08 April 2019

^{Image: Jonathon Wherrett}

As many of you know its awards season again. The Australian Institute of Architects Tasmanian chapter kicked off with Presentations to the Jury on Saturday 23rd March. 

For those of you that didn’t attend it was a great day with 40 entries spread across 9 categories. The level of effort in undertaking the presentations was outstanding and the near record number of quality entries reflects the healthy state of our profession in Tasmania. 

The awards are a significant part of the Institute’s work each year. On a national level, the Institute’s Awards Program is important in that it is the chief opportunity for public and peer recognition of the innovative work of our members, and it provides the Institute generally with a valuable platform to promote architects and architecture across Australia and internationally.

As those involved with the awards know, the Australian Architecture Awards are a hierarchical process.  Starting in some states at a regional level, working through to chapter and state level and then to a National Awards program. 

So for us, the Presentations to the Jury represent each of our local practices first steps in this process, and for many of the projects presented it is the first time they will be shown publicly.   

The awards are the main opportunity we have to celebrate the work of our peers and our state and they present an opportunity for our community to engage with the great projects our profession is undertaking.

Thank you to all entrants who submitted an entry into the Institutes Awards program, as well as the jury – Megan Baynes, Felicity Bott, Neal Mackintosh, Shelley Penn & Martin Simpson.  Thank you to the chapter staff Jennifer, Fiona, Katie, Pip and Lara as well as our Awards Taskforce – David Button, Rachel Englund, Neal Mackintosh, Craig Rosevear, Matt Sansom, Bek Verrier and Fred Ward for all the work done organising the awards program so far.

To those not participating in the awards as entrants please come along to the upcoming awards functions and support your peers, the profession, Tasmanian architecture and great design. 

Shamus Mulcahy RAIA
President, Tasmanian Chapter,
Australian Institute of Architects