Architecture by the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects in Queensland.
The 2025 Karl Langer award winner, Shael Erda, was announced at this year's End of Year Celebration on 11 December 2025.
Winner citation from the jury:
With an impressive display of technical and creative outputs for a graduating student, Shael complimented this with humility in a verbal presentation which illustrated her mindfulness for design process. She was able to articulate complexity in her thinking, building further on the submitted portfolio impressed the panel. Now as a graduate, we are confident that with her life experience thus far, Shael will continue to strive for authenticity and depth in all her endeavours. Congratulations Shael.
The 2025 Karl Langer Award Nominees:
Lisa Malone
Ruby Wilkes
Shael Erda
The 2025 Karl Langer Panel members are Lisa Mercer (chair), Daniel Crowle and Skye Reid.
You can view the Karl Langer Award and Panel Guidelines here.