Art Gallery of New South Wales
The Domain, Art Gallery Road
Sydney NSW 2000
— Google Maps
Tickets
Ticket sales for this event are closed.
Program Info
Regardless of where one sits on Australia’s architectural spectrum, we need to respond to landscape. Whether our preferred reference point is remote bush, suburban vernacular, dense city or Country, many of us understand our work in relation to our own ideas about landscape.
The Architecture Symposium: A Broader Landscape will interrogate how architects practising in Australia use (or mis-use) the term ‘landscape’ to many different ends. It will seek to expand and adapt our understandings to account for the specific histories and practices that have enabled occupations of this land for millennia. And it will explore the ways we can amplify diverse ideas about landscape to inform our architectural practice.
Header Image
Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge by Kerstin Thompson Architects. Photography by Rory Gardiner.
Program.
18 November
DAY ONE: Symposium
8.30 am
Delegate arrival
9.00 am
Welcome to Country
9.05 am
Introduction Katelin Butler, editorial director, Architecture Media
9.10 am
Opening comments Guest curators Kerstin Thompson, Kerstin Thompson Architects; and Phillip Arnold, Plus Minus Design
–
Landscape as “belonging”
9.25 am
Provocation Dr Danièle Hromek, Djinjama Indigenous Corporation
9.30 am
Presentations Rachel Neeson and Stephen Neille, Neeson Murcutt and Neille
(Kamay Botany Bay National Park Masterplan, NSW)
Kaylie Salvatori, COLA Studio
(South Eveleigh Cultural Gardens, NSW)
Megan Baynes, City of Hobart
(Ubiquity and Pleasures, Tas)
Richard Weller, University of Pennsylvania
(The Innocent Landscape, USA)
–
Landscape as “un/natural”
10.30 am
Provocation Jane Irwin, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture
10.35 am
Presentations Anthony Gill, Anthony Gill Architects
(Blue Mountains House, NSW)
Nicole Larkin, Nicole Larkin Design
(The Wild Edge, NSW)
Michael Wright, Rush Wright Associates
(Springvale Community Precinct, Vic)
Andrew Burges, Andrew Burges Architects
(Parramatta Aquatic and Leisure Centre, NSW)
11.35 am
Morning tea
–
Landscape as “climate”
12.05 pm
Provocation Daniel Barber, University of Technology Sydney
12.10 pm
Presentations Jefa Greenaway, Greenaway Architects
(North East Link, Vic)
Louise Wright, Baracco and Wright Architects
(Garden House, Vic)
Graham Burrows, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects
(Gillies Hall, Vic)
Ché Wall, Flux Consultants and Kerry Clare, Clare Design
(Rockhampton Museum of Art, Qld)
1.10 pm
Lunch
–
Landscape as “resource”
2.10 pm
Provocation Joan Ockman, University of Pennsylvania Stuart Weitzman School of Design
2.15 pm
Presentations Amy Seo and Shahar Cohen, Second Edition
(Surry Hills Kitchen, NSW)
Ross Brewin, Gilby and Brewin Architecture
(Spring Bay Mill, Tas)
Jennie Officer, Officer Woods Architects
(Aboriginal Cultural and Visitors Centre for the City of Cockburn, WA)
Guillermo Fernández-Abascal, GFA2, and Andrew Daly, Supercontext
(Murrin Bridge Preschool and Community Hub, NSW)
3.15 pm
Dissection A panel discussion with Kerstin Thompson, Phillip Arnold, Danièle Hromek and Jane Irwin.
Moderator: Dr Julian Raxworthy, University of Canberra (Canberra, ACT)
3.50 pm
Closing comments Katelin Butler, editorial director, Architecture Media
19 November
DAY TWO: Bundanon Tour – FINAL ALLOCATION SOLD OUT
NOTE: Symposium packages include an optional return bus transfer from the Sydney CBD for the Bundanon tour. Delegates are welcome to arrange their own transport. Places for the tour are limited.
8.30 am
Optional bus transfer departs Sydney CBD for Bundanon
12.00 pm
Delegate arrival at Bundanon All delegates arrive at Bundanon, Illaroo
–
Tour with Kerstin Thompson Includes lunch and free time for site exploration.
5.00 pm
Depart Bundanon
8.00 pm
Bus arrives in Sydney CBD
19 November
DAY TWO: Bundanon Tour – ORIGINAL ALLOCATION SOLD OUT
NOTE: Symposium packages include an optional return bus transfer from the Sydney CBD for the Bundanon tour. Delegates are welcome to arrange their own transport. Places for the tour are limited.
7.00 am
Optional bus transfer departs Sydney CBD for Bundanon
10.30 am
Delegate arrival at Bundanon All delegates arrive at Bundanon, Illaroo
–
Tour with Kerstin Thompson Includes lunch and free time for site exploration.
