Thomas L. Woltz, Senior Principal of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects (NBW), leads his firm in the artful creation and revitalization of public landscapes. Working at the intersection of culture and ecology for the sustainability of the public realm, Thomas has led the expansion of NBW to include scientists and historians as integral contributors to the design of projects ranging from restoration ecology in large urban parks to post-industrial sites and educational campuses. Through this collaborative and cross-disciplinary approach, NBW’s designs reveal lost or erased histories in the landscape. NBW’s work now stretches across 30 states and 12 countries.

Thomas was educated at the University of Virginia and holds master’s degrees in landscape architecture and architecture, as well as an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the State University of New York, Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. In 2011, Thomas was invested into the American Society of Landscape Architects Council of Fellows, among the highest honors achieved in the profession, and was named the Design Innovator of the Year by the Wall Street Journal Magazine. He was also recognized as one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company, and with the Land for People Award by the Trust for Public Land – and was a 2025 Frederic Church Award honoree. Thomas currently serves as the Board of Directors Co-Chair for the Cultural Landscape Foundation.

Adam Yarinsky, FAIA, is Principal and co-founder of Architecture Research Office (ARO), a New York City firm that designs architecture to inspire people, further institutional missions, advance social equity, and promote ecological resilience. Research gives ARO’s work purpose and intention. Their architecture unites beauty and form with strategy and intelligence. ARO has received more than 100 design awards, including the national AIA Architecture Firm Award, the AIA New York State Firm of the Year Award, the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award for Architecture, and the Architecture Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Published in October 2024, Architecture. Research. Office. presents ARO’s diverse body of work, its ethos, and the people behind its projects.

Adam holds an undergraduate degree in architecture from the University of Virginia and a Master of Architecture from Princeton University. He has taught at MIT, Harvard, the University of Michigan, Princeton, Yale, the University of Virginia, and other institutions. Adam has lectured widely, and his writing has appeared in many design publications. He has served on the board of Places Journal, and on the University of Virginia School of Architecture Dean’s Advisory Board. In recognition of his significant contributions to architecture and society, Adam was elevated to Fellowship in the American Institute of Architects in 2006. He was 2023 Bernoudy Architect in Residence at the American Academy in Rome.