Nominations are being called for a number of positions on Chapter Council with the standard two year terms expiring soon with Alastair MacCallum who has been on Council for six years not seeking re-election.
Alastair has made an important contribution to the ACT Chapter and has been a strong voice for the profession, informed by his co-involvement in allied organisations including the Property Council of Australia and the Master Builders Association. This has given him a unique understanding of the development and construction industry that, like it or not, we are part of.
He was instrumental in instigating the Architectural Professional of the Year Award which he believes is a ‘worthwhile acknowledgement of those architects that contribute to the profession in ways other than or over and above design.’
Alastair is to be commended for his significant contribution to the ACT Chapter. We look forward to his on-going involvement in the Chapter’s activities and drawing on his professional expertise.
I hosted my first President’s luncheon, sponsored by Harvey Norman Commercial, in Mitchell a couple of weeks ago. Our special guest was Gordon Ramsay MLA, the newly appointed Minister for Building and Quality Improvement, amongst other portfolios.
In my short speech, I took the opportunity to acknowledge the Minister’s wide ranging roles within the Assembly and likened these to that of an architect who must have skills in all aspects of project delivery including design, planning rules, knowledge of materials and construction systems, financial skills and so on. The Minister spoke enthusiastically about the need to improve our building stock and acknowledged that our profession had a role in this endeavour.
In conversation, I raised with the Minister our concerns about ACT Procurement and the way projects are commissioned through building companies who in-turn engage consultant teams but only after architects are asked to submit concept designs under terms that are frankly, exploitative and demeaning as there is almost no prospect of the concept architect being engaged for ongoing services.
On this concerning note, I have just received an email from a member worried about a new school project being managed under an “interactive tender process” that is ultimately a design and construct project with all the flaws, pitfalls and unsustainable fees. I am hoping to convene a meeting among members interested in preparing a ministerial letter on this matter.
And breaking news. The Canberra Times reported that demolition of the national award winning Anzac Hall (2005) at the Australian War Memorial is being considered as part of a $500 million redevelopment. Rumours are rife and it is a matter that we are keeping a watching brief on. Moral rights holder, Denton Corker Marshall are outraged. Their design was subjected to the most critical analysis to ensure its impact on the Sodersten/Crust Memorial was minimal. Interestingly, on one of my occasional walk up Mt Ainslie, I noticed how poorly maintained the garden around the northern side of the Hall had become. Dry, dusty, barren – in stark contrast to the rest of the site. A portent of things to come perhaps?
Philip Leeson
October 2018