I would sincerely like to thank everyone who contributed to the production of this year’s Tasmanian Architecture Awards. The awards have become a podium for the exploration of ideas and this year we experimented with inviting the public to celebrate and experience the works of our members. Our team endeavours to take forward what we have learnt into future years and we believe that it is a positive step in a dialogue that advocates the value of architecture and the expertise of our members and the profession within the greater community.
To our members who donated their time, laser levels and passion, every small task contributes greatly to the overall event and I thank you all for your generosity. Thank you to the Awards Committee for your ongoing contribution and guidance. I would especially like to acknowledge and thank the creative direction of Emily and Adam Ouston, who developed a challenging program that celebrated the future and the innate impact that architecture has. The future is truly positive if we look at the standard of the work that was both entered and awarded this year.
I have the privilege of working with an incredible team and I always say that it is how you deal with the challenges that truly counts. The team did this in my unexpected absence during the lead up to the awards with professionalism and a passion for the profession that I am truly thankful for.
Collectively the awards have become a platform for the exploration of ideas, and we look forward to continuing this tradition whilst growing and learning from every event.
Jennifer Nichols Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter Australian Institute of Architects
Thank you to all who came out to the opening of the 2019 Tasmanian Architecture Awards Exhibitions – both in Hobart and Launceston. We had an amazing turn out for both events, 210 and nearly 100 respectively and it is heartening to seeing so many people interested in our built environment. The Hobart exhibition is on show till July 14 at Brooke Street Pier and I encourage those who haven’t visited to have a look at the range of architecture that is being produced in Tasmania. Also please encourage your networks to engage in the People’s Choice as this is a public advocacy tool providing the Institute with a valuable platform to promote Tasmanian architects and architecture.
The awards will be presented on Saturday 6 July at the Odeon
Theatre Hobart, at a dinner creatively directed by Adam and Emily Ouston – we’d
love to see you all at that event! I would like to thank Emily and Adam for the
exciting event that they are curating, one that highlights the creative
dynamism of the profession and should be a night to remember!
There have been a handful of changes in our committees, with
Shane Cox stepping down as chair of the Practice Committee after many years in
this role. I’d like to thank him for the commitment he has shown to the
Institute, this committee and the National Practice Committee over many years.
Roles like this take considerable effort and time and his contribution has been
significant – thank you Shane. Misho Vasiljevich will step into this
role, and I know he will represent our members well – thank you Misho for
taking up this challenge. I am also happy to announce that Brad Wheeler
is the new chair of the Education Committee. With his background in government
and his knowledge of the Chapter I believe this will serve us well as we move
forward – thank you Brad for your ongoing commitment to the Chapter and the
profession. It is the volunteer contribution of our members that highlights the
great strength of our organisation and should be valued by us all.
In the office, Philippa Grainger has stepped into a
permanent role as Events and Finance Coordinator and I feel very lucky to have
her permanently as part of our close knit team. As always the commitment to the
profession of our staff is inspiring – always going above and beyond their
roles to do their best for the profession.
Jennifer Nichols Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter Australian Institute of Architects
This
is the question posed by the curators of the 2019 National Architecture
Conference.
Tasmania
traditionally has many of the most politically engaged communities in the
country. With our small population, overly proportional political
representation, and a contemporary history littered with environmental and
community battles played out in the political sphere, we are a population with
a heightened political awareness. As a chapter, our members are naturally
representative of the microcosm of the community we draw from.
A year has passed since 36 Tasmanians made the trip north to attend the 2018 conference on the Gold Coast. As this is my last e-news message before the 2019 National Architecture Conference takes place in Melbourne on 20-22nd June, I thought it important to reflect on why the conference is important for the profession generally and for our chapter.
Hosting
1000 delegates each year, the National Architecture Conference is the
profession’s largest annual gathering. Over a two day period the conference
will host 26 renowned local and international speakers over eight sessions. In
addition to the conference program there are many fringe events including an
opening party, workshops, site visits and walking tours. It’s great that our
chapter is represented with Mat Hinds and Poppy Taylor as speakers.
This
year’s conference has been curated by Monique Woodward (WOWOWA) and
Stephen Choi, (Living Future Institute Australia) and the theme is, Collective
Agency. The theme
raises the notion that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and with
unity comes an ability to affect an outcome. The conference will hear from architects
and thought-leaders, challenging the status quo and celebrating projects from
small, medium, and large practices inside and outside of architecture.
Speakers
will encourage attendees to reflect on today’s challenges, the articulation of
more meaningful protocols, and the willingness to act towards change. Attendees
will be challenged to re-examine their professional
aspirations.
