ACT Chapter President’s Message – December 2016

 

The last post for the year…. and what a year it has been. As you frantically go about reducing the pile of tasks that have accumulated over the year, we encourage to find some time to destress and reflect on the good times with your peers at our Christmas Party on the 15th. I promise that it will be lots of fun and the speeches will be minimal!

We have just come out of Canberra’s most ambitious ever design festival which ran for the month of November. CraftACT, and in particular Rachael Coglan, are to be thanked for their extraordinary efforts in advancing the understanding of design and its benefits to society. The ACT chapter ran a series of successful tours and we were delighted to see hundreds of people come and visit Mugga Way. Thanks go out to the numerous members who volunteered their time.

At a recent National Council meeting we discussed how to rebrand/reposition the AIA to ensure it is adapting to meet the needs of members in this ever changing climate. Over the course of 2017 you will begin to see some tangible changes to how we address advocacy via a clear and targeted communications strategy. We will see an increased role in education through mentoring programs for both students and architects. And we will be working towards updating our technology so that we can better deliver our message to both members and the public, whilst also making it easier for members to access our many online programs and resources. Expect to also see the rollout of some clearly defined national committees that address some of the core issues like the practice of architecture. 

We look forward to seeing you at the Christmas Party. If you don’t make it, then enjoy the festive season, the hot weather, and time with family and friends. Thank you for your involvement in the Institute and may 2017 find you every success in the world of architecture. 

 

Rob Henry

ACT Chapter President