Clare Mayberry has received the Karl Langer Award for her highly developed presentation that the Landscape Architect profession has a great opportunity to re-position our practice.
Clare relays that our practice has evolved from a western disciplinary framework that has impacted indigenous culture and we need to re-position our practice to re-work country.
Through Clare’s university progression she has come to realise her lifetime commitment to address and respond to socio-cultural issues and reconsider how to practice on country.
2021 Karl Langer Jury
Jamie Franklin (Chair)
Vicki Barclay
Josh Hinwood
Jury Chair Comments - Jamie Franklin
Being asked to be part of the jury for the Karl Langer Award is such a rewarding opportunity for a Landscape Architect.... It is such a wonderful experience to see the passion and hear the design philosophy of our profession's future leaders. The Karl Langer Award is presented to the final year student who shows “marked potential for the profession of Landscape Architecture” and as always it was a memorable selection of students to deliberate over.
This year's students took on some challenging topics around social justice and the challenge of colonial influence on indigenous culture, climate change and the balancing of human and non-human eco-systems that connected to nature. I want to pass on my congratulations to all the students of the QUT Landscape Architecture course, and of course all the tutors for their guidance and support.
Great thanks go to my fellow jury members, Vicki Barclay and Josh Hinwood for their time and contribution in the selection of this years Karl Langer Award recipient.
Congratulations to Clare on winning the award and well done to all the nominees for their achievements.
2021 Karl Langer Jury Comments
Winner
Clare Mayberry
There is a continuity and strength in Clare’s work that delivers a powerful statement that may strike a chord with many Landscape Architects about helping to bring change for our nation in re working country. She presents an understanding of the impacts of our colonial past to re-work country through re-narrating, re-thinking and re-turning country, acknowledging that culture and ecology are interwoven.
Clare’s deep thinking about how we look at water as country, not as a utility reflects our professions current approach. In her final work ‘returning to country’ - the repatriation of ancestorial remains back to country from far away continents is a social and ecological issue. As part of the National Resting Place project Clare’s response resists western built form and imbeds the indigenous world view of nature and culture as inseparable.
Nominees
Cassandra Friday
Cassandra’s work demonstrates a distinctive, personal and poetic approach. She focuses on the experiential qualities of places and how users can view the landscape as art. Cassandra’s portfolio and understanding of the profession has evolved significantly during the course of her studies. She positions the role of landscape architecture at the intersection of art, science and engineering and her personable approach will see her make a valuable contribution to collaborating across disciplines in the future.
Connor O’Loughlin
Growing up in a regional town within Central Queensland and the observation of the resource sector on the environment over a long period of time, Connor’s work has a focus on design and change on large scale landscapes and in particular the neglected landscape and regeneration of sites. Of particular note is Connor’s graphics, he has developed his own style and has a great ability to overlay different information to form a single strong message. This was also demonstrated on the Gladstone covers which demonstrate a resource versus green technology change and the outcome on the community. Through his life experience and position on carbon and environmental issues I believe Connor will no doubt have a climate positive impact on the profession moving forward on sites both small and large.
Pasquale Heredia
Pasquale’s work is heavily inspired by his spiritual journey in life, his desire to learn and explore environmental philosophies and deep ecology. A particular strong point of Pasquale is his visual communication of ideas and concepts. Several examples were submitted of diagrams / perspectives that visually communicate complex systems and ideas in manner that advocates for education and climate action. Of note is his application of research into circular economy and cradle to cradle design philosophy in his degradable city project based upon Brisbane CBD buildings and road material inventory. This rigour and passion for knowledge in environmental design has the potential to contribute to climate positive outcomes moving forward in his career. The research work completed to date could be a catalyst for further studies for landscape architects in circular economy design.
Renee Hagedoorn
Renee's empathetic approach to sustainable land management coupled with her dedication to country prevails throughout her work. Her portfolio clearly articulated the delicate balance required between human interaction and our fragile ecosystems. Renee’s sustainable philosophy was wonderfully demonstrated through high quality presentation material with beautiful renders delivered with a creative touch, using art as a mode of inspiration. Of note is her ability to effortlessly shift through the complexities of scale, ecosystem dependencies and regeneration through in-depth research, all clearly communicated with her bottom up approach to sustainability.
Samuel Davis
Sam’s personal philosophy is centred around ‘landscape of/as power’ with a strong passion for cultural equality and de-colonialising design. His work examines the challenges of past colonial thinking and considers a pathway to cultural indigenous understanding that uses silence as agency to bring change. Sam seeks to engage authentically - to listen, empower, not control the outcome. His final project demonstrated his strength in community engagement and his empathetic approach to stand back, listen and develop trust to help facilitate a community led outcome in the Aboriginal Shire of Cherbourg that told their story. His strength of conviction and passion to be an inclusive practitioner will no doubt help him influence change and restore social balance for a new respectful future.
Stuart Tedford
Stuart’s work is driven by a strong desire to address Australia’s rapidly increasing species extinction crisis. His approach to increasing exposure and understanding of the issue focuses on key fauna species as a key marker of ecosystem health and driver for balanced place outcomes. Stuart looks to encourage a long term shift in community concern and caring. His portfolio shows diverse approaches to ecosystem repair including ecotourism, protest, abstract urban habitat creation and marketing. Stuart shows how the landscape architecture profession can work closely with environmental professions to not only design sustainable solutions but also advocate for generational change.
2021 Karl Langer Award and QFresh sponsors
