{"id":21442,"date":"2019-03-04T11:56:51","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T00:56:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.architecture.com.au\/news-media\/?p=21442"},"modified":"2019-03-06T13:44:47","modified_gmt":"2019-03-06T02:44:47","slug":"from-our-new-sa-chapter-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.architecture.com.au\/news-media\/from-our-new-sa-chapter-president\/","title":{"rendered":"From our new SA Chapter President"},"content":{"rendered":"

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During my student years I was fortunate enough to have the late John S Chappel as my mentor. I vividly remember my introduction to him one\u00a0cold and wet\u00a0evening in the\u00a0University of Adelaide Club Room of\u00a0the Union Building. He was running late, burst through the doors grumpy, frustrated and seriously angry returning from a project meeting. As a mere student I think I was trembling at where the introduction to this South Australian doyen of the architectural community would go.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t recall the exact conversation but it went along lines of \u2026.. \u201c I\u2019ve spent the last few months\u00a0designing this building and have had the\u00a0integrity of the design totally dismantled\u2026after having it finally agreed with my client, now the planners don\u2019t think it will fit in with the streetscape, the Council wants me to change the materiality, the roof form is too flat\u2026etc \u2026etc\u2026. and subjectively appraised by all in half an hour \u2026\u2026\u2026… it\u2019s going to look like.\u00a0\u2026###!!!!\u2026 \u201c\u2026\u2026.everybody wants to be an architect !\u2026.\u201d<\/em> he blustered referencing the multiple hands of interference (or collaboration if you like) on his design” \u2026\u2026..I\u2019m getting really\u00a0 ####..!!!… with all of this\u2026…\u00a0 my advice to you is stay away from this profession!”<\/p>\n

Well I didn\u2019t take his advice but the generosity of the man allowed me to access his studio when I needed to, always generous with his time and not afraid to express an opinion.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve taken that exclaimed line <\/em>with me\u00a0throughout\u00a0the years of practice and\u00a0really not much has changed.<\/p>\n

The state of architectural practice is in intensive transition and flux.\u00a0The introduction of continual subjective regulatory overlays to validate our design outcomes is producing a critical intersection of conflicting expectations on the Profession.<\/p>\n

We have somewhat\u00a0lost our voice in the debate of the built environment in this State,\u00a0seen mostly as an adjunct to that taken over by others. In turn, we seem to be fragmenting ourselves and\u00a0becoming inward critics rather than\u00a0externally\u00a0advocating our views and values.<\/p>\n

Critique starts at University and follows us into\u00a0Practice. After design approval from our Clients we can\u00a0now be critiqued\u00a0firstly by our own peers, then\u00a0by\u00a0statutory authorities and then by the relevant Assessment Panel. It is not unusual for a project to have multiple reviews on many levels and many bodies before being presented for official assessment.<\/p>\n

The cost of this to our Practices, project timeframes and economic development is I think heading towards that perfect storm.<\/p>\n

In some cases the project approval system is being extended well beyond acceptable commercial timelines and directs unjustifiable blame on the profession. The question needs to be asked is this leading to better built outcomes?<\/p>\n

Leading into this role I have received numerous vocal expressions, aside from the obligatory\u2026… \u201c what does the Institute do for me \u201c\u2026.. on perceived issues affecting our profession perhaps best summarised (to name a few) below:<\/p>\n