The Business of Architecture*

The ACA has joined the core group of organisations that coordinate the activities of the RAP RING, a network of practices committed to bringing about change. RAP RING Chair Missy Saleeba reflects on the purpose of the group, the Voice Referendum result and why it’s critical for architects to enhance their understanding of First Nations culture, values and challenges.

Michael Smith, Director at ACA member practice andever, is campaigning for a seat in the upcoming City of Melbourne elections. In a new ACA interview, Michael discusses his bid to bring design thinking to Melbourne politics and highlights the importance of advocacy and supporting others to make change.

Matthew Thomas has been a valuable contributor to the SA Branch Committee and the NEC in his capacity as National Treasurer Delegate. He has been instrumental in helping to develop a robust framework to support ACA’s financial governance processes and a key member of our Audit and Risk Committee. As Matt bids farewell to the ACA, we ask him Five Questions!

While specification writing is often a challenge that practices struggle to fully resource, SLCspec has built a passionate team of architectural professionals who are dedicated to this critical work. General Manager Sophie Rodgers takes us through the genesis of the company, the joy of taking on diverse project work, and the opportunities found in the modern construction industry.

When Kristina Soggee’s long-time employer retired in 2023, it left her at a crossroads. Unwilling to say goodbye to the diverse work, charming location and regional community she loved, she decided to establish her own practice. One year in, Kristina shares some of the challenges, joys and ambitions of her small regional studio. 

Congratulations to ACA member practice Feather & Lawry Design, who recently won the 2024 Client Choice Award for Best Architecture Firm <$30M. Here, the Toowoomba-based regional design team share some insights into the Client Choice process and what the national achievement means for the practice.

The ACA is pleased to join Consult Australia’s End of Year Tender campaign, which advocates for a pause in new procurement activities over the Christmas break. Consult Australia CEO Jonathan Cartledge explains about the initiative’s genesis, aims and progress to date, and the prioritisation of mental health in the construction industry. 

After 17 years working in Germany, Damien McQuillan moved back to Port Lincoln in SA to set up his own holistic regional architecture practice, which is committed to client-centred decision-making. Damien’s landscape designer wife Uta Enneking-McQuillan has since joined the cross-disciplinary practice, now renamed E+MQ Design.

The ACA is proud to support the important work of the ARC Centre for Next-Gen Architectural Manufacturing, which aims to address the urgent needs of the AEC sector. ARC Centre Director M. Hank Haeusler takes us through the project’s goals, challenges, progress to date and future plans.

Keen to find a space to explore, get his hands dirty and maintain strong involvement in community, Mike Sneyd headed for Kununurra, where he set up as a sole trader in 2019. Today, his bush practice has grown from strength to strength, with two locations (Kununurra and Broome) and a small but growing team.

The ACA’s BoSP, or Business of Small Practice Forum, was created in Western Australia in 2018, providing the opportunity for small practice owners to meet up, listen to experts, share knowledge and learn from each other. BoSP founder Kate Fitzgerald shares her insights about the series genesis, motivations and plans for the future.

Brad Hooper is a sole practitioner with a shopfront in the main street of Maldon in regional Victoria. In a town where everyone knows everyone, he is the go-to person for anything from new residential builds to professional advice on heritage overlays and building approvals and even single screen doors. He is embedded in the community and is full of anecdotes and stories peppered with good advice.

Charmaine Kai, a valued member of the QLD/NT Committee and Director of 8i Architects, discusses the practice’s recent achievement – winning the Client Choice Awards Best Architecture Firm <$30M for 2023. Charmaine shares some insights on the process of collecting client feedback and what the key takeaways have been for the practice.

Counterpoint Architecture Directors Mark Kennedy and Zammi Rohan sat down with the ACA to share their experience of merging practices, collaboration with practices of varying scales, the joys and challenges of regional practice, and tips for client engagement, choosing projects and making necessary mindshifts around practice.

Clients, like all people, value being listened to and afforded the opportunity of giving feedback, says Beaton Chairman George Beaton, who discusses the powerful impact of feedback on client satisfaction and professional reputation.

CareerTrackers placements with Lendlease and SJB gave Samantha Rich valuable real-world experience, feedback and skills she could immediately draw upon when she left university.

SJB has implemented two mentoring programs to cater for different preferences and needs – a less formal program called SJBuddies and the more formal SJB Mentoring.

Bates Smart outlines their reasons for setting up their mentoring program, which is part of a broader Career Planning Framework and includes approximately 280 participants.

COX Architecture outlines how their mentoring program works, the benefits and challenges of implementation, and some advice for others keen on setting up a program for their own practice.

Woods Bagot explains the process of committing to increased flexibility and outlines some of the benefits and challenges as they move forward into the ‘new normal’. 

