Greetings to all NSW Institute members and my best wishes for another busy and productive year. While the overseas economic situation is unsettled, to say the least, the indications are that the national economy will perform at least as well in 2016 as it did in the previous year.

Architects of influence

One of the key ways architects can achieve strategic improvements in the built environment is through their appointment to influential positions. A case in point is Graham Jahn AM, a Life Fellow of the Institute and the Sydney City Council’s Director City Planning I Development I Transport. In his time in this critical position Graham has made a major contribution to the city’s built environment by influencing the development community to improve design quality and make positive contributions to the city’s public domain.

The past year ended well, with two Institute members appointed to highly influential positions.

Firstly, the appointment of Institute member Rod Simpson as Environment Commissioner in the newly created Greater Sydney Commission is an extremely positive move. Rod’s experience and expertise make him admirably suited for this new role. He led the urban design and spatial planning component of the City of Sydney’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 Strategy and has been Director of the Urban Design Program at the University of Sydney for the last four years. Prior to these achievements he developed the Green Olympic Village concept, was Manager of Urban Design at the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust and was involved in the development of the ‘City of Cities’ metropolitan strategy for Sydney.

Another esteemed Institute member was recognised in a major appointment late last year. Helen Lochhead has been appointed Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment at the University of NSW, replacing Professor Alec Tzannes. Helen has moved on from her roles as Deputy NSW Government Architect and Adjunct Professor at the University of Sydney. Previously she has also taught at UTS and internationally at Harvard, MIT, Columbia University and the New York Institute of Technology.

Helen is a previous recipient of both Fulbright and Churchill Fellowships, and most recently completed a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University interrogating proposals and governance models for more resilient and liveable cities. She is a Fellow of the Institute and is Honorary Secretary of the National Council.

Congratulations to both Helen and Rod on these prestigious and influential appointments.
Best wishes
Shaun Carter
NSW Chapter President