Tasmanian Chapter Councillor, Hugh Maguire RAIA, represented Tasmanian Chapter President, Daniel Lane RAIA at the 2025 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, giving this speech.
Dear friends in Architecture,
I trust you are enjoying this carefully curated experience and our time together, as we celebrate Tasmanian architecture through our awards program.
I want to take a moment to recognise and celebrate the unique architectural community we have here in Lutruwita. While we are united by our shared pursuits in architecture, it is the generosity of this community—your friendship, encouragement, and support—that truly binds us together.
I’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the Jury, the Creative Directors, and the Awards Committee for your generous time and effort. And, on behalf of the Chapter Council and our members, a special thank you to Jen, Fiona, Loren, Jessie and Nina in the Chapter office. Your professionalism and dedication in delivering the awards program—and your care throughout the year—do not go unnoticed. The Chapter office truly feels like the heart of our community: a welcoming home, a listening ear, and a constant source of support.
Architecture is an inherently collaborative endeavour. All of you here are part of our community.
You are the students and educators, graduates, architects and admin staff working in small or large practices, and our retired members who continue to mentor and inspire. We also acknowledge the many consultants and authorities with whom we collaborate, the contractors who bring our visions to life, the photographers who bring their own skills to present our work, and our partners and families who support our careers. Our sponsors share our journey through product innovation and enabling events such as this.
Perhaps most importantly, we acknowledge our clients—from families and small business owners to government and university leaders. You are the patrons of our craft. It is your foresight, trust, and hope that enables us to pursue our passion. For this, we are sincerely grateful.
Later tonight, awards will be presented to the most outstanding projects of the year. I want to congratulate all the practices who entered—the 21 projects reflect a remarkable breadth of talent and vision. It takes courage, commitment, and investment to submit your work for peer review. Regardless of the outcome, we thank each of you—architects, graduates, and collaborators—for sharing your work with our community.
This year’s entries span all scales and typologies, each one delivering thoughtful and elegant responses to real needs. As I reviewed the submissions, I kept returning to one idea: architecture as a gift. Good design is generous—it elevates spaces beyond function and helps shape better outcomes for communities and individuals.
Architects possess the unique privilege and responsibility of imagining new worlds for people, some with whom they develop a deep connection, while many users they will never encounter.
In this year’s entries we see generosity as:
- Homes and retreats that connect families to each other and their landscape and history.
- Social housing that restores dignity and creates a foundation for healing and well-being, combats isolation and fosters community.
- Child care, learning centres and schools whose designs interpret our ancient land, connect to Country, foster curiosity, encourage play and risk, and actively engage our young people and their families, with a sense of pride.
- A library that reinterprets our deep history, celebrating knowledge and public space. Another library reclaims its place at the heart of a school, nurturing its community.
- A health facility that streamlines efficiency and process, yet nurtures frontline workers with communal and solitary spaces for downtime and recovery. Another removes the clinical aesthetic to reduce anxiety in patients.
- Wineries and a bar that celebrate the natural world, craft, science, sensory experience and culture.
- New university buildings that re-interpret and connect parts of the city, while outwardly expressing their function to increase enrolment.
- A landmark office building that champions sustainability and innovation, with a mission for a healthier Tasmania.
Each of this year’s entries demonstrates care, innovation, and a deep commitment to the lives of Tasmanians. You remind us what good architecture can be, and how deeply it matters.
We should all be proud of the strength and generosity of our architectural community, and the quality of the architecture being produced in this state. I look forward to seeing some of tonight’s projects celebrated on the national stage later this year.
Congratulations and your evening!