The bdla Advisory Board met on 17 April 2026 at the Schader Foundation in Darmstadt

At the invitation of bdla Hessen, representatives from regional associations, sectoral spokespersons and members of the bdla Executive Committee gathered for the annual Advisory Board meeting; the Schader Foundation in Darmstadt had been chosen as the venue. 

The Advisory Board is one of the association’s most important bodies. It brings together perspectives from regional associations, specialist working groups and the Executive Committee, and the range of topics discussed was equally broad: continuing professional development, digitalisation, climate and resource issues, membership fee structures, and the greater involvement of young colleagues. One question dominated the debates: How should the profession of landscape architects position itself in times of multiple social, environmental and economic changes?

The Association continues
to develop its own structures. The transformation of professional practice was the subject of intense discussion. Growing practice structures, new legal forms and more complex collaborations are increasingly calling traditional membership fee models into question. Consequently, the Advisory Board will focus on the further development of fair, transparent and sustainable membership fee structures.

Continuing professional development also played a central role. Regional associations expressed a desire for more practice-oriented, specialised and affordable programmes. In view of growing professional demands, qualifications are increasingly becoming a decisive factor in securing skilled labour and recruiting members.

Support for the next generation was also a major focus. It was decided to set up a nationwide working group of junior representatives with the aims of better connecting students and young landscape architects, establishing and expanding their voice, and actively supporting the transition from study to career entry and professional practice.

Another topic was the association’s climate and resource footprint. The bdla already implements numerous sustainable measures: printed materials are produced on eco-friendly paper, events are organised with a focus on rail travel wherever possible, and hybrid meeting formats reduce the need for travel. In future, unavoidable emissions are also to be offset. In doing so, the association underlines its commitment not only to calling for climate adaptation, but also to consistently implementing it within its own organisation.

Growth confirms positive trend
The bdla’s positive growth trend is also reflected in its membership figures: by April 2026, the association will already have more than 2,000 members. Particularly noteworthy is the growth across all member groups – from students and those starting their careers (junior members) through to employees and experienced practice owners or long-standing self-employed professionals.

The association also remained financially stable. bdla Treasurer Jens Henningsen presented a successful annual financial statement and a forward-looking budget plan for 2026/2027. Investments in supporting young talent, communication, association development and strategic projects are intended to ensure that the current course is consistently maintained.

Elections with clear approval
Among the formal highlights of the meeting were the elections of various officers. Gudrun Rentsch was unanimously re-elected to the post of Vice-President of the bdla, and Claudia Blaurock was also confirmed as the bdla’s specialist spokesperson for plant use. 

Markus Pieper was newly elected to the post of bdla specialist spokesperson for economics. Born in 1980, he completed an apprenticeship in landscape gardening before studying landscape architecture and open-space planning at the University of Essen. He subsequently worked as a project manager at the Gummersbach Development Company and, from 2013, as a site manager, project manager and later office manager at GREENBOX. Since 2017, he has been a partner at GREENBOX Landscape Architects in Cologne, and in 2026 he also took on the role of managing director at LACON Landschaftsconsult GmbH. The landscape architect joined the bdla in 2019.
“Economic conditions are constantly changing. I see the ongoing digitalisation and process optimisation driven by AI as offering great potential for our profession. Changing labour market conditions and the concept of ‘New Work’ necessitate a transformation, which I see as an opportunity to move towards resilient organisational structures. It is a great pleasure for me to take on the role of specialist spokesperson for economics and to play an active part in shaping this transformation,” said Markus Pieper following his election.

Thomas Dietrich takes over from Prof. Ulrike Böhm as the bdla specialist spokesperson for urban development and open space planning. Born in 1966, Thomas Dietrich trained as a forester before commencing his studies in landscape management at the University of Essen in the early 1990s. After completing his studies in 1996, he began working as a landscape planner at Planergruppe Oberhausen; since 2002, he has been a partner and a member of the management team at the firm, which now operates as DIE PLANERGRUPPE with offices in Essen and Hanover. Thomas Dietrich has been a member of the bdla since 2015 and served as First Chair of the North Rhine-Westphalia regional group from 2018 to 2025. Since 2020, he has represented the bdla nw at the Assembly of Representatives of the North Rhine-Westphalia Chamber of Architects; he serves on various boards and committees and, during this time, has, amongst other things, supported the implementation of the Climate Adaptation Act on behalf of the professional association as a member of the advisory board. 
“I am delighted to contribute my professional expertise to the working group and to continue the work already begun in these areas,” said Thomas Dietrich on his election. “I see networking with key players – acting as a bridge between practice, the professional association and politics – as a vital building block for strengthening the perception of landscape architecture as an equal partner in the planning of forward-looking cities. There is great potential in linking the issues of social participation, safety and health in public spaces with the design of climate-resilient open spaces.”

Advisory Board meeting 2027 on 9 April in Essen
The Advisory Board meeting in Darmstadt made it clear: the bdla is continuing to develop consistently – organisationally, professionally, in terms of personnel and strategically. The association is nurturing the next generation, debating changes and actively taking a stance on the major issues of our time. In this way, the bdla remains a strong voice for landscape architecture in Germany.
On 9 April 2027, the Advisory Board will meet in Essen at the invitation of the bdla nw.

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