Last month saw the culmination of almost a year of planning come to fruition in an extraordinary event that brought together our community of architects, graduates, and students from around the globe in nipaluna/Hobart! The Bl?ck Party was, as promised, a fabulous, colourful, mid-winter celebration of architecture.
But it was a whole lot more than just that. It was a collaboration across two chapters, with many diverse groups, and the Ground Matters team of students who curated and delivered the Australasian Student Architecture Congress, all working together to design and deliver a collective experience that rocked everyone’s socks off. And it didn’t disappoint! We were all super excited to listen and learn and party alongside architecture students from around Australasia.
The week’s celebration of architecture kicked off with the first day of the five-day Australasian Student Architecture Congress. During the week, the members of the International Chapter Council converged in Hobart to hold their annual face-to-face meeting, where they also presented at the congress, sharing their varied careers that have taken them all over the world. The congress culminated on Saturday June 29 with Bl?ck Party – the 2024 Tasmanian and International Chapter Architecture Awards presentation and Ground Matters closing party. The creative directors for the event had massive dreams: they wanted EVERYONE to rock the colour palette, and they were not let down. The presentation culminated in the announcement of the of the 2026 Australasian Student Architecture Congress creative directors and host city. Look out for Auckland 2026! I would like to thank everyone for embracing a more-for-less approach – dusting off the clothes in your wardrobe, borrowing from friends, sourcing the best op shop finds and some even making their own ‘something’ fabulous!
It wasn’t just the colour though that made it truly special; it was the unbridled joy in the room, with 150 students and over 200 Tasmanian and international architecture community members joined together and sharing the architecture love. Friendships were made – and I believe even a couple of informal adoptions (by Lucy Ward) were planned – and everyone celebrated architecture, the brilliant work of all our members, and the collegial nature of the profession.
I have heard many an account of the conversations that continued throughout the evening into the early hours of the morning, around the fire, at the kitchen table, or in a cosy corner at Ingle Hall, and the connections made at these events will only serve to strengthen the profession. My sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to make these events the success that they were. Our community is all the richer for your collective efforts.
Jennifer Nichols
Executive Director, Tasmanian and International Chapters
Australian Institute of Architects
Photos: Nina Hamilton
