Architects from Renzo Piano's Paris office and the Canadian firm Diamond and Schmitt will be talking at the John Roberts Waterford Festival at the end of this month, giving architects a valuable opportunity to gain insight into how their internationl brethren work. While the six-year-old festival began as a forum for architects, planners and environmental conservationists, it has now become more of a family affair that includes children's activities, garden tours, a photographic exhibition and choral concerts. Yet it retains its architectural focus with talks and walks concerning the work of John Roberts (1714-1796), who designed many buildings in Waterford. Little is known about his life, except that he married Mary Susannah Sautelle, who came from a wealthy Huguenot family. She was disinherited as a result but Roberts went on to be successful; his first major project was the Bishop's Palace in 1746.
