Jury chair of the 2025 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, Sarah Lindsay RAIA, brought the house down with her inspiring address at the awards presentation ceremony. The full speech can be found below.
I would like to start by thanking the institute for the invitation to be Chair of the 2025 Architecture awards. I feel very privileged to be given the opportunity to step out of day-to-day practice and immerse myself in architectural discourse and critique. The experience has been remarkably rewarding for me personally.
I would also like to thank my fellow jurors. We all put a huge amount of time, thought and energy into this process and I feel we were a wonderful team. We communicated with great respect and conducted our deliberations with rigour and care. Together we set a high bar and I am proud of this. I thoroughly enjoyed our time together and will cherish this experience.
To our clients. To say that it takes a leap of faith to work with an architect is an understatement. As an architect, gaining a client’s trust and confidence is our most important task. Without this there is no project. So thank you for your faith in our profession and may we continue to honour this in each and every project.
To all of the entrants, thank you for the care, energy and passion with which you conduct your work. Taking a building from conception to completion is no mean feat, particularly in the current economic environment. So please give the entrants a round of applause.
As we celebrate excellence in design, we must also reflect on the responsibility that comes with it—especially in a time of profound housing crisis across our island. Let’s consider the context in which we operate. In Tasmania we face construction costs that are on average the highest in the country and these costs are currently exacerbated by labour shortages and low productivity. As architects we understand the constraints but our drive to value add, to innovate and do better is innate.
More than 5,000 Tasmanians are currently waiting for social housing. Families, essential workers, and young people are being priced out of their communities. And while the headlines often focus on numbers, we know this is a human story—one of dignity, stability, and hope.
Architects are not just designers of buildings—they are stewards of place, of community, and of possibility. When architects lead, we see projects that are not only functional but transformative. We see homes that are thermally efficient, culturally sensitive, and built to last. We see neighbourhoods that foster connection, not isolation.
This year’s election promises have brought housing to the forefront. From pledges to build 10,000 affordable homes by 2032 and rent-to-own schemes. But policy alone is not enough. We need leadership in design, we need strategic thinkers, we need innovation. We need architects at the table from day one.
Sustainability is not a luxury—it is essential. In a climate-challenged world, every home must be a climate solution. And in Tasmania, we have the talent, the vision, and the will to lead the nation in sustainable, inclusive housing.
So tonight, as we honour the best of Tasmanian architecture, let’s also recommit to the work ahead. Because design is not just about awards—it’s about impact. And there is no greater impact than giving someone a home.
