News

NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation, Matt Kean has announced three new appointments to the NSW Architects Registration Board that includes the Greater Sydney Commission’s District Commissioner and architect, Dr Deborah Dearing as President.

The appointments coincide with a new three-year Strategic Plan 2017-2020 – the centrepiece of which is a flagship project titled ARBOPEN which seeks to “pull the future forward through thought leadership, events and resources that look 10 years ahead”.  

“Quality design, housing and construction is a priority for this government. At the very centre of this are families and homeowners, and the architects and builders that make it possible,” Mr Kean said.

“The Architects Registration Board promotes a better understanding of architecture in the community, and I’m pleased to welcome new members that want to play an active role in preparing our streets, suburbs and cities for change.”

The three new appointments to the Board include;

• Dr Deborah Dearing, District Commissioner, Greater Sydney Commission.
• Sarah Marshall, Executive General Manager – Operational Support, Engineering with Lendlease - one of the world's leading providers of property and infrastructure solutions.
• Peter Salhani, a writer and editor of design, architecture and environment with Pocket Press.

Dr Dearing is only the 11^th President to hold the position since the Board was established in 1923, and is the first woman in the role.

“The Board’s strength lies in its diversity,” said Dr Dearing. “The Board brings together the voices of local government, construction and property, law and the community itself, alongside architects. I’m especially pleased that the Minister’s appointments result in the most gender-balanced Board in its 94 year history”, said Dr Dearing.

“The Board registers and regulates almost 5,000 architects in NSW each year. It is the accrediting authority for schools of architecture that generate almost $30m annually, and it informs the public on what they can expect when working with an architect.”

“The Board plays an important role in helping homeowners who are working with an architect, to better understand what can seem a bewildering – but rewarding – process. We all know that delivering our dream can mean a fairly protracted path through councils, builders and budgets. Much of the Board’s work is aimed at making this complex process more understandable to all”, said Dr Dearing.

The new appointments join existing members:

Peter Poulet, NSW Government Architect

Peter Poulet is NSW Government Architect and General Manager of the Government Architect’s Office. Peter provides strategic and independent advice to Government on the built environment and provides Government Agencies with design review and advice on specific projects through commissions, boards and committees.

Shaun Carter, Immediate Past President, Australian Institute of Architects (NSW)

Shaun is the founding architect of Carterwilliamson Architects. Shaun came to architecture with a Structural Engineering degree and many years working in the construction industry.

Nigel Bell, Elected architect

Nigel is principal of ECOdesign Architects + Consultants, based in Katoomba Blue Mountains.  He has been a registered architect for over 30 years, having worked for small and medium practices before commencing his own.  From early days working on heritage projects, he moved on to become an early champion of sustainability and now, community engagement.

Melonie Bayl-Smith, Elected architect

Melonie Bayl-Smith is a registered Architect in NSW and Victoria, and Director of Bijl Architecture. Known as an outspoken advocate for architectural education, gender equity and good design, Melonie is Adjunct Professor at UTS School of Architecture where she teaches in the M.Arch. program, lecturing in professional practice and tutoring in the design studio.

Prof Gerard Reinmuth, architect, Academic member

Gerard Reinmuth is a Founding Director of TERROIR. Gerard’s current role is split between his Directorship of TERROIR’s Sydney and Copenhagen offices and his Professorial role at UTS. 

Matthew Curll, Lawyer and Legal member

Matthew is an experienced law practitioner with Hall & Wilcox, who specialises in advising architects and building industry professionals in the management of risk through their consultant contracts and in the management of claims that arise against them from time to time at various stages of the building process.

Milly Brigden, representing the property sector

Milly Brigden’s career has been characterised by over 10 years’ experience as a Property Investment Specialist, Licenced Real Estate Agent as well as 20 years as a property investor. Milly is currently the Co-Founder and Licensee-in-Charge at Property Investor Solutions where she provides investment-grade property opportunities to approved industry business partners.

