DESIGN Canberra has commissioned comedian and design nerd Tim Ross to produce a short form documentary film interview with architect Michael Dysart which will premiere at the festival.

Michael Dysart is an important architect of the second half of the twentieth century in Australia and a leading practitioner of the late twentieth century Sydney regional style of architecture. Dysart’s most important works in Canberra are Urambi Village (1974) and Wybalena Grove (1974). In his DESIGN Canberra keynote talk, Dysart will reflect on these rare communal and co-operative approaches to medium density housing development – lessons learned, what he’d do differently, and the journey to realise their ambitious vision.

Tim has interviewed the architect and homeowners and accessed original photos and plans to explore these rare,aesthetically significant and well-preserved examples of 1970s housing in Australia.

After a successful collaborative exhibition to celebrate the work of architect John Andrews in 2019, DESIGN Canberra is delighted to work once again with Tim, and his abundant enthusiasm for all things design.

About Tim Ross

Best known for his work on TV and radio (he has the rare distinction of hosting both a number 1 drive show and breakfast show in Sydney) Comedian Tim Ross has a long-standing passion for architecture and design.

Over the last four years, he has performed his live Man About the House show exclusively in architecturally-significant buildings and homes that he turns into temporary theatres. He has performed to literally sold-out houses across the country in buildings designed by a Who’s Who of Australian architecture including Harry Seidler, Robin Boyd, Glenn Murcutt, John Wardle, Clare Cousins and Roy Grounds.

The show has also toured overseas including seasons in the United States and New Zealand, the Venice Biennale and most recently at the London Festival of Architecture where it was included in the must see events by the New York Times. In 2014, the show was awarded the National Trust Heritage Award.

Tim’s interest in architecture has led to speaking engagements at The 50’s and 60’s House Symposium (Museum of Sydney), Home Series talks (Government House), Sydney Design Week, and he is an ambassador for Sydney Open. In 2012 Tim became a member of the Creative Services Advisory Committee for Sydney Living Museums. He has written on architecture for various publications including Habitus, The Saturday Paper, The Smith Journal and The Guardian. His two part series on Australian Architecture, Streets of Your Town premiered on ABC TV in November 2016 to rave reviews.