Winner of the ELCA Green Award 2023 - Green Schoolyard

Green Schoolyard TC Medipol Universitesi Kavacik Istanbul winner of the ELCA Green Award

The ELCA Green Award 2023 is won by the Turkish company Isik Landscape Global for their green schoolyard at Medipol Universitesi Kavacik in Instanbul.

Isik Landscape Global project video - HERE

That is the result of the online voting, done by the members of the Committee of Firms of the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA), to determine who the winner of this prestigious award would be. The Award was handed over during a festive ceremony at the tradeshow Paysalia in Lyon. Chairman Yasin Otuzoglu congratulated Mr Baris Isik and Mrs Baray Isik, owners of Isik Landscape Global, with this wonderful project and result. In this competition there were four nominations: the Gymnasium of Ismaning (Germany), the International European School in Warsaw (Poland), the CPI Terras de Maside School Centre in Maside (Spain) and the T.C. Medipol Universitesi in Kavacik, Istanbul (Turkiye). The ceremony was moderated by Egbert Roozen, secretary general of ELCA.

The Award, which is presented every two years and aims to put the spotlight on outstanding green projects, is an initiative of the European Landscape Contractors Association (ELCA) in cooperation with the French member association Unep (Union Nationale des Entreprises du Paysage). The ELCA-Board has chosen for Green Schoolyards as theme for this edition. Green schoolyards are very important for the development of children. Scientist Jolanda Maas, who is an expert on this topic, explained during the ceremony in a specially for ELCA pre-recorded video the benefits of green schoolyards. She stated, that children become more creative, develop physically better, are more social towards other children and absorb lessons better after playing on a green schoolyard. In her presentation there were different good examples and she also paid attention to how to design, create and maintain green schoolyards. Her presentation will be shared via the ELCA-media.

It was the second time that the ELCA Green Award was presented. The first edition was in 2021 when the award was granted to a project in the category Public Parks. The winner of that award was the Dutch company Brouwers Groen for their Spoorpark-project in Tilburg. Besides the Green Award, ELCA is also initiator of the Trend Award. This Award will be presented, in cooperation with the German member association BGL (der Bundesverband Garten-, Landschafts und Sportplatzbau e. V.), at the tradeshow in Nuremberg in September 2024. Theme of this award will be Natural Private Gardens and the nominating country is Austria.

Picture: Mr Baris Isik and Mrs Baray Isik of Isik Landscape Global (in the middle) are the proud winners of the ELCA Green Award 2023 for green schoolyards.

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Note for the editors, not for publication: If you might have any questions, you can contact mr Egbert Roozen (secretary general of the ELCA) by sending an email to contact@elca.info.