ASLA KY 2025 Annual Conference
Call for Presentations and Field Sessions
Proposal Deadline: Friday, February 07, 2025
Overview
Landscape Architects are collaborators by nature. Their ability to visualize, communicate and design helps them work in concert with allied professionals in order to harmonize the relationships between people, nature and the built environment.
Join us April 17 and 18 at Limestone Hall in Lexington, KY for the ASLA KY Annual conference, where this year we're going ALL IN - championing the diversity of skills across our profession, embracing our shortcomings and celebrating the success of Landscape Architecture in Kentucky.
This annual meeting serves several purposes: professional networking, student engagement, vendor outreach, and, most importantly, education. To ensure the conference has a strong education component, KYASLA is announcing a Call for Presentations and Field Sessions.
Presentations should plan to conduct a minimum of 50 minutes of presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions and answers.
Field sessions should plan to conduct a walking/transportation type outdoor learning session of 90 minutes not including transportation to and from location.
Education and field session speakers selected from this process will receive a full complimentary registration to the ASLA Kentucky 2025 Annual Meeting and may also be eligible for reimbursement for one night hotel stay if needed.
Instructions for Submitting (descriptions at conclusion of this document)
Please include the following information:
1. Speaker Bios
2. Presentation Title
3. Learning Objectives
4. Presentation Outline (Include locations and estimated capacity if field sessions)
Submissions may be emailed in PDF format to kyaslainfo@gmail.com
Submission Evaluation and Selection
The ASLA KY executive committee will review and evaluate submissions using the following criteria:
• Relevance to the profession of landscape architecture
• Clearly stated and achievable learning objectives
• Subject matter appeal
• Speaker qualifications
Program Selection Timeline
December 12, 2024 - Call for Presentations opens
February 07, 2025 - Proposal Submittal deadline
Beginning February 10, 2025 - Conference Committee representatives will evaluate submittals.
February 21, 2025 - Selection notifications will be sent to presenters.
Tactical Tips for Submitters
1. ASLA KY encourages submissions that focus on a topic/trend/principal/issue supported by multiple case studies, rather than submissions featuring one case study.
2. Presentations may be more valuable when designed with a panel that includes multiple voices or varying points of view. Consider including co-presenters and panelists from allied organizations, collaborative partners from other design disciplines, clients, competitors, researchers, commercial vendors, specifiers, practitioners, etc.
3. Submissions from commercial vendors or allied organizations are more favorably reviewed if they include a landscape architect on the panel that uses their product or service. Consider inviting another vendor to compare and contrast technologies and their applications. Avoid sounding like a commercial for your product, and instead share your knowledge as an industry expert. All sessions will be submitted to the Kentucky Landscape Architect Registration Board for review and approval for continuing education units.
Descriptions and Examples of submittal requirements:
1. Speaker Bios should describe the background, experience, and expertise of presenters.
Please use this space to describe why speakers are qualified for the session.
Speaker Bio Examples:
David Duensing, President, David B. Duensing & Associates, Inc., designs, builds, and consults on water features of all sizes from indoor water gardens, outdoor waterfalls, streams, to multi-acre ponds and lakes. Well-known as an industry pioneer since 1989, his talents are seen in projects throughout the U.S. and Caribbean. Clients, including the National Wildlife Federation, the Jacksonville Zoo, Del Webb and Pulte Homes, appreciate his focus on natural-looking, self-sustaining aquatic environments. Heather Venhaus is an environmental designer for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. She has a background in landscape architecture and has spent the last decade working with scientists, designers, and educational advisors on projects emphasizing sustainable design, landscape restoration and environmental education. Ms. Venhaus, Project Manager of the Sustainable Sites Initiative, is also involved in private consulting projects through the Center concerning ecological design, restoration and outdoor education.
2. Presentation Titles should quickly describe the content and relevance of your presentation.
Please be sure your title accurately and concisely reflects the presentation content. The title should also be provocative and appealing to the prospective audience.
Presentation Title Examples:
· Finding Green Infrastructure Solutions at the Right Scale
· Sustainable Development: The Making of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
· Renewable Energy in an Urban Landscape
3. Learning Objectives are a requirement of LA CES and should clearly and concisely describe what the session attendee will learn. What are the four outcomes of knowledge, understanding and skills the participants will acquire from this session? Each learning objective should be stated in one sentence.
Please provide four learning objectives for your session.
Learning Objectives Examples:
Presentation Title: The Past, Present and Future of an Emerging Landmark: The
Chicago Riverwalk
- Learn about programming, design, and planning considerations in a complex urban context.
- Understand the site's technical challenges, including navigational and structural considerations.
- Learn innovative strategies that have enabled extensive construction implementation.
- Examine the role of public and private partners in this project.
Presentation Title: Vertical Flow Constructed Wetlands for Water Quality Improvement
- Learn environmental research results from a variety of European countries and climates.
- Acquire specifications and sections of properly designed vertical-flow constructed wetlands.
- Understand the contributions of constructed wetlands to public open spaces and bio21.
- Learn how to calculate dimensions required to meet EPA standards.
4. Presentation Outlines are read by the ASLA KY Conference Committee and will be reviewed for CEU hours by the KY Landscape Architect Review Board. They should demonstrate that you have a clear and cohesive plan that will be presented in a logical order.
Please prepare your proposal outline via Word document or PDF. Utilize the standard outline design (I. A. 1. a., etc) to describe the scope and structure of your session. Be sure your outline covers your learning objectives.
Outline Example:
Integrating Water Features in Your Design: Achieving a Natural Look
I. Introduction: Understanding the options and opportunities of living water features
a. Defining the features purpose
b. From intimate to majestic, Koi ponds to aquatic gardens, expansive ponds to pondless falls
c. Styles include formal to natural-like, Japanese to architectural
II. Understanding Quality: Without formal industry standards or training how can you be sure what the end result will be?
a. Critical and problematic elements of water features to avoid
b. Guidelines for material and equipment selection
c. Selecting a qualified contractor
III. Design Fundamentals: Elements that enhance the client’s experience
a. Sizing and placement of the feature within the environment
b. Visual and audible options (The look and sound of falling or moving water)
c. Durable materials and mechanical equipment
d. Low frequency and low intensity of maintenance (Sizing and selecting circulation, filtration and sterilization equipment)
e. Providing various means of easy access and interactivity
f. Minimizing operating expenses (Options to reduce operating costs while extending equipment life)
g. Create “geo-believable” rock formations with respect to sun angles, sound, strata and color.
h. Water feature edge types
IV. Construction: Considerations for enduring and problem-free features
a. Sub-structural considerations
b. Water retention and water proofing materials and methods
c. Working with and setting natural stone
d. Aquatic plant selections
V. Acoustic and visual elements: Bring sound and motion to your designs
a. Controlling the volume, pitch and direction of waterfall sounds
b. Methods to enhance the visibility of moving water
c. Authenticity in natural rock placement
VI. Cost Drivers: Recognizing how your design influences project costs
a. Site conditions and grades
b. Complexity of design
c. Cost of major elements
d. Understanding the client
VII. Specifications: Create baseline specifications to ensure quality
a. Mechanical components
b. Material selection
c. Aesthetic elements
d. Contractor experience, performance, and capability