New Zealand Futuna Medal speaker, Michael O’Sullivan visits the Northern Territory for inaugural speaker series presented by Bluescope Steel on behalf of Australian Institute of Architects
We’re proud to present the inaugural NT Annual Lecture Series, featuring high profile international architects to present across a wide range of topical issues. This year’s speaker is Michael O’Sullivan, Bull O’Sullivan Architecture.
Date: 25 May 2023
Time: 5.30pm – 6.30pm ACST
Venue: Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, 2 Smith Street, Darwin
Speaker: Michael O’Sullivan, New Zealand
Livestreamed event - attend from home or the office
This years lecture will be livestreamed, so wherever you are in Australia or overseas, you can also join the event online.
After registration, we’ll email you a link to the event, enabling you to watch the lecture in the comfort of your home or office.
About the event
New Zealand faces some of the same challenges as the Northern Territory, especially as the NT’s first nations represent 30.8% of their population, which is higher than the Australian average at 3.8%. The NZ’s first nation average is 17.8% of their population, so there is a much clearer understanding the engagement and immersion of indigenous culture in everyday lives and throughout the design process.
New Zealand is also struggling with climate change, witnessing recent extreme weather events and natural disasters. These events have increased over the past six years, both in NZ and the NT, with cyclones bouncing off the Australian coast and hitting the nation as well as being a tectonically active zone.
The presentation will feature the links with community and the importance of first nations in the successful delivery of projects and the need to involve the whole community throughout the design process. An NT example of what doesn’t work is in housing for first nations with dwellings ‘given to them’ with engagement not being holistic and, in some cases, tokenistic with negative outcomes which come from limited engagement.
Michael O’Sullivan’s experience working with first nations as an architect who clearly has a strong commitment working closely with Maori people is a critical lesson we can learn from.
His work around respecting faith – whether western traditional religions that we understand and the importance of first nations heritage and storytelling – is another part of the presentation which is important in engaging with indigenous people. Maori and first nations cultures are complex and integrated into everyday life – whether it is through education, health, art, food, and storytelling.
As well as having the public lecture we will also be hosting a mentoring session meet and greet for SONA and EmAGN members.
About the speaker
Michael O’Sullivan
Bull O’Sullivan Architecture
We’re proud to be hosting Michael O’Sullivan from Bull O’Sullivan Architecture in New Zealand as our high-profile speaker at this event.
O’Sullivan left school aged 16 to begin a drafting certificate. He founded Bull O’Sullivan (B/OS) Architecture in 1994 and holds a position at the University of Auckland supervising masters’ students’ thesis work. Now 52, he says his approach to his craft had “evolved in its own natural way.
You’ll be in a box under the ground soon so you have to try and attend as many different things as you can along the way.” Recipient of many NZIA Awards, O’Sullivan has twice won the Sir Ian Athfield Architecture Award for Housing, first for a studio (2015) and then for additions to a state house (2020). Both projects were in Lyttelton. In 2011, Michael won Home of the Year for a bach (beach house) at Karekare Beach.
Read a review of Michael’s recent lecture, given as part of the Annual Futuna Architecture series in New Zealand.
Michael will also be hosting individual mentoring sessions on request. Interviews available with Michael on request.
Event sponsor
For media enquiries contact:
Raquel Nicholls-Skene
Executive Director
Northern Territory Chapter
+61 (0) 403 023 425
raquel.ns@architecture.com.au