Our beautiful state and strong sense of identity are virtues,
however with the national conference so close to our shores, this represents an
excellent opportunity to take time from practice and reflect on the amazing
work being undertaken interstate. It is
also an unrivalled
opportunity for networking and continuing professional development
opportunities (10 massive CPD points!).
I dream of a day where the national conference might be held on our shores. The first political act toward this end must be a strong presence at the National Conference – we currently have 35 attendees and would love to see this number grow. So please take this chance to be part of a national conversation about architecture and join Mat, Poppy and the rest of us in flying the flag for our chapter and state on the national stage.
Shamus
Note:
The Australian Institute of Architects has organised preferential rates for conference attendees at a number of hotels in Melbourne so if you are interested check out the conference web site here for more detailed information.
Shamus Mulcahy RAIA President, Tasmanian Chapter, Australian Institute of Architect
As the Tassie weather cools down things are heating up in the Tas Chapter this week as we prepare for the launch of the Tasmanian Architecture Awards Exhibition in Launceston this Thursday. If you are able to attend it is an excellent opportunity to support your fellow peers, the architecture industry and to promote good design to the wider community. The exhibition will be open to the public until Friday 7th June. Pop in and see this year’s entries while it’s up north and cast your vote in the People’s Choice prize. The Hobart exhibition launch will take place on Thursday 13 June 2019 – stay tuned for further details of the evening.
I also strongly encourage firms to get involved with the Discipline of Architecture and Design’s Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Program. This work experience program provides students with the opportunity to experience professional practice and develop their knowledge and skills in a real workplace environment. The placement duration is for 14-15 days and there is a high amount of interest from students seeking placements so please get involved by viewing the briefing document here and sending completed registration forms to Gregory Nolan.
Jennifer Nichols Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter Australian Institute of Architects
On the 18th of May Australians will head to the polls armed with a small slip of paper, an even smaller pencil and a sausage, to determine who will govern our country.
Leading up to the election, the Institute nationally has contacted each of the major parties with a series of questions and queries around their policy positions in relation to key issues facing our profession. The Institute is in the process of chasing responses to these questions and once received, will collate the responses and circulate them for all members.
In addition to this, the Institute recently issued a media release titled “Good Design Adds Value” with its 2019 Federal Election Platform. This platform is aimed at improving the enduring health and wellbeing of all Australians and our diverse communities.
The platform includes six key focus areas, with the Institute making 31 recommendations to the Australian Government; these recommendations emphasise the social and economic benefits of quality design, deliverable through use of the architectural profession.
The six key areas are:
1. Fostering Thriving Cities and Regions
2. Housing a Diverse and Inclusive Community
3. Improving Building Regulation
4. Addressing Climate Change
5. Capitalising on Creativity
6. Supporting Australian Skills and Trade
I would encourage all members to please take the time to read this document as there is much relevance in the suggested initiatives for us to implement at a local scale.
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
I had the pleasure of watching the Tasmania Architecture Awards presentations to the jury on Saturday. It was wonderful to see such a diverse range of projects with 40 entries over nine categories, along with seeing newcomers enter the awards. As Shamus Mulcahy aptly noted on the weekend, “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.” It is always great to take part and support our fellow peers and I encourage everyone to get involved in promoting architecture in Tasmania on social media through sharing this year’s entrants with the wider community. We will release further details in the coming weeks.
Jennifer Nichols Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter Australian Institute of Architects
A notable architect and ex-president of the NSW Chapter of the Institute once remarked that ‘gender equity was the issue of our time’.
As
the celebrations around International Women’s Day subside, it is important to
reflect on what this means for our profession. Despite increasing numbers of
women in the workforce, inequality remains:
women
represent 50.8% of the general population but only 31% of the architectural
workforce;
from the
ages of 25-40 the number of men in the profession remains stable whilst the
numbers on women decrease by 50% – there are many reasons for this, however the
most sobering static is that the next decade 40-50 age group: instead of
bottoming out, this trend continues reducing by another 50%;
more than
77% of women are employees rather than owners;
the gender
pay gap persists generally across the board, however, the 25–29 age group has
near equal numbers of women and men participating with similar levels of
experience and yet a gender pay gap of 5.2% exists.
The
Institute’s National Gender Equity Policy recognises that, ‘many systemic,
often unintended and largely invisible effects continue to impact on the
participation and progression of women within the Australian workforce, and
specifically within the architecture profession.’
Over
the last 15 years statistics suggest that there have been some incremental
improvements.
The
ParlourCensus Report 2001–2016:
Women in Architecture in Australia maps
comparative statistics from 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016 and despite the inequity,
there has been incremental improvement over each census period:
women are increasing their proportion of the architectural workforce, and are increasingly owners of architectural practices;
the proportion of women becoming registered is closer to their graduation rate;
from 2011 to 2016 there was equitable attrition of men and women from architecture for those aged over forty;
while a long-hour culture is still prevalent in the architecture profession, particularly for men, there has been an easing off in recorded working hours since the 2001 census.
