Last week we heard some disturbing news from the Minister for Finance, Services and Property, Dominic Perrottet. The Government Architect’s Office, which currently competes with the private sector for architectural projects, is to have its staff slashed from 120 to about 12 as part of a move to strengthen its focus on providing strategic design advice to government.

The Institute welcomes the move to an advisory role; it meshes with our campaign for greater ‘professionalism and consistency across the whole of public sector procurement. But we question how the GAO can possibly fulfil this role effectively with a staff as small as 12. I am seeking a meeting with the Minister on this issue as soon as possible.

The Bays Precinct

The Bays Precinct program will transform 80 hectares of under-utilised government- owned land and 94 hectares of harbour waterways two kilometres west of the Sydney CBD into a destination that could contribute significantly to the economic, cultural and social well-being of the city and the state over the next 50 years. It will be the largest urban renewal program in Sydney since the 2000 Olympics.

Four NSW Chapter members attended the international summit held on 19/20 November last year. Joe Agius subsequently provided a list of principles for a strategic plan for the precinct to UrbanGrowth NSW at the CEO’s request.

I attended a stakeholders’ summit last month and was also impressed by the genuine openness of the consultation process being pursued, a far cry from the closed processes used for the development of the Barangaroo and Darling Harbour precincts. As a result of this meeting the Institute will take the opportunity to make a submission as part of Urban Growth’s “call for great ideas” initiative to document what the Institute regards as good process for brief formulation, procurement and design review and quality.

Later this week I will have the opportunity to interview the UrbanGrowth NSW CEO for a forthcoming edition of Architecture Bulletin focusing on the strategic contribution of architects and architecture to urban renewal.

Chapter News

It was a pleasure to welcome new Chapter Manager Audrey Braun and introduce her to Chapter Council members at our June meeting. Audrey is already settling in very well as she is briefed on the many strands of her multi-faceted role. We are also anticipating the imminent appointment of a new Architecture Bulletin editor and media officer.

NSW Architecture Awards

Tickets are selling fast for this year’s awards ceremony, to be held at the prestigious and historically significant Sydney Town Hall on Thursday 2 July. I hope to see you there with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, NSW Premier Mike Baird and Minister for Planning Rob Stokes, Chapter Council and members. Fenella Kernebone will again be our knowledgeable and engaging host for our ‘night of nights’.

Shaun Carter
NSW Chapter President

I’m sure those members who attended the Institute’s national conference in Melbourne last week share my sense that it was one of our best ever. It threw up many ideas that challenge our profession to think about our future direction more creatively in the coming years. I certainly want to be part of that conversation.

I’m also pleased to report substantial progress on a number of fronts in the NSW Chapter in recent weeks.

Gender equity

At the end of last month our facilitator, Dr Jess Murphy, and I hosted the first meeting of the Champions of Change program. It was a very good start. Nine interesting men from medium to large practices told a variety of stories about their journeys along the road to gender equity in their practices and in their dealings with professional colleagues. I was struck by the honesty of their stories and the strength of their desire to be an effective champion. I am confident that the camaraderie developed at that meeting will lead to substantial progress in the years ahead.

Higher quality apartment design research project

This exciting project, instigated by the Institute, brings together key architects and experienced researchers from three universities. I’m pleased that Deputy NSW Government Architect Helen Lochhead accepted my invitation to head up this project.

It is all very well for those in the know to talk eloquently about the beneficial impact of good design on the lives of apartment dwellers, but what we need after 13 years of apartment buildings regulated by SEPP 65 is hard data to back up the rhetoric.

If we can match qualitative research with quantitative data we will be able to define ‘amenity’ with metrics based on information from the real world of existing apartments. The effect on community attitudes towards the construction industry could be profound.

The available evidence suggests that well-designed apartments can improve the quality of life of the inhabitants and may lower costs to the government and the community through reduced mental and physical health costs. We need to be able to quantify this improvement and measure the cost savings.

Mentoring program

The revived program was launched last week with over 100 participants. It differs from the previous program in that the mentors and mentees are usually separated in age by only five to 10 years. This means that the mentees can relate to their mentors more easily and can understand that the next career steps are within their reach. It is also mentee-led; the mentee drives the agenda and goal-setting, making it easier for the mentor to provide support and a broader perspective. Thanks to Monica Edwards and Laura Meyer as the energetic drivers of the program, with excellent professional help from Annette Gray of Growth Leadership Solutions.

