Press Release
Kherson Park by Yitong Du Is Granted the Bronze A' Design Award in Landscape Planning and Garden Design
Yitong Du honored for landscape planning and garden design by the international grand jury of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COMO, Italy, April 18, 2025 /DesignNewswire/ A' Design Award & Competition has announced that Kherson Park by Yitong Du, designed for J. A. Brennan Associates, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Landscape Planning and Garden Design category. The recognition forms part of the 2024 - 2025 A' Design Award & Competition and was determined through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who assessed anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.
The Bronze A' Design Award Explained
The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.
Regarding Kherson Park
Kherson Park integrates ecological sustainability with community involvement in its innovative landscape design. It features green areas, permeable surfaces, and energy efficient lighting for public use. Additionally, it promotes Stem education, historical knowledge, and community interaction through interactive exhibits and augmented reality experiences. The park is a cultural landmark, celebrating aerospace heritage while inspiring the next generation in science and technology at the heart of the City of Kent, WA.
About Yitong Du
Yitong Du is a multidisciplinary UX designer and AI product strategist passionate about empowering users through intuitive, data-driven design. With award-winning work recognized by Red Dot and NY Product Design Awards, he has led impactful AI solutions across startups and enterprise platforms. Yitong blends design, business insight, and technology to improve productivity, accessibility, and decision-making for diverse user groups. His work supports small businesses, underrepresented communities, and future-focused learning. With roots in rural China and global experience, Yitong brings a unique, resilient, and empathetic perspective to every product he helps shape.
Award Record
With this recognition, Yitong Du is a winner of 1 A' Design Award.
About the A' Landscape Planning and Garden Design Award
The A' Landscape Design Award is an international landscape design competition recognizing good landscape designs by leading architects and designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to landscape designers, urban planners, garden designers and municipalities from all countries. Entries typically include landscape designs, public parks, residential gardens, urban plazas, campus designs and green roofs. Awarded landscape designs are published at https://designers.org/design-category/landscape-design
About A' Design Award & Competition
A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com
Press Resources
- Winner Page: https://designers.org/169700
- A' Design Award Page: https://competition.adesignaward.com/169700
- Media Showcase: https://www.designnewsroom.com/!169700
- Laureate Profile: https://designers.org/d/360905
- Further Information from the Laureate: https://bit.ly/3EUjP9f
Media Contact
Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953
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Fact Sheet
The Work
- Project
- Kherson Park
- Function
- Park
- Category
- Landscape Planning and Garden Design
- Discipline
- Spatial Design
- Industry
- Architecture and Sustainability
- Colors
- White Smoke, Lavender, Black, Dim Gray and Dark Slate Gray
- Images
- 5
- Client
- J. A. Brennan Associates
The Recognition
- Laureate
- Yitong Du
- Country
- United States of America
- Recognition
- Bronze A' Design Award
- Edition
- 2024 - 2025
- Design ID
- #169700
Credits
- Team
- Jim Brennan, Drew Coombs and Tanja Wilcox
- Image Credits
- Mike Arty, Landscape Forms; Jim Brennan, J. A. Brennan Associates; Natasha Dillinger, Parent Map; Northwest Playground Equipment Inc. Video: @outdoor.fun.for.kids.wa
Design Details
- Unique Properties
- Kherson Park combines sustainable green space design with a tribute to history and aerospace technology education opportunities. To honor the city’s contribution to the lunar landing missions, the park offers various green areas, permeable hardscapes, a replica of the lunar landing operation, interactive exhibits, and unique nighttime programs that weave space history into community life. Eco-friendly landscaping reduces environmental impact, while augmented reality and interactive displays motivate future generations in science and technology.
- Inspiration
- Kherson Park's redevelopment honors the city’s aerospace history, particularly the lunar rovers designed by Boeing engineers in the late 1960s. The design aims to celebrate this legacy and inspire future generations in STEM, creating an interactive, space-themed memorial and educational environment.
- Research
- Kherson Park's design research prioritized user engagement, honoring Kent’s aerospace heritage while creating an inviting space for education, sustainability, and interactivity. We combined archival research, community input, and augmented reality to inform the park’s design, involving aerospace historians, local engineers, educators, students, and community members. Public workshops gathered feedback on playability and educational value. The final design features lunar landing play structures and AR experiences, making history accessible and engaging.
- Challenge
- Kherson Park faced challenges balancing historical authenticity with educational and leisure activities related to Kent’s aerospace heritage, requiring collaboration with historians and the use of NASA archives. Safety regulations and budget constraints affected material choices, while augmented reality integration posed technical challenges. Collaborating with Boeing and local experts, we created an interactive, accessible, and cost-effective design, transforming space history into an engaging public experience.
- Realization and Technology
- Kherson Park’s design blends historical research, user-centered planning, and advanced technology. Drawing inspiration from Kent’s aerospace legacy, it showcases thematic spatial planning with celestial motifs and interactive exhibits. Durable and sustainable materials ensure longevity, while augmented reality boosts engagement. The park’s smart lighting and eco-friendly landscaping reduce environmental impact, creating an educational, immersive space that honors history and inspires future generations.
- Operation and Interaction
- Kherson Park serves as a vibrant venue for families, schools, and community events to delve into space history and STEM education. Guests can discover the lunar rover replica, view the astronaut sculpture, and interact with the mission control panel, while augmented reality experiences animate space exploration. The park’s lush green areas and open spaces create an ideal backdrop for picnics, educational workshops, and public gatherings, establishing it as a center for learning, recreation, and community engagement.
- Project Duration and Location
- The project began its planning phase in 2019 in the City of Kent, WA, USA, and completed construction, opening to the public in May 2023.
- Specifications
- 0.44 acres of open space with over 93% landscaping and permeable paving areas.
- Keywords
- Civil Landscape Renovation, Interactive Playground, Memorial Landscape, Night-use Programming, STEM Education
