Dear Members,

As you all know, May is the month of the Pritzker Prize and this year the highest award in architecture went to Arata Isosaki of Japan. The ceremony took place in Château de Versailles, in France, a location chosen (as is customary for this prize) to reinforce the importance of the built environment while providing a unique setting for this unique event.

Well – that is something to aim for! And perhaps that is indeed where our member architects are heading as some very talented Australians residing internationally have been selected as winners of the International Chapter Architecture Awards to be announced in Dubai (no, not Versailles!) on 29 June. Please take a tour of the entries here.

We are also delighted to announce Claytan as the 2019 International Chapter Architecture Awards event partner and with customers in 35 countries around the world, Claytan is truly a global brand.

We look forward to welcoming you for a fun night at The Capital Club in Dubai’s Financial District. The location was chosen not for its beauty but for its kudos – designed by Hopkins Architects, the district is Dubai’s thriving home to top restaurants, auction houses, galleries, crisp offices and designer apartments, adjacent to the Emirates Towers which was designed by Hazel W.S. Wong Norr and which houses the offices of the Prime Minister. Lots to discover!

Just before we do, however, we will be at our second RAIA National Council Meeting, to be held in Melbourne on 19 and 20 June. At this meeting the International Chapter will be presenting a paper addressing scope and breadth of our International Engagement highlighting the value of the institute’s membership with the UIA, the CAA and other related associations to ensure that Australian architects are connected to global opportunities and challenges. We will subsequently be issuing a survey to ascertain member input to this important piece of work and which will be forming the backbone of the formal International Chapter.

All of this work could not be possible without our sponsors, like Claytan and the outstanding work performed by our volunteers. If any members would like to collaborate or have any suggestions about companies interested in sponsoring our efforts please direct queries and interest to international@architecture.com.au.

Thank you!
Samantha