Sue Weatherley, representing local government

Sue is currently Group Manager Outcomes and Development at Parramatta City Council in the centre of western Sydney, the twelfth largest local government in NSW, with the second largest CBD. As Group Manager, Sue is responsible for preparation and management of a budget of $12 million, and the management of 150 staff across 4 service units.

Session 2 Architectural Practice Examination will be open for application through the ARB online facility on 1st of July 2017.  In order to prepare your submissions for upload, please read the online guide below.

APE Guide for Online Application

Last day to apply for the APE will be 14 July 2017.

NSW Architects Regulations 

The NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation has released the draft Architects Regulation 2017 (draft Regulation) and accompanying Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) for public consultation on the NSW Have Your Say website: https://www.nsw.gov.au/improving-nsw/have-your-say/draft-architects-regulation-2017/

The draft Regulation has been prepared to support the operation of the Architects Act 2003 and replace the current Architects Regulation 2012 when it automatically repeals on 1 September 2017.

The draft Regulation includes:

• qualifications for registration as an architect;
• the process for election of members to the NSW Architects Registration Board; and
• the NSW Architects Code of Professional Conduct.

The draft Regulation aims to encourage the use of modern technology and reduce red tape. A RIS has been prepared to accompany the draft Regulation. The RIS includes an impact assessment, discussion of the draft Regulation, and summary of changes to the Regulation.

Written comments must be submitted by 5pm on Friday 30 June 2017 via:

• Email:    This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Note to all architects (Practising and Non-Practising) renewing registration: 

Re-registrations must be completed between 1-30 June 2017

In past years, we've opened re-registrations in April for a full 3 months until 30 June.

We think this long period of time has been counter productive – allowing so long that no action was needed. As a result, many architects miss the 30 June deadline and end up with a $150 additional charge to be restored. We want to make it easier to get it right. So this year, we're opening re-registrations on 1 June, and closing at midnight on 30 June.

THIS YEAR, JUST THINK: IT'S DUE IN JUNE.

From 1 June, we will make it easy for every practising architect to attach a CPD Activity Record. And if you carry your own Professional Indemnity Insurance policy, we're asking you to upload this too. These records remain confidential and secure.  PLEASE DO NOT SEND THEM PRIOR TO YOUR RENEWAL.

Read for information and guidance:  INFORMATION SHEET - Continuing Professional Development.pdf

Login to your account to renew online today.

This year’s Architects Medallion goes to Georgia Forbes-Smith from the University of Sydney. Her final project take us to from the outer limits of human aspiration (understanding the cosmos) to the minutia of everyday human existence – in equal measure. Her theoretical construct, mapped across a coastal bluff in Sydney, presents ‘experience-installations’ from a planetarium (embodying our highest collective quest), a crematorium (the individual human life span), and a Museum of Time and Space — charting the distance between the two. Just as expansive as her thinking, was Georgia's method of presenting the work, coupling a small bound compendium of the project with two-metre-long blueprints. 

Making the most of her educational opportunities, Georgia has been a consistently high academic achiever, who made the Dean’s List of Excellence two years running (2011, 2012) and was awarded the 1st Degree Graduate of the Year and Most Outstanding Student in Design and Professional Studies (2014) from the Australian Institute of Architects. She also secured an International Exchange Outbound Scholarship 2015, and an Innovation in Architectural Design Award in 2016.

While her Masters project was of a highly conceptual nature, she applies her passion and big-picture thinking to real world issues around public space and domestic housing. An articulate and engaging storyteller, Georgia is an architectural dreamer and practitioner who we believe will be highly influential to the next generation of architects and architecture.

To mark 2017 International Women's Day, we asked 2016 Architects Medallion winner, Chloe Yuen, to set out in her own words some of the issues she sees most relevant in architectural practice.

As the recipient of the 2016 NSW Architects Medallion and one of many recent Architecture Graduates in NSW, I would like to take this opportunity to share my own thoughts on three issues that should concern us, and inspire us to evolve architecture in Australia:

1. our common misconception of architecture,
2. progress in architectural design and advocacy, especially with regards to humanitarian architecture and
3. women in architecture

These topics always arise during conversations with my peers, and I believe it’s very relevant and a great opportunity to express these issues and hopes through this platform and to utilise my ability to speak up as one of many young aspiring Architects.

