Architect’s Many Hats
It’s been a while between missives — the result of a little time off. Stepping back can bring useful perspective, and reflecting on conversations with members this year, I’ve been struck by the incredible diversity of roles we now play as architects.
Our members contribute across a wide spectrum — in small and large practices, as clients, in local, state and federal government, in academia, in project management and planning, and in advocacy roles for communities and causes. The ways we “practice” architecture are more varied than ever. These diverse voices are coming through loud and clear in the Member Voice survey and focus groups and feed into the work of the Committee Review, which many of you joined a Lean-in session for recently. If you missed this session, the presentation and recording can be found here. While full analysis is still underway, early findings highlight both the breadth of our members’ work and a strong desire for the Institute to speak more confidently to the community and to government.
I believe our most compelling advocacy is through the lens of public interest. It’s a simple message; better design equals better places equals better communities. Better procurement equals better design.
There is of course huge complexity locked up in those simple messages, which needs a lot of explaining; that for me is an essential role for the Institute and its elected representatives.
We’ve continued to build our dialogue with State Government. We held a joint meeting with AIA, AILA, DIA and EA with the Infrastructure Advisory to the Deputy Premier regarding need for the State Government architect to have a much stronger role in the oversight of the procurement of works on the Brisbane Olympics.
We’ve met with the Director-General of Housing, (alongside the State Government Architect), to discuss our housing advocacy; with the Director of Procurement in Public Works, to discuss our procurement advocacy; and with Assistant Minister to the Deputy Premier, Assistant Minister for Planning, Housing and Better Regulation, the Hon. Rebecca Young, with a follow-up meeting already scheduled.
The urgent need for architects to work alongside our allied professionals in creating more climate resilient cities was highlighted at last week’s ‘Insight to Impact: City Resilience’, an interdisciplinary forum hosted by the AIA, PIA, AILA and EA. It was an energising day that highlighted the vital — and often underplayed — role for architects and allied professionals in helping communities live well the face of a changing climate.
Across Queensland, we’re experiencing more volatile weather, more heat waves, more storms and floods with often dire impacts on people’s daily lives. While many of our members are doing vital work that goes to the root cause of climate change, there is now also important work to help communities live with the realities of a changing climate. Policy and regulation can’t do this alone. Design will play a big role, and architects’ 3-dimensional problem solving abilities and robust technical understanding will be key to helping communities to be safe, and continue to flourish.
I’m optimistic that all the different hats we wear gives us a stronger collective voice and influence to respond to the big challenges ahead of us, but I’m also convinced that in doing so it’s vital we promote the public interest, not just our own.