At the 2015 International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) Asia-Pacific Regional Congress Closing Ceremony in Lombok, Indonesia on 8 September 2015, Richard Weller was announced as the creative director for the 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture in Canberra. Australian-born Weller is the Professor and Chair of landscape architecture at The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (USA).

Prior to taking up the position at Penn (having succeeded James Corner in 2013), Weller was Director of the Australian Urban Design Research Centre. With Vladimir Sitta (Terragram) he was also Director of the design firm Room 4.1.3 who designed the controversial,Garden of Australia Dreamsat the National Museum of Australia, Canberra. This renowned garden will host the Welcome Reception for the 2016 Festival.

With over 30 prizes in international design competitions, Weller has been recognised at all scales of landscape architecture and urban design, 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 given hundreds of public lectures around the world. Alongside his research activity, Weller is 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+.