Chapter Council on the road

The first of our out-of-town Chapter Council meetings was hosted by the Inner West Architects’ Network early this month. This was a great evening that gave the networks the opportunity to ask questions and engage their Council and President in conversation on what they see as the Institute’s priorities, and ideas to strengthen the relationship between the Networks and the Institute. The next of these meetings will be hosted by Hassell, then there’s the Country Division Bathurst conference in September.

Shaun Carter
NSW Chapter President

Dear Members

In the few weeks since taking on the role of NSW President, two things have become very clear to me:

1. The Institute takes on a vast range of activities, from contracts to the effective committee system and everything in between;
2. Because of this range, and in view of the limited resources the Institute has at its disposal, we need to form and continue good working relationships with like-minded organisations to achieve our broad aims as a professional association.

Revised ABIC Contracts
In regard to the first point, I am pleased to report that, following some minor but necessary amendments to bring the simple works and major works housing contracts into alignment with the amended Home Building Act, the new contracts can now be ordered by contacting the Chapter office at nsw@architecture.com.au. You can also exchange unused old contracts for new ones for no fee.

The main differences between the old and new contracts are:

• the checklist for owners is now 14 items instead of 12
• the deposit is now a maximum of 10% (previously a maximum 5% if over $20,000)
• there is a qualifier on page 2 about termination rights, and a statement that the major works contract is not to be used for single dwellings.

For further information, please go to the Fair Trading website.

Apartment Design Quality
SEPP65 is currently under review, and the former Residential Flat Design Code has morphed into the Apartment Design Guide. The Chapter made a spirited submission last year and is looking forward to continuing that conversation with the Department of Planning & Environment.

As the only statutory document in Australia specifically focused on design quality and requiring the use of architects in the design of apartment buildings, the SEPP has been a source of pride for NSW architects. The quality of our apartment buildings is the envy of other states; at the national level the Institute is actively encouraging the adoption of the SEPP’s design principles by other jurisdictions.

These gains for design quality can only be guaranteed, however, if the profession is vigilant in defending and arguing for them. We cannot assume there will not be attempts in future years to dilute the SEPP, particularly through a relaxation of the metrics governing ceiling height, building depth, solar access and other factors that are fundamental to its effectiveness.

What has become clear to me recently through our close contacts with the design excellence staff at the City of Sydney is that there appears to be a dearth of quantitative and qualitative research supporting the case for the retention and enhancement of the SEPP. We need hard data supported by “real” stories demonstrating why apartments are now the dominant housing choice in NSW and the reasons why new owners are making that choice.

I am pleased to report that, following a discussion with the Built Environment Committee, I am convening a workshop later this month with universities, other research organisations and the professions to determine the extent of existing research in this area, and also the shape of the future research we need. We intend to form partnerships with other organisations and skilled researchers and find sources for the funding of this work.

I will report to you on the progress on this important task as it proceeds.

Shaun Carter
NSW President

Dear Members

It’s a great honour to have been elected your President. I am energised but also humbled by this appointment. I recognise all too well that Joe Agius has been extraordinarily effective in this role. He’s a hard act to follow – but I promise you I will give it my best shot.

My three big priorities:

Advocacy

My advocacy for you will be within the NSW Chapter & its committees, but also for you at National Council.

My advocacy for you will be through traditional and social media to communicate to the wider public, government & business groups the value of using an architect and investing in architecture.

Equity

I am passionate about gender equity. As a founding member of the Gender Equity Taskforce, I will support the profession to embrace equitable workplaces.  We can do this by:

• keeping more of our women in work through the maternity period of their lives;
• letting men know that they too can have flexible work hours to help raise their children; and
• supporting mid career architects up-skill, up-career and get registered.

Membership

Together we are stronger. I want our membership to grow. With greater numbers we have greater power to effect change.

I want you to feel your membership is of great value to you, whether that is through a more cost effective membership, better information through Chapter Council and its committees, or one of the service arms of the profession like Acumen.

I look forward to working with you and for you during my two-year term.

Farewell to Roslyn Irons

One thing we as members need to realise is that the quality of the Chapter Manager is crucial to the effectiveness of the President, the Chapter Council, the committees and to the many and varied activities organised by Chapter staff. We have been fortunate that Roslyn Irons has been exemplary in the way she has developed outreach opportunities for the Chapter and has re-organised the office structure to enable it to carry out its work in partnership with members.