Our common misconception of Architecture

As a young designer working in a design practice that works on multi-scalar projects, from the urban, to the built, to exhibition and even to the finest of details of joinery units, it is the only profession, as worded by Jorn Utzon, “with such as strong element of humanism”. We create the environments that manipulate the way people move in a city; around buildings and objects. However, society seems to have a misconception of what architecture is and have little-to-no understanding of what it involves. We take what surrounds us for granted, and can be unaware that architecture involves an intensive process of research, planning and delivery. Architecture is more than what appears on the surface, which seems to be the general social understanding. Architecture needs to be acknowledged as a multi-disciplinary profession. It is a hope that society will begin to appreciate not just the aesthetics of the objects architects and designers create, but to acknowledge the level of knowledge of different fields, which is dependent on the project, and social awareness that must be considered in order to create a successful environment that is effective, efficient, innovative and responsive to society’s needs. This misconception may be due to the lack of community involvement in a project and their participation in the discussion of architecture. We have architectural events and talks, which are obviously aimed at the architectural community. However, is there a way to engage the general public in these discussions as well?

Progress in Architectural Design and Advocacy

As designers we can’t lose sight of what exists around us, and we should not be afraid to tackle issues that are not widely discussed in architecture – using humanitarian work as our guide. We are essentially creative problem solvers and advocates. We have the ability to bring life to issues and use design as a tool to achieve and test potentials. We must think beyond what we are expecting to achieve, in order to produce the best possible design solutions. Humanitarian work involves a number of factors, such as politics, economics, sociology, psychology and urban planning. Humanitarian architecture - in particular refugee camps - is a category of architecture that has had some discussions and proposals from practices all over the world. How should we manage the issue of growing refugee camps? Why are we failing to have an impact? I am bringing this topic to light in the hope of a more public discussion regarding this topic in the future. Current proposals that have surfaced investigate living pods that are minimal in size, but functional and practical for the environments that they are placed in – functioning as temporary shelters. Unfortunately, with refugee camps growing exponentially, architects need to offer proposals to not only consider the building scale of these living pods, but to consider these camps at an urban scale. Research is needed to understand refugee camps as growing cities, rather than a ground of temporary shelters.

Women in Architecture

As it is International Women’s Day, it is most fitting to express and share the privilege that I have currently working in an office that is female dominated and also lead by one of our Principles, Tamara Donnellan, who received The NSW Emerging Architect Prize in 2010 - which recognises the contributions to architectural practice, education, design excellence and community involvement. Having worked in the Terroir office and assisted Tamara for almost 4 years, I have been fortunate to be given a number of opportunities to work on many different projects to gather the necessary skills and knowledge in architectural design and practice. 2016 was also the first time in 92 years, all four nominees for the Architects Medallion were women. This reinforces the capacity of young women entering the profession are more than capable to tackle similar tasks as that of male architects. However, there is still an issue of inequality for women in architecture. One reoccurring topic for discussion amongst my peers is unequal pay. One case that has come to light is a male Architect with less than 5 years’ experience is paid the same as a female Senior Architect with over 10 years’ experience. The pay gap between women and men, not just in architecture, but also in other fields is an issue that must be addressed. This is just one situation, but there are written accounts of women being demoralised and disrespected in the profession. International Women’s Day is a great occasion to bring these issues to light and for the community to be aware.  One platform and not-for-profit organisation that brings women in architecture together, giving them a voice and the freedom to express any concerns, debates and discussions with fellow women in architecture, but also to the architecture community, is Parlour, a not-for-profit organisation. It is through these organisations, that empower women to push for change and equality, and it is a hope that the gap between men and women will eventually be bridged, not just in architecture, but in all professions. 

Direct attempts at redressing gender inequity are often treated with charges of discrimination under a different heading. Undermining merit and questioning motives, a more subtle resentment and misogyny emerges.

So I have agreed to out myself. A little while ago I was reading something about the endlessly depressing under representation of women in architecture and realised yet again that as an unregistered architect, I was contributing to this negative picture.

I didn’t mean not to get registered. It was the combination of a rapidly accelerating and demanding small practice with three children that made it difficult to prioritise. And the longer I put it off, the less the registration process seemed to be applicable to me. The information that a two year graduate learns by supervised work, study and courses, I had been learning on the job for over 20 years. 

My lack of registration became increasingly embarrassing to confess. That throat clearing 'ahem' when I got asked to speak or contribute and I would have to say 'happy to take part, thank you for thinking of me but just so you know I am not a registered architect'. And at 50, calling myself a graduate architect seemed more and more silly. I am proud to contribute to our profession and no longer wanted to explain this shameful anomaly. And I continued to 'not count' as an architect. 

Mine is not an uncommon story. I know many talented and senior people working at the highest level in our profession without being able to call themselves architects.

So I channelled my most vehement self and spoke to Shaun Carter, the then NSW Chapter President of the AIA.

In essence my pitch was - bring back mid-career registration. It used to be available after 10 years of practice. It was canned when I got to 9 years. Registration builds our presence, consolidates trust in the profession, protects the public interest through defined competencies.  And more architects in the world can only be a good thing right? It would be a process to encourage those who have slipped though back into the fold. Make it generous, open the gates, encourage everyone in a similar position to get registered. A mixture of an amnesty, an acknowledgment and a welcome.    

And the best part... It would not need to be pitched as a gender equity initiative but by default it would have this effect. Although the broken career path, the unusual twists and turns of balancing life with work, affects both men and women, the evidence is overwhelming that it affects women more. 

This registration process didn’t even have to say it was trying to solve this imbalance! I had grand visions of the numbers of architects slowly growing and the gender balance correcting, a wave, a tsunami! And yes, I was probably raving by this time. 

The most miraculous part is that it happened and in a comparatively short timeframe!

Shaun is the most charming and receptive human being. Shaun and Callantha Brigham took up the cause. Serendipitously, Emma Williamson of National Committee for Gender Equity had the same thought. With the drive of Tim Horton and Kate Doyle of AACA the initiative is now a national pathway to registration.

The process is both rigorous and welcoming. It aims to see and acknowledge work and contributions, support study, value and sometimes commiserate with experience. The pathway wants you to succeed. As of late last year I added myself to the over 50's women architects after I completed the registration process. Twelve people completed the process in total, four of them women. So it is with small beginnings. 

I encourage everyone with more than seven years’ experience to try this registration path and increase our numbers generally. I support the generosity of the AACA in continuing to widen the doorway, broadening the definitions of what constitutes the work of an architect in practice, in teaching, in research. 

Dedicated architects choose this life for its joys, and despite its difficulties. Women fight to stay part of the profession for the divided years of raising families with less hours in lesser roles.  It is time for us to embrace generosity and openness and reward our profession. To watch the numbers grow. And to balance. 

Camilla Block

Durbach Block Jaggers

Registered Architect  9972

Adjunct Professor University of Technology Sydney

Faculty Design Architecture and Building

Image credit: Julia Charles

The Board's online facility http://www.architects.nsw.gov.au/how-to-apply-online is open for Locally Experienced Architects (LEP) applications.

These out-of-season applications are charged at a higher fee rate ($970). The next round of in-season applications will open in Q3 2017.

Please read the Guide for applicants carefully before making your application. 

If you require further information please contact the Board at (02) 9241 4033.

Applications for Session 1 Architectural Practice Examination (APE) can now be made online. 

Read the  APE Guide for Online Application before you proceed.

Click this secure link:  https://www.architects.nsw.gov.au/ape-online-application or go to this website's sidebar for easy access.

APE Part 1 and 2 applications close midnight Friday 17 February 2017

Local Experienced Practitioner Program applications close midnight Friday 21 April 2017

APE Part 3 applications close midnight Friday 28 April 2017