Welcome Tiffany Liew, National Emerging Architects and Graduates Network President
The Australian Institute of Architects is delighted to welcome Tiffany Liew into the role of National Emerging Architects and Graduates Network (EmAGN) President, following a recent election by the National EmAGN committee.
The National EmAGN President leads the Emerging Architects and Graduate Network’s National Committee and is a member of the Institute’s National Council. These two responsibilities provide the EmAGN President with the ideal platform to focus attention on the important issues facing the EmAGN demographic and to advocate for changes that will better support the architectural profession into the future.
A message from Tiffany
I am honoured to begin my term as National EmAGN President with the Australian Institute of Architects for 2022 – 2023. Immediate Past President, Erin Crowden, has made an exceptional effort to represent the interests of the EmAGN demographic on the National Council over the past challenging years, introducing the EmAGN Project Award and Living Village Design Competition. For all her tireless efforts, advocacy, and humble leadership, we are extremely grateful.
EmAGN, the Emerging Architects and Graduates Network, is a collective of local communities which supports and advocates for architectural practitioners within fifteen years of graduating from their Masters. We have EmAGN Committees in all States and Territories, each led by the next generation of upcoming architects and graduates. The EmAGN demographic represents 35% of the Australian Institutes membership.
As we learn to live with COVID-19, this era of uncertainty has catalysed profound opportunities to reframe how and why we practice architecture. How can the architectural profession adapt to these conditions, and how can we be of service to our communities? Last year our President, Tony Giannone, proposed that architects can be “patrons for social shelter, our environment, generational and cultural storytelling.”
In my tenure as EmAGN President, I am keen to explore how we can adapt our industry to the problems that climate change presents and how we can encourage diversity in the profession, including First Nations representation. Perhaps some of the answers to both questions lie somewhere between research and practice, and not solely in conventional architectural projects. EmAGN is uniquely placed to progress this, as our demographic is connected to both students and established practitioners.
Lastly, all EmAGN Co-Chairs have expressed a desire to revive in-person opportunities to network, learn and share with one-another where possible. However, we realise what a fantastic opportunity it has been for regional community members to engage with EmAGN online. We will endeavour to build our communities through multiple modes, understanding that diversity is key to a strong and engaged membership.
I am keen to hear what interests and ideas you might have for EmAGN. You can reach me at emagn@architecture.com.au to express any concerns, ideas or possible collaboration opportunities. For local enquiries and events, please contact your local EmAGN Co-Chairs. We look forward to hearing from you and hope to see you soon at one of our events.
About Tiffany
Tiffany Liew is a registered architect at Andrew Burns Architecture (ABA) and sessional academic at the University of Sydney. At ABA she is working on education, multi-residential and heritage adaptive re-use projects. Tiffany was nominated for the NSW Architects Medallion and has been the recipient of the Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship, Ruskin Rowe Prize, Bluescope Lysaght Prize for Architectural Design and Sunlord Perpetual Prize.
In 2021 she co-curated Emergence, an architectural research exhibition celebrating 70 years of the Byera Hadley scholarship. Tiffany actively contributes to the NSW Architecture Bulletin, regularly joins university review panels for studio subjects and volunteers for local Street Counts for rough sleepers.
Acknowledgement of Country
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
