IFLA PRESIDENT’S awarD 2023
Carey Duncan

Carey Duncan receives the 2023 IFLA President’s Award

Presented at the opening ceremony of the IFLA’s world congress 2023 (Stockholm-Nairobi) taking place in safari park hotel Nairobi, on Thursday 28th September 2023 IFLA president Bruno Marques announced Landscape Architect Carey Duncan as the recipient of the 2023 IFLA president’s award.

The IFLA President’s Award is presented by the IFLA President as recognition of an outstanding individual who, through their voluntary efforts within IFLA, have made a fundamental difference to the global profession of landscape architecture.

This award is not only about celebrating excellence but also about acknowledging the profound difference that an unsung hero can make in our global community.

This year, IFLA shines a spotlight on an exceptional individual whose name has not always been in the international limelight, but whose contributions to the field have been nothing less than extraordinary, particularly the relentless energy of progressing the profession in the African Continent and beyond.

Carey Duncan is a landscape architect whose work is deeply rooted in her love for the natural world and her profound commitment to transforming landscapes into sustainable, culturally resonant, and community-centric spaces. Her portfolio reflects a rich tapestry of projects seamlessly merging innovation with tradition, environmental stewardship with cultural sensitivity, and global perspective with local context.

Yet, what sets Carey Duncan apart is not only her design prowess but also her tireless efforts within IFLA. This award is a testament to her voluntary dedication and the profound difference she has made within our organisation. From being a founding member of the Association des Architectes-Paysagistes du Maroc to being IFLA Africa Treasurer and then President, to taking part in many international juries, Carey has done it all. She has depth and breadth of knowledge that demands the highest standards of education, training, research and professional practice, and she is ready to provide leadership and stewardship in all matters.

This award is a recognition of her behind-the-scenes work, her advocacy for the principles of sustainability, her support for emerging talents, and her commitment to promoting the profession in Africa and beyond that may not always have the global spotlight.

In the award presentation in Nairobi, Bruno Marques mentioned: let us not only celebrate Carey Duncan’s remarkable achievements but also reflect on the incredible power of one individual to inspire change, even in the most far-reaching corners of the world. Her work serves as a reminder that, regardless of our geographical origins, we are bound together by a shared vision of enhancing the environments we inhabit.

Carey Duncan a true luminary in our field, whose dedication and passion have ignited positive change within IFLA and have left an undeniable mark on landscape architecture worldwide.

Carey Duncan in her IFLA President's Awardee Speech expressed her heartfelt thanks to the IFLA President, Bruno Marques, and the ExCo for their consideration and appreciation of her contribution to IFLA. 

She felt totally overwhelmed by the honour and thanked IFLA and her colleagues in Landscape Architecture around to world for enabling her to do what she loves best with the support of such a knowledgable and equally passionate community. She didn’t miss the opportunity to wish IFLA a happy 75th birthday !

African Landscape Network

The African Landscape Network is a project developed by a core team from South Africa and Morocco and put into practice with the help of an advisory panel comprising both IFLA and ICOMOS members, from several different African countries. The result is an interactive map of people and another of places or projects which illustrate best practice through describing how they move towards the SDGs on the one hand, and fulfil the principles of the African Landscape Convention on the other. Carey was, and is, one of the Core Team members along with Marike Franklin, Graham Young and Liana Jansen.  All professionals acting in the realm of “Landscape” can joint the network and add a project or landscape.

Powerblock 1 in the Noor Solar Energy Complex in Ouarzazate is now the site of a field of sunflowers! Landscaping such a site in an arid environment where water is scarce is a risky business because irrigating any plants on site immediately attracts venomous creatures like snakes and scorpions - not appropriate for the centre of human activity on the site.

The Noor Solar Energy Complex in Ouarzazate stretches over 3000 ha. Between power stations 1 and 2, two giant stockpiles of earth have been shaped into permanent viewing platforms offering 360° views over the power production farm and the Atlas Mountains, often covered in snow. This project prevented environmental damage to the surrounding valleys by keeping the materials (700 000 m3) on site and making good use of them. It is also somewhere where one can feel renewed and in awe of the surroundin Nature and sky – in spite of being surrounded by industrial equipment. This work, entitled Zhuhz, was a finalist in 14th Edition of the international Arte Laguna Art Prize.