Australian named Creative Director for 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture

Australian-born Richard Weller has been appointed Creative Director for the 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture in Canberra. The announcement was made recently at the 2015 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Asia-Pacific Regional Congress in Lombok, Indonesia.

Weller is the Professor and Chair of landscape architecture at The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA), having succeeded James Corner in 2013. Weller was previously Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre. With Vladimir Sitta (Terragram) he was also Director of the design firm Room 4.1.3 that designed the controversial Garden of Australia Dreams at the National Museum of Australia, Canberra. This renowned garden will host the Welcome Reception for the 2016 Festival.

Weller has been recognised at all levels of landscape architecture and urban design having won over 30 prizes in international design competitions, beginning with a national student award from the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects (AILA) in 1985 and later in association with the design practice Lutzow 7 in Berlin.

Weller has written four books, published over 90 academic papers and delivered hundreds of public lectures around the world. Weller is also a board member of the Landscape Architecture Foundation in Washington, a judge for the 2015 American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) Awards and Creative Director of Penn’s interdisciplinary journal of landscape architecture, LA+.

To be hosted in Canberra from 27-29 October 2016, the IFLA Asia-Pacific Regional Congress will be the main event of the Festival of Landscape Architecture program, which will include a Research Summit, Student Charrette, the AILA National Awards Gala Dinner, public talks, tours and exhibitions.

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