Arcadia’s rapidly expanding influence on Victoria’s built and natural environment has been enhanced further with the announcement of a new Geelong studio and its third Principal in Victoria, Elly Russell (pictured centre).

First setting up a Melbourne outpost in 2020, the practice says that the demand from clients made it an easy decision to create a Geelong office. Working in Geelong and the surrounding regions in an array of sectors, namely education and healthcare, the office is seen as a natural extension of the practice’s approach.

Arcadia Founding Principal Alex Longley says that the practice’s collaborative mantra will only grow stronger in Geelong.

“While we pride ourselves on applying our deep local knowledge to designing projects for place, we have processes in place that mean we work as one studio, with more than 60 landscape architects working on local and cross studio projects,” he says.

“This enables our teams in different states and territories to collaborate on design and delivery in other regions. Many of our people thrive in this flexible environment and this is part of the reason we have such an appetite to extend into new markets.”

A former Geelong local, Victorian Principal Matt York (pictured right) can’t hide his excitement when talking about the thought of expanding Arcadia’s operations in the region.

“Having lived and worked in the region, I recognise the opportunity we can have in helping shape new communities that will be living here in the years to come with great landscape architecture and urban design,” he says.

“With new team members already identified, we are excited to start work and I’m looking forward to reconnecting with a number of local collaborators and authorities to talk about how Arcadia can help deliver open spaces and public domain in the region.”

New Principal Elly Russell brings 15 years of worldwide design experience. Receiving acclaim for her work in designing the Sentosa and Brani Masterplan and Monash University’s Caulfield campus, she joins Arcadia after time at Grant Associates and TCL. She joins York and fellow Victorian Principal Nelson Gomes (pictured left) in leading the delivery of a number of public and private projects in metropolitan and regional Victoria.

“I’m excited to join an established Australian landscape architectural practice that is passionate, reflexive, and driven to improve public realm design excellence for our cities and regions,” Russell says.

“Arcadia is deeply committed to the expression of Traditional Owner narratives. Having worked internationally and at global practices for some years I look forward to meaningfully reconnecting with Country as we face future environmental challenges together.”

Jarrod Reedie

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