BVN outlines some of the initiatives that have worked for them in their transition to the All Roles Flex model and now a Hybrid Working Model.

COX Architecture identified some key takeaways from the implementation process of the All Roles Flex policy.

Greenway Architects Director Simon Frost discusses the challenges of the blended digital and physical environment, the need for empathetic collaboration in the industry, and the importance of prioritising good mental health.

Ardex National Specification and Training Manager Joel Clough says that the current demand for improved innovation in waterproofing, and increasing collaboration with architects during the specification phase, will lead to better outcomes and ultimately help return trust to the industry.

Emily Van Eyk, Director of Mt Eyk, shares her experiences of running a new practice through a pandemic, with the main challenges relating to supply chain delays, rising construction costs and keeping up with demand.

Fulton Trotter Director Justine Ebzery says that Zoom and lockdown fatigue is real, and keeping up morale and maintaining motivation and energy levels through so much COVID uncertainty has been a key focus.

Silver Thomas Hanley Business Manager and ACA VIC/TAS Committee member Matthew Tence says good communication and significant IT investment have helped navigate and overcome the challenges of the last two years.

QLD/NT Committee member Denis Waring shares his pandemic experiences as Principal of PW Architecture, and the need to prioritise people through challenging times.

Our NSW/ACT branch is celebrating 24 member practices who have been with the ACA for 25 years or more! This special group have been with us almost since the beginning and have witnessed dramatic change in both the profession and in our Association.

Conrad Gargett HR Manager and AMWF member Brooke Tranberg outlines some of the practice’s wellbeing initiatives, including in-house Social and Wellbeing Committees, a well-promoted EAP, open conversations about mental health, and a pre-COVID all-company Archi-Tour to foster connection.

Popular wellbeing initiatives for Fulton Trotter have included Wellness Wednesday, a formal EAP, Zoom drinks, yoga and art classes, and a little ‘lockdown love’, says FT Director and Chair of the AMWF QLD/NT Justine Ebzery.

BVN’s Head of People & Character Brian Clohessy describes the practice’s wellbeing initiatives, including inhouse Working Cultural Groups, which focus on the three pillars of physical, social and mental wellbeing.

AMWF Vic/Tas member Kirby Roper reflects on the stresses of regular snap lockdowns and ways of maintaining wellbeing in practice, including the establishment of Innovation Day and being prepared for future disruptions.

Former Premier of Victoria and trained architect Ted Baillieu emphasises that ventilation in buildings is an urgent priority, deserving of a national taskforce to offer guidance and highlight the importance of air quality management.

AACA CEO Kathlyn Loseby joins the organisation at an exciting time, with new competency standards to finalise and roll out, automatic mutual recognition on the way, and other new programs in development.

Keeping clients’ interests at the forefront is a key priority for Surry Hills–based ArtMade Architects, who have won Client’s Choice Awards two years running.

Planned Cover National Business Manager Cos Cirocco reflects on the evolution of PI Insurance in the building industry, the impacts of the NSW D&BP Act on the insurance market, and future changes and complexities in the industry.

Architecture is a second career for Michelle Blakeley. Here, she talks about the advantages of age, the influence of her former career, and the founding of an organisation to build homes for people experiencing homelessness.

The small, busy team at Susan Dugdale and Associates have found that reputation and relationships are key when working in a remote regional location like Alice Springs.

The pandemic demanded rapid adaptation for Kirby Architects, but the experience was also empowering, revealing the possibilities of positive change and bringing the team closer and more determined to do great work.

The ACA is delighted to introduce Tom Earls of Fair Work Lawyers (FWL), who will provide principal industrial relations advisory services for ACA members.

Justine Ebzery reflects on the need for targeted funding for new public housing, public schools and community health infrastructure, with adequate resources for design and planning.

Jennifer Crawford highlights the eligibility issues of JobKeeper and HomeBuilder, and describes her recent move back to the life of a sole practitioner.

ACA – WA President Malcolm Jones reflects on JobKeeper, the flexible workplace, and the need for more resources for infrastructure of long-term benefit.

ACA - Vic/Tas President and FFPV Director Paul Viney reflects on his experiences with past and present economic downturns, the need for more government investment in civic projects and social housing, and the challenges of COVID-19 and remote working.

Working remotely can be challenging and disruptive, and requires realistic expectations and a flexible approach, says Charmaine Kai of Brisbane-based practice 8i Architects.

COVID-19 disruption has been all-encompassing, but there are signs of innovation, community resilience and relationship building emerging all around us, observes Kate Fitzgerald of Fremantle-based Whispering Smith.

Existing investment in new digital platforms has meant that dwp|design worldwide partnership was well placed