After seven and a half years Roslyn has been given the opportunity to return to the health services industry as State Manager of the NSW & ACT faculty of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners. We are very sorry she is leaving us, but grateful for all she has achieved for the Institute in her time with us – and we wish her well in her new role.

Shaun Carter
NSW President Elect

Dear Members

Positive change requires lobbying and advocacy over a number of years. Much of the work of an individual President is just one link in a chain of discussions, submissions and correspondence that both precedes and follows them.

A case in point is our work with the Association of Consulting Architects and Consult Australia in encouraging more consistency and fairness in the procurement of architectural services across the breadth of the public sector. I’m convinced we will get there in the end, but it’s work that requires energy and determination over a long time frame.

Regarding the City of Sydney, our interests are more specific and short-term. While the Institute fully supports the objectives and positive outcomes of the Competitive Design Policy, we are convinced that it could achieve more equitable outcomes for the participating architects.

Late last year I was pleased to attend two roundtable discussions, organised for members who had participated in the City of Sydney’s competitive design process by Institute Life Fellow Graham Jahn, Director of City Planning, Development and Transport. As a result of those discussions, and to recognise in particular the current mismatch between the fees paid to participating practices and the deliverables required, we will shortly commence a research project with the City. This will involve the collection of data from practices that have participated in City competitions over the past two years to help to determine an appropriate range of fees and deliverables for the competition process.

As this is my last message to you as NSW President, I want to take this opportunity to thank Chapter Council, our committees and you, the members, for your support during my term. It’s also appropriate to thank all the Chapter staff, and especially the NSW Manager, Roslyn Irons, for their enthusiasm and hard work, much of which goes unnoticed and unacknowledged – ironically the supreme accolade for an efficient and well run office!

I hope I have made a positive contribution to the advancement of the profession over the last two years. I look forward to handing over to Shaun Carter as incoming President. I’m sure he will distinguish himself in the role as he develops new strategic directions with the staff and incoming councillors.

Thank you and farewell.

Joe Agius
NSW President

Dear Members

As the NSW population grows the liveability and prosperity of the state will increasingly rely on the quality of its built environment and the design and integration of its infrastructure and transport systems.

The design professions are crucial to the delivery of productive, safe, vibrant, liveable and memorable environments. Architects are also key defenders of public access to publicly owned land and heritage assets.

During my term as President the NSW Chapter has engaged with politicians in relation to:

• the planning system;
• Greater Sydney Commission;
• retention and adaptive reuse of public heritage assets; and
• procurement of building projects by public agencies.

We continually advocate for the use of design skills and insights to create a better built environment for the whole community.

1.   NSW Chapter 2015 election platform

The forthcoming election on 28 March has given us the opportunity to crystallise our policy positions and to engage directly with the political parties. We want to work positively with the incoming government to achieve a well-designed built environment and a portfolio of enduring quality public assets.

Survey of political party policy positions

This week the Chapter will be seeking responses from the political parties to questions based on our Policy Platform.

Their responses will be published on our website.

Media release

The Chapter will issue a media release based on the policy platform and the responses of the parties towards the end of next month.

Brochure for members

The Chapter will prepare a brochure for members to use in conversations with their local candidates and other built environment professionals.

How you can get involved – starting a conversation about quality outcomes

This is advance notice that we will be encouraging members to engage in conversations with their local candidates and to discuss their party’s position on the issues raised in the brochure.

2.   NSW Chapter Election

A reminder that we also have an election of our own currently underway! Voting for NSW President and Chapter Council positions close at 4:00pm on Tuesday 10 February. I urge you to exercise your democratic right thoughtfully and send your votes to the Institute’s Company Secretary by the deadline.

3.   Australia Day Honours

Congratulations to Institute Life Fellow Richard Thorp, named Member of the Order of Australia yesterday. Educated at the University of Melbourne, Richard worked with Daryl Jackson and in London before entering the New Parliament House competition with Romaldo Giurgola and Ehrman B Mitchell. Richard was project architect for the building, managing a team of 150 architects. In 2002 he became Managing Director of Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp Architects, retiring from the practice in 2009. He has been President of the NSW Architects Registration Board since 2004 and is currently President of the Architects Accreditation Council Australia.

Joe Agius
NSW Chapter President