Rachel Neeson is director of the architecture practice Neeson Murcutt Neille. Rachel studied architecture at the University of Sydney, graduating with the University Medal in 1993. She was awarded the Board of Architects 2002 Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship and completed a Masters of Architecture in Barcelona. Upon her return in 2004, Rachel established Neeson Murcutt Architects with the late Nick Murcutt.
Stephen Neille is a director of Neeson Murcutt Neille, formerly founding director of Pendal and Neille. Stephen studied at The University of Sydney, graduating with First Class Honours in 1988. He was awarded the RMIT 2007 University Research Prize for his PhD design project focused on the interface between architecture, landscape and spatial perception.
Stephen has taught at numerous universities across Australia and is currently an adjunct professor at the University of Technology, Sydney. He is a member of the NSW State Design Review Panel.
Kaylie Salvatori is a Saltwater Budawang Woman living and working on Gundungurra and Dharug lands. She is a landscape architect and founding director of COLA Studio (Country Oriented Landscape Architecture), which is one of the few Aboriginal-owned landscape design studios in Australia.
Working in the nexus between cultural placemaking and Country-centred landscape architecture, Kaylie’s practice is informed by collaboration with Traditional Custodians.
Megan Baynes is an architect and urban designer, currently based in Tasmania. She studied architecture at the University of Tasmania and Lunds Tekniske Universitet in Sweden. Megan was the recipient of the Union Internationale des Architects German Federal Environment Award, leading her to work with Sauerbruch and Hutton Architects in Berlin.
Noted by the Design Intelligence Survey as one of North America’s most admired teachers, Richard Weller is the Meyerson chair of urbanism and professor and chair of landscape architecture at The University of Pennsylvania.
He has worked on design projects across all scales and has published several books, as well as over 120 academic papers, on landscape architecture and urban design. Richard is currently the creative director of the interdisciplinary journal of landscape architecture, LA+.
Anthony Gill graduated from the University of Sydney in 2001 and is a registered architect in New South Wales.
His projects have been published locally and internationally, and his office has received numerous awards. He has given talks on his work in Sydney, Melbourne and Tasmania, and has taught at the University of New South Wales and the University of Technology Sydney. He has also been a juror for the New South Wales AIA Awards.
Nicole is an architect, designer and artist, currently based in the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Design in Architecture and Masters of Architecture from the University of Sydney, and has worked across public art, architecture and design disciplines. Nicole was the recipient of the Byera Hadley Scholarship in 2017, which launched her body of work entitled ‘The Wild Edge: A Survey of Ocean Pools in NSW’.
Michael Wright is a director of the Melbourne-based design practice Rush/Wright Associates, which he established with his co-director Catherine Rush in 1999. Michael studied landscape architecture at RMIT University, graduating in 1994, and has held the position of lecturer in design at the University of New South Wales.
Andrew Burges studied architecture at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with first class honours and the University Medal in 1992. Andrew completed a Master of Architecture at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, graduating with distinction in 1996.
Andrew has 25 years’ experience in architectural practice, including 20 years as principal of Andrew Burges Architects (ABA). Prior to forming his practice in 2001, Andrew worked in firms in Sydney, New York and Boston, developing expertise in large-scale urban masterplanning and urban housing proposals, civic and sporting structures.
Jefa Greenaway is a founding director of Greenaway Architects, a senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne, and a Deakin University honorary fellow of design. He has championed Indigenous-led design thinking for 30 years as a registered architect, as co-founder of the not-for-profit organization Indigenous Architecture and Design Victoria (IADV), as co-author of the International Indigenous Design Charter, and as regional ambassador (Oceania) of INDIGO (International Indigenous Design Network).
Louise Wright (PhD) is an architect and director of Baracco and Wright Architects, based in Melbourne. She has recently been appointed practice professor at Monash School of Architecture, MADA.
Louise is interested in shaping new connections between architecture and the natural world. As a part of her design practice, Louise researches, writes and speculates on architectural possibilities through collaboration with ecologists, landscape architects and artists.
Graham Burrows is one of the founding partners and directors of Jackson Clements Burrows Architects (JCB). Graham operates from the sincere belief that architecture can improve peoples’ lives and, by extension, make cities more liveable and vibrant. As a founding partner and director of JCB, he has overseen the design and delivery of numerous projects across education, public, residential, commercial and hospitality typologies, including certified Passive House buildings.
Ché Wall is a director of Sydney-based environmental design and advisory practice Flux Consultants. Ché is internationally recognized as a leader in sustainability and is responsible for delivering a number of Australia’s most transformative green buildings, public spaces and precincts.
Flux Consultants advises on sustainability direction and strategy, implementation, policy, brand and communications for buildings, urban regeneration and green infrastructure projects.
