Well I can’t believe it’s October and Christmas is just around the corner and we have a busy calendar for the rest of the year. The first bit of news is the Office is moving with our official first day in the new office the 16^th of October. Our lease is finishing, at the end of the month, and we needed to find secure safe accommodations for our small team. Although we will still be working our three days we will have full reception services for the full week. There are also some great meeting and CPD spaces available. The new address is: Regus – Charles Darwin Centre, Level 16, 19 Smith Street The Mall, Darwin, 0800 so if you are in town please pop in and say hi.

As part of our move we are looking at what is in the current office and we will be making sure the history of the chapter is preserved. We are working with NT Archives so that there is a permanent place celebrating the History of the NT Chapter. For all the library materials we are working with CDU’s Library which mean this will be on hand based at the Casuarina Campus. We are also going through to see if there are any photos and any we find will go into a book and be kept on hand. We are setting aside the 10^th of October to go through photos and other memorabilia from 4-6pm so please come along and reminisce as we make sure we keep the history. We will be taking the President honour board and the Tracy sign with us. The furniture we look like we have a buyer and the rest with be donated to charity or distributed to other offices across Australia.

The National Australian Institute of Architects Awards are being held on the 1st November 2018 in Melbourne and the NT has two short listed projects the first being for Public Architecture – the Garden Cemetery Chapel – Susan Dugdale and Associates and the second for Enduring Architecture – the Bowali Visitor Centre, Kakadu – Troppo Architects in association with Glenn Murcutt and Associates. Congratulations to our amazing NT Architects once again.

Super Studio was great with two teams competing this year. Robert Foote and Rossi Kourounis, two impressive Darwin based Architects, coordinated the event which was a successful model for the future. We were also thankful for the mentoring team of Architects who joined in to mentor throughout the two days. The projects the students presented were thought provoking and inspirational and showed real creativity in presenting their projects.

This month saw us respond to the Review, Reframe, Renew NTG Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics – Planning Reforms Phase 1. We recognise that the proposed reforms have been developed to improve the system and provide a basis for good design and governance into the future. We are gratified that many of our previous recommendations have been included in the proposed reforms, particularly the concept of a tiered, simplified planning system; meaningful community involvement; and transparency about the decision-making process. We also strongly support improving integration of planning and infrastructure and the AIA NT Chapter will continue to work with the Department to improve Planning in the Northern Territory, making it a robust, transparent system that will support appropriate, quality projects in the Territory.

Charmain Enthaler Architect Lecturer at CDU has handed over the baton to Robert Foote as the NT Education Representative and Robert had a baptism of fire attending the National Education Committee (NEC) meeting in Adelaide a couple of weeks after accepting the role. A central discussion from an NT perspective is around the CDU Architecture course and future development. The concept discussion from CDU is looking at changing the degree to being ‘industry based’, where students can take industry-based units drawing upon industry expertise. We need to tease out what this actually means as well as whether Architecture practices have capacity to deliver. Teaching and learning areas identified are very specific including computer-aided modelling (2&3D), design, construction and work integrated learning. The AIA NT Chapter view is that we should expand the program to a Centre of Excellence in Tropical and Desert Architecture and this needs to be considered when discussing the future of course deliverables and pedagogical models. We would also like to thank Charmain for the work and commitment she has done being our representative on the committee and we look forward to working with you on support growth of the CDU Architecture degree.

The AIA National Practice Committee meets once a month to discuss any issues that affect the practice of Architecture and has representatives from every State and Territory with Beck Adams as the NT representative. Over the past few months some of the issues which have been prominent have been:

• Membership structure of the Institute – as you are aware this is currently under review nationally.
• ABIC Contracts, and the issue of banks refusing to use them, in the context of Procurement in general. ABIC contracts are one of the only ones which allow for the architect to administer the contract
• Communications brochures – an updated brochure for clients on why and how to use an architect has been approved for issue nationally. This will be available through the AIA.
• Time/Cost calculator – surveys were sent out to practice directors several months ago. The survey period has now closed, and the invaluable information provided is currently being incorporated into a calculator to assist architects and those procuring architectural services in determining appropriate fees
• Safety in Design – this is an ongoing project to try to provide a template for architects to use in Safety in Design assessments.
• Mentoring – State based small, medium and large practice forums have been established in most states, meeting monthly. In the Northern Territory we are hoping to develop a general practice forum to discuss practice issues that are relevant to the NT.

As you are aware the digital transformation is well underway and Acumen is a key part of that. Jo Rees, the NT Chapter’s representative, attended the face to face meeting last month. Acumen was a little ‘unfriendly’ to the user so there has been a lot of work in having a user friendly functional interface that supports Architects to work effectively with the program and in their practices. If you haven’t already gone into the Practice Notes you can link from the Institutes web page. Other issues discussed were around insurance, Banks and AIBC contracts as well as collaborating with the National Practice Committee on ‘working with an Architect’.