However,
we still have a long way to go to achieve equity. So, what can we do?
call out
unacceptable behaviour and support those around you who do also;
remove the
pay gap;
create
flexible workplaces supporting each employee’s diverse situation;
reduce the
propensity for long hours and provide flexibility and opportunities for part
time work;
make work
meaningful for all whether full time or part time;
provide
mentoring and support for women towards registration and into leadership
positions;
provide
opportunities and pathways for career progression for all;
get involved
with your local Institute Chapter Committee for Gender Equity;
apply the Insitute’s
Gender Equity Policy to your practice;
nominate a
practitioner for the Paula Whitman-Leadership in Gender Equity Prize;
offer the Institute’s
Parental Leave – Special Circumstances Membership to employers on parental leave;
get involved
with Male Champions for Change;
support the
Findlay Project locally.
The
Institute has a National Committee for Gender Equity if you would like to learn
more about this issue. Start by checking out the Institute’s National Committee
for Gender Equity web page and read the Institute’s Gender Equity Policy as
well as some of the other interesting articles and links.
Here in the Tasmanian Chapter of the Institute,
we are proud to have an equitable and diverse representation of voices on
Chapter Council.
Genevieve Lilley is the Tasmanian
Representative on the National Committee for Gender Equity. If anyone has any
queries about this committee or the work that they are doing, please ask
Genevieve. For anyone interested in being a part of this committee, keep an eye
on the e-news over the next few weeks and when this vacancy is advertised, I
encourage you to make an application.
Shamus Mulcahy RAIA President, Tasmanian Chapter, Australian Institute of Architects
I am very honoured to be Chapter President and I am excited by the opportunities that lie ahead over the next few years. I look forward to doing my best to promote The Institute and to support you, our members.
The Institute’s three-year strategy focuses on education, advocacy, and practice. These platforms each offer unique opportunities to advance The Institute and the interests of our members, with the overall goal of improving the quality and sustainability of our built environment. Yes, there will be challenges and plenty of elbow grease required, but with passion, collaboration and participation anything is possible, and we can make the most of the diverse opportunities available to us in our wonderful state.
Over the last few months I’ve been gradually transitioning into my new role as Chapter President, and last week Yvette, Jennifer and I met with the Lord Mayor of Hobart, Anna Reynolds, to touch base and to discuss our shared vision for the city. For me, the coming weeks entail meeting with chapter councillors individually, attending committee meetings and participating in my first National Council meeting in Canberra. I’ll be continuing to build on the Institute’s longstanding relationship with UTAS Architecture and Design and Master Builders Tasmania through regular meetings.
I’d like to congratulate and welcome new chapter councillors Emily Ouston, Dik Jarman and Daniel Lane, as well as returning councillors, Richard Crawford and Carly McMahon.
Finally, I’d like to thank Yvette who has done an amazing job as Chapter President over the last term. I have personally witnessed the tremendous amount of time and the enormous commitment Yvette has made, for which we are truly grateful. As I reflect on the legacy of her term – including her fierce advocacy in promoting gender equality within the profession, the success of Open House Hobart and Launceston, and her role in strengthening ties with government and key ministers – I know that the benefit to our members, profession and the greater community will be longstanding.
I am hoping we can build on the work of Yvette and the previous council and I look forward to working with all chapter councillors and the Institute team to achieve this.
Shamus Mulcahy RAIA
President, Tasmanian Chapter,
Australian Institute of Architects
As the end of the year draws near, we are excited that entries are now open for the Tasmanian Architecture Awards. The Awards recognise the finest accomplishments of Tasmanian architects and we encourage members to engage with the process, whether it be through entering a project, attending the presentation to the jury, or through the active encouragement of peers.
I am delighted to announce Shamus Mulcahy as the new Chapter President for the 2019-2020 term. Congratulations also to Emily Ouston, Daniel Lane & Dik Jarman who will be joining the Tas Chapter Council this year, with returning members Richard Crawford and Carly McMahon. We are looking forward to working with the Tasmanian Chapter Council to tackle industry issues and promote the profession in the coming years.
Every week the chapter office draws closer to the final tally for attendees at this year’s Open House Hobart, currently the total sits at 18,497, with a few venues still left to count. We are very happy to see the numbers fast approaching 19,000 after a huge effort from our Institute members, the greater architectural community and of course the general public.
Lastly, I’d love to extend a warm invitation to you all for our upcoming Christmas parties taking place in Launceston on Thursday the 6th and Hobart on Friday the 14th, please be sure to RSVP.
Jennifer Nichols
Executive Director, Tasmanian Chapter
Australian Institute of Architects
