Festival Season
The Design Canberra Festival is upon us and it’s another big one for the ACT Chapter. We have numerous events occurring throughout the next three weeks, and I encourage you to attend as many as you can. Visit designcanberrafestival.com.au/events/ to see what’s on offer.
This is our biggest opportunity to illustrate the value of good design to the community and advocate for the use of architects in the shaping of this city. Many thanks to everyone involved in rolling out the programs, including Sheila Hughes, Shannon Battisson, Jack Shimada, Evan Williamson, Yuri Leong Maish, Catherine Townsend, Michael Jasper, Tony Trobe, and Aarthi Ayyar-Biddle.
National Awards
The ACT Chapter was delighted to host the 2017 National Architecture Awards at Albert Hall on Thursday 2nd November. It was a terrific event, although I admit a tad cold at the outdoor after party. And the ACT winners were:
Commercial Architecture: National Award – Willinga Park by Cox Architecture, National Commendation – NewActon Nishi by Fender Katsalidis Architects
Heritage: National Commendation – Embassy of Sweden by Guida Moseley Brown Architects
Interior Architecture: National Commendation – Canberra Airport – International by Guida Moseley Brown Architects
For more information, go to: wp.architecture.com.au/awards-2017/winners/
National Council
I attended my last National Council meeting last week. It has been an honour to represent the ACT at the national table and contribute to discussions on the future of our institute. I’m sure that they are probably relieved to see the departure of the raging redhead with youthful perspectives!
You will be aware that we have been going through a large restructure of the organisation, and it was clear from the last meeting that we have pushed through the administrative elements and can now focus on delivering tangible improvements for our members. Our new governance structure and strategic plan will enable us to rebrand our Institute with confidence and, with support from our national committees (Policy, Practice, Gender Equity, and Education) and numerous taskforce’s, we can now target key areas of Advocacy, Education, and Membership support to strengthen our industry and the people within it. Look out for a new digital media platform by the end of 2018!
In my last meeting I presented a paper on, and discussed the importance of, engaging with students, graduates, and emerging architects, as they are the future of our institute. I have full confidence that the incoming National President, Clare Cousins, and the current National EmAGN President, Ksenia Totoeva, will continue to support my campaign and drive changes to assist this important demographic.
Elections
Expressions of interest for the Chapter President position and Chapter Councillor positions are now open. Feel free to contact me if you are considering these roles. I have plenty of positive stories to share. Note: Nominations close on 17th November 2017.