The Code of Conduct for AIA members is currently under review. The NT Chapter has recommended that there be changes to the Code to reflect the National Gender Equity Committee decisions from 2015 including Architects roles and responsibilities to employees and additional language around diversity and workplace equality. We expect the recommendations for the changes to come through over the next few months for final review before this goes to the National Council early next year.

In September the NT Chapter was notified that two of the AIANT recommendations to be on the NT Architects Registration Board were accepted. The new AIA representatives are Sarah Williamson from Bennett Design and Adam Walker from DKJ. We would also like to thank David Bridgman for his contribution to the Board over the last few years.

This month is October Business Month and I encourage all members to have a look at what is available to support you and your business to grow. There are many great sessions which are free or inexpensive across the NT. These are opportunities for you to support your business growth as well as an opportunity to network with allied industries. I strongly encourage you to look at the calendar and book in. I go to as many events as possible and always feel that a get good ‘take home’ learnings to support both my personal and professional growth. https://obm.nt.gov.au/

As we are coming to the end of the year we have our final CPD and networking session with USG BORAL on Internal Wall and Ceiling Solutions for High Humidity which is being held on the 31^st of October at the RFDS Museum on the wharf.  There will be four guest speakers flying in for this event and I would be great to get as many people there as possible to discuss such an important topical issue which is pertinent to our lifestyle here in the tropics. We look forward to seeing you there

This year sees a change to how the Emerging Architect prize and tour happens. In the past the prize was granted in the previous year and the tour happening 12 -14 months after the award. This year we will technically have two winners as the 2017 winner toured earlier this year and the 2018 tour will be before the end of the year. Next year’s 2019 winner will be announced as usual at the Architecture Conference and the tour will happening the same year bringing this into line with other industry standards. The 2018 winner is Christina Na-heon Cho from Queensland and she will be a guest at the NT Chapter end of year Christmas function on the 30^th November.

This leads on perfectly to the AIA Northern Territory Chapter’s Christmas Party, as just mentioned, is on Friday the 30^th November from 4pm in our new workspace (Regus – Charles Darwin Centre, Level 16, 19 Smith Street The Mall, Darwin). We look forward to hearing the journey that Christina has been on as an emerging architect as well as having a chance to network.

Cheers

Raquel

From the ED

July saw us still following on with some of the business from June so has been a busy time. The Awards has of course finally wrapped up and planning for 2019 is well underway so save the date form 1^st June 2019 in Alice Springs. We are working hard to offer attendees with architectural tours and tourism partner programs so this will be a destination Awards ceremony.

For CPD this month we had a presentation from Andrew Hudson at Bondor on BIM/Expansion Joint (Step Joint) vs End Lap. It was an interesting discussion particularly as there is a lot of discussion around this Nationally.

This month a variety of policy discussions have been put out by the NT Government which we are currently working on  as well as writing to the minister in support of Alice Springs becoming the base of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Museum (NATSIAM). This month the Northern Territory government put out for comment the Alice Springs Plan which is looking at the CBD and changes to zoning. The Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics is undertaking another Car Parking Study for the Darwin CBD in fact I think this will be the third in five years with both council and NTG doing earlier studies outside the one commissioned for the underground carpark. Finally, the Planning commission has consultations and workshops underway to look at Planning reform across the NT. For any further information we are slowly putting up previous submission for your information (link to NT Advocacy page  http://sitefinity.architecture.com.au/events/state-territory/nt-chapter/nt-policy-and-advocacy)

This month we see the Gold Medallist – Alec Tzannes come to town to meet with the EmAGN crew as well as giving a presentation to members on the 16^th August. This is an awesome time to catch up with fellow members as well as getting to hear the journey of the winner. This event is supported by the AIA’s Principal Partner BlueScope so Mark Amos will be in town as well so a great time to catch up. The Gold Medal is the most prestigious awards for Architecture in Australia and its great the NT is part of the tour.

Each month we try and offer events that members want to attend however the low numbers attending make it hard to entice people to come and deliver programs here. These events are also good to see what is happening in the world of Architecture as well as being able to network. I look forward to seeing you all at the Gold Medal function.

This Newsletter is the first in the new format and as part of this we will have interesting articles both on architecture and topical issues that happen in workplaces. This will provide a forum to discuss some serious topics as well as covering interesting things happening in our community and in Architecture here in the NT.  If you are interested in contributing to this please let me know.

Cheers

Raquel

The NT the opportunities

I came to the NT over 20 years ago as a graduate architect with very little experience. Coming from Canberra I had dabbled in some measured drawings and that got me my first job I worked on a measured drawing of the Fannie Bay goal, it was fate, I walked off the street just when my skills were required, the opportunity. From that work I moved onto doing remote housing in Kakadu and on the gulf in North Queensland I vividly remember the opportunity of visiting some amazing country and taken to see rock art and sites not many people get to see.