Kerry Clare is an architect and co-director of the architecture practice Clare Design. Based between Sydney, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, Kerry co-founded Clare Design with her husband Lindsay in 1979. Clare Design promotes sustainability in architecture, with the understanding that good design and sustainable design are intrinsically linked.
Kerry serves on advisory panels for several tiers of government, is a professor in the School of Architecture and the Built Environment at the University of Newcastle and visiting professor at the Abedian School of Architecture at Bond University.
Graduate architects Amy Seo and Shahar Cohen met while undertaking the Masters of Architecture Program at the University of Technology in Sydney. The pair founded Second Edition while completing a research thesis with Guillermo Fernández-Abascal, tackling the question: What is the feasibility of a deconstruction and reuse network in the context of Sydney?
Ross Brewin is a director of Gilby and Brewin Architecture and a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Monash University. Ross’s practice, which has studios in both Melbourne and Hobart, seeks to address pressing societal and environmental issues through thoughtful design.
Gilby and Brewin undertakes culturally, socially and environmentally responsible projects across a range of urban scales and settings.
Jennie is a founding director at Officer Woods Architects, a senior lecturer in the School of Design at the University of Western Australia and a fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Jennie grew up in the remote Murchison region of Western Australia and particularly enjoys responding to non-standard challenges and issues. She combines several roles in professional life: practitioner, teacher, researcher and advocate.
Guillermo Fernández-Abascal is a founding partner of GFA and GFA2. He is currently a practice fellow at the School of Architecture, University of Sydney.
Guillermo is based between Sydney and Santander in Spain. His work aims to bridge the gap between research and buildings, blending academic research with architectural practice. Recent projects include the restoration of the Enaire Foundation in Santander, Spain, and book ‘Regional Bureaucracy’, published by Perimeter Editions.
Andrew Daly is an architect and the founding director of Supercontext, an emerging architectural practice and design studio based in Sydney. Andrew studied architecture at the University of Sydney, graduating with First Class Honours and the University Medal.
Andrew also studied at the Architectural Association, School of Architecture in London. He worked for Sydney-based practices Johnson Pilton Walker and Tanner Architects, before starting his own practice in 2013.
Dr Danièle Hromek is a Saltwater woman of the Budawang tribe of the Yuin nation, with French and Czech heritage. Danièle is a spatial designer and Country-centred designer.
Danièle is the first Indigenous person in Australia to achieve a Doctor of Philosophy (Design) in spatial disciplines. Her research and experience contributed to the Connecting with Country framework and Designing with Country discussion piece by Government Architect NSW.
Jane Irwin is recognised as a leader in the field of landscape architecture. She has over 35 years’ experience in the industry and has built a vibrant studio practice, Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture, based in Sydney.
Jane takes a vital interest in the public domain – participating in competitions and urban design programs that foster innovative thinking about the future of the industry. She has collaborated with teams carrying out the planning and design of major urban centres in Sydney, Sydney Olympic Park, Wollongong City Centre, Newcastle, and Canberra.
Daniel A. Barber is a professor of architecture at the University of Technology Sydney and a research affiliate at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin.
His research and teaching follow two trajectories: an archival exploration of environmental histories of architecture; and conceptual frameworks for architects, policy makers, developers and others to engage the climate emergency and cultivate pathways to a post-hydrocarbon future.
Joan Ockman is an architectural historian, critic, and educator. She holds senior appointments at the University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design and Cooper Union School of Architecture. She is also the Vincent Scully Visiting Professor of Architectural History at Yale School of Architecture, where she directs the doctoral program in architecture.
Dr Julian Raxworthy is an associate professor and discipline lead of landscape architecture in the Faculty of Art and Design at the University of Canberra.
Julian also works as a principal landscape architect with Free-range Landscape Architects, his own practice since 2008. He has been a faculty member at RMIT, Queensland University of Technology and the University of Cape Town, and visiting professor at l’École nationale supérieure de paysage Versailles and the University of Virginia.
Kerstin Thompson is principal of Kerstin Thompson Architects and an adjunct professor at RMIT and Monash Universities. A committed design educator, she regularly lectures and runs studios at various schools across Australia and New Zealand. In recognition for the work of her practice, contribution to the profession and tertiary education, Kerstin was elevated to Life Fellow by the Australian Institute of Architects in 2017, appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2022 and awarded the Gold Medal – the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour, which recognizes distinguished services – in 2023.
Phillip worked for a long time at practices in Sydney before establishing Plus Minus Design in 2007. The focus of his practice is architecture, but interior design, landscape design and urban design are happy distractions.
He has taught design studios and history at UNSW, UTS and Western Sydney University, where he is an adjunct professor. He has also taught interior design, won an urban design competition, and conducted landscape study tours of the Netherlands, Kyoto, Suzhou and Iran, but has not completed his horticultural studies.
