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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
The entries for the 2016 awards again reflect
the broad range and quality of architectural
projects across New South Wales – from
grand public buildings to modest but
significant alterations. Congratulations to all
our members who subjected themselves to
the rigorous awards process. It’s a testament
to the prestige of this annual event that you
choose to do this year after year.
79 projects were shortlisted from 179
entries, a success rate of 44%. 71 awards
and commendations have been made to
60 projects, a substantial increase on last
year. This means the juries are continuing to
acknowledge the good work of our peers in
the spirit of generosity that has been evident
in recent years.
This has been a year of consolidation
following the improvements that have been
made to the awards program since changing
to a multi-jury system during Brian Zulaikha’s
presidency. The major change has been in the
format and time of the event itself – Friday
instead of Thursday, a bigger venue, a seated
dinner and a more generous running time to
suit the prestige of the occasion.
The Newcastle Awards were held in
Merewether on 17 March. 16 projects received
the 23 awards and commendations awarded
by the jury. Five projects chose to progress to
be included in the state awards.
The Country Division Awards, which are
independent from the national Institute
program, are open for entries for another
three weeks. Winners will be announced at
a special event as part of the 2016 Country
Division Conference in Kingscliff on 29
September. Best wishes to all the participants
in that program.
Gender equity
I am pleased to report considerable
progress on this front. The Male Champions
of Change are four months into the
implementation of their 10 agreed initiatives
to address gender inequality within their
practices. We have had a very honest and
open sharing of experiences and findings of
the work done to date at our
meetings, specifically around the Leadership
Shadow initiative.
It is also gratifying to note that we have met a
gender equity target in the 2016 awards, with
nine women and nine men participating in the
six juries.
I can honestly say this is the most significant
initiative of my Presidency, and in terms of
real change for the profession, it is perhaps
the most important in the last decade. It
is that profound. But the process needs to
continue for some time yet before we can say
we have achieved true gender equity in the
profession.
Higher quality apartment design
Architects designing apartments in NSW
are fortunate to still be the only members of
the Australian profession to be governed by
Australia’s only design legislation, introduced
in 2002.
Thanks in no small part to the expert input
of Institute members on the Chapter’s Built
Environment Committee, the revised SEPP 65
and the greatly improved Apartment Design
Guide came into effect in July last year.
You would hope that the rest of the story
would be a happy one. It has become
increasingly clear, however, that the quality
of apartment projects often ends at the DA
stage. Subsequent stages in the progress of
the project to completion are primarily the
responsibility of a private certifier, without
design skills, in his or her capacity as the
Principal Certifying Authority.
Institute members report that this private
certification system is not working well from
a design quality point of view; in most cases
the quality of finishes and materials (and the
amenity and environmental performance of
the building) declines during the period of the
certifier’s stewardship. The extent of defects
in recently completed apartment buildings
across NSW is astonishing. This is also an
issue with non-SEPP 65 development and has
resulted in a lack of public confidence in the
certification system.
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