With a change of government in the mid 1990’s one of the large projects in the office I was working on was stopped and 5 people lost their jobs that day. It was a cross roads for me and I seriously thought about moving away. I had travelled to Darwin in a Kombi and still had it but love for my now husband kept me in Darwin, and I was very lucky to obtain another job with a small firm.

The experience I obtained in a firm of only 2 or 3 was amazing over the next 5 years we worked on schools, defence, remote schools, remote housing, and interiors meant I had skills documenting projects of a wide variety of sizes.

My first career break came in 2000 with the birth of my first child and with another following less than a year and half later I did not work on anything other than renovating my own home. I did work part time for a year and then had another break for the birth of my third and fourth children. With more renovations to my own home I had little time for anything else with only 5 years between all of them. Never marry an architect and keep her pregnant she will be forever changing your house.

The opportunity to return to work part-time came in 2006 and I was able to step into a role very different from my earlier work, I was primarily doing contract administration. Working on site with builder really completed by architectural education I could see how buildings went together and this only assisted with my drawings and detailing. Over the years since then I have gradually increased my hours as the children grew and finally obtained my registration in 2009. I previously had had not desire to get registered by when my workplace was purchased by a larger firm they encouraged me. Since then I have been fortunate to work all over the NT on a huge variety of projects and am now running an office of 9.

We are very lucky in the Territory to have the opportunity to work on a huge variety of projects across climatic regions it is one of the benefits of smaller population and isolation. I can think of nothing worse than sitting in a concrete box all day drawing toilets or the like over, and over again. Encouraging graduates to travel to our perfect territory will not only benefit them and give them opportunity it will allow our local firms to thrive.

Jenny Culgan

From the ED

June was a busy month. The Chapter had three CPD/networking events which were really diverse and the NT Awards. We had some diverse topics for the CPD sessions. Gerflor had an open house approach looking at flooring solutions for industrial, commercial and residential buildings. KCL Engineering gave a great presentation about Interior Design Compliance for managing interiors in earthquake zones. We were happy to talk about our earthquakes we feel here from the Banda Sea. Finally Verosol Blinds showcased their internal and external blinds for heat management.

It was great to see so many people at the NT Chapter Awards this especially as NT business has been slow for the last couple of years. The awards were in a different format this year which was designed for people to mingle and network. Congratulations on the winners and thank you so much to our NT and National Partners. A fun night was had by all and before you sneak off come and see the photos of the evening on the AIA NT Chapter Facebook page.  https://www.facebook.com/pg/ntarchitecture1/photos/?ref=page_internal

Planning for 2019 NT Chapter Awards is underway and this is a reminder to put the 1^st June 2019 in your diary. Next year the awards are being held in Alice Springs for the first time. As part of this we will be offering architectural tours and tourism partner programs so watch this space.

So June was busy and July literally arrived with a bang as usual. 40 years of self-government kind of snuck up on us really. I remember fondly the first Territory Day on the Anzac Oval in Alice Spring with pretty much most of the town watching fireworks and trying not to blow our fingers off.

At the Chapter we have a CPD networking event on the 19^th July 5.30pm in the Chapter Office with our Awards partner Bondor. Bondor came on board this year as an awards partner and it was great to have Andrew Hudson at the awards night. They are keen to work with the Institute locally and it will be a good chance to meet Andrew and look at their products.

On CPD and Networking I strongly encourage people to come to attend the NT Chapter events. We would love to be able to have a robust diverse program here in the NT and strong attendance can grow that. It also gives you a chance to network with your colleagues. Next month I will send a survey out specifically about networking a CPD to make sure we can offer what you as members want and need.

In terms of Advocacy it is sad to say that Barneson Boulevard is full steam ahead with Frogs Hollow already being part of the initial tree removal program. This is not the outcome we wanted however it is time to have a look at the Darwin CBD greening and cooling strategy so we can at least reopen that conversation.

As you are aware the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Museum (NATSIAM) has been on the national agenda and the Institute endorses the fourteen recommendations contained in the Initial Steering Scoping Committee’s Report (https://artstrail.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/492662/steering-committee-report.pdf). We urge the NTG to honour the process it established in selecting an eminent panel of experts to explore the outlines of this important cultural institution as outlined in the report. Not only is it a culturally significant project it is a critical project for Central Australia to create jobs, increase tourism, stimulate the economy and nurture cultural reconciliation.

Finally we are looking at having better communications through our NT newsletter. We will trial over the next 4 months a monthly newsletter at the end of the month with ‘What’s on’ reminders in between.

See you all on the 19^th.

Cheers

Raquel