ACA + BEC – A lasting partnership
The eight-year relationship between the Built Environment Channel (BEC) and the Association of Consulting Architects Australia (ACA) reflects a shared commitment to a simple principle: industry organisations are most valuable when they put their members first.
Since the partnership began in 2018, BEC and ACA have continued to connect architecture practices with practical information, resources, professional development and industry insight. The original partnership brought ACA’s Business Toolbox, initiatives, events and advocacy directly into practices through BEC’s national digital screen network.
Today, that purpose remains relevant, even as the needs of the profession continue to evolve.
For the ACA, supporting members means helping architecture practices navigate the business realities of practice. Its work spans advocacy, employment and industrial relations, business resources, education, research, wellbeing and practical tools designed to help practices operate sustainably.
“Architecture is a constantly changing profession, and our members need access to information that is relevant to the realities of running a practice,” says ACA CEO Angelina Pillai. “Our partnership with BEC gives us another way to put useful information, resources and industry conversations in front of practices, where and when they can engage with them.”
For BEC, the focus is similarly on making information more accessible to busy built environment professionals. Its national screen network delivers industry news, events and content from industry partners into workplaces, while its Design Atlas platform provides an online extension of that knowledge resource.
“BEC was created around the idea that built environment professionals shouldn’t have to go looking for every piece of information they need,” says BEC CEO Sam Matheson. “Our role is to bring useful industry knowledge into the workplace and make it easier for people to discover what matters to them. The ACA has been an important part of that ecosystem for eight years.”
The partnership also reflects the complementary roles of the two organisations. ACA represents and advocates for architectural practices, with a particular focus on the business of architecture. BEC provides a communication and knowledge platform that connects professionals with industry information and organisations.
For both organisations, the value of that relationship ultimately comes back to members.
“Partnerships work when they create genuine value for the people we both serve,” Angelina says. “We have always seen BEC as a practical extension of our ability to communicate with practices and share knowledge.”
Sam agrees: “The built environment is a connected industry, and no organisation can provide everything its members need. Strong knowledge partnerships allow us to share expertise, amplify important conversations and help keep the profession connected.”
Eight years on, the ACA and BEC partnership continues to demonstrate the role that industry organisations can play when collaboration is centred on practical member value: sharing knowledge, strengthening connections and helping professionals navigate an increasingly complex industry.