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The International
Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), which represents the worldwide
profession of landscape architecture, announced today that Goncalo Ribeiro
Telles, is the winner of the Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award - the International
Federation of Landscape Architects’ premier award - for 2013.
Goncalo Ribeiro Telles
has made an outstanding contribution to Landscape Architecture through his
life-long commitment to his chosen profession. His achievement in all aspects
of landscape architecture - landscape planning, landscape policies, landscape design
and landscape education has been quite phenomenal.
The defence of
democracy, the humanization of the landscape, and the quality of life of the
Portuguese population are hallmarks of his civic life and professional career.
With a long
involvement and initiative in public intervention, he has for decades been
pioneering in delivering ideas, designs and claiming for recognition of
productive landscape as recreation space. He is still actively participating in
the defence of a sustainable development model for Portugal on key issues
connected to planning and the environment such as Forest Policy and Green
Infrastructure.
Goncalo Ribeiro Telles
graduated in Agronomic Engineering and Landscape Architecture in 1950 to be
part of the first generation of Landscape Architects in Portugal. He is a
founding member of the Portuguese Society of Landscape Architects APAP, which
was founded in 1976, and is still active in the association.
The revolution in
Portugal in 1974 brought him to the forefront of the countrys political life.
In 1975 he was appointed Secretary of State of the Environment and undertook
his work in environmental policies in Portugal. He was a pioneer in the defence
and conservation of environmental values, the promotion of land-use planning,
sustainable development and the humanization of cities. He is mainly
responsible for the current legal Framework Laws on conservation, land-use
planning and environmental quality. He continues to be active in the
dissemination of the ideas and principles in these fields where he was a
forerunner and for which he has fought unceasingly.
He has published over
100 works on various subjects, such as land use planning, the environment,
urbanism, visual analysis, landscape, projects, agriculture, resource
management, education and policies.
His career spans over
60 years and he has clearly ha a unique and lasting impact on the development
of landscape architecture as a practitioner, in teaching, in Public
Administration and as a member of various Governments. Within the Housing
Department Institute he set up the Landscape Planning and Green Areas
Department. He was also Minister for Quality of Life and was one of the first
Portuguese politicians to call attention to ecological problems, having an
influence far beyond the tiny size of the parties he has led.
Goncalo Ribeiro
Telles, has, within 60 years of active work, opened many doors and minds, and
has contributed hugely to an awareness of, and integration of landscape
architecture. His life achievement is an example for everybody to follow and he
is a most worthy recipient of this year’s IFLA Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe Award.
The IFLA Sir Geoffrey
Jellicoe Award is the highest honour that the International Federation of
Landscape Architects can bestow upon a landscape architect. The Award
recognizes a living landscape architect whose lifetime achievements and
contributions have had a unique and lasting impact on the welfare of society
and the environment and on the promotion of the profession of landscape
architecture. The award is bestowed annually on an academic, public or private
practitioner whose work and achievements are respected internationally.
The IFLA Sir Geoffrey
Jellicoe Award was launched in 2004 on a quadrennial basis. Its inaugural
recipient was Peter Walker (USA) in 2005. Prof. Bernard Lassus (France) was
awarded in 2009, Cornelia Hahn Oberlander in 2011, Mihály Möcsényi in 2012 and
for 2013 Goncalo Ribeiro Telles. Since 2011 the award has been bestowed
annually.
Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe
(1910 - 1996), IFLA President of Honour, served IFLA as its founding President
from 1948 - 1954. He was a trained architect, town planner, landscape architect
and garden designer, but his prime interest was in landscape and garden design.
Jellicoe was a founding member (1929) and then President of the Institute of
Landscape Architects (now the LI) and was knighted for services to landscape
architecture in 1979. In 1994, he was given the Royal Horticultural Society’s
highest award, the Victoria Medal of Honour.
The IFLA President,
Desiree Martinez, will make the announcement in the Award Ceremony April 10,
during the 2013 IFLA World Congress in Auckland, New Zealand. The winner will
present a lecture as part of the ceremony.
There will be a press
conference with the award winner and the IFLA President in Auckland, April 10,
2013.
The announcement will
be made online at www.ifla.org by April 10.
The 2013 SGJA
International Jury was chaired by Jenny B. Osuldsen (Norway) and comprised:
Anton Comrie (South Africa), Alan Titchener (New Zealand), Diana Wiesner
(Colombia) and Fritz Auweck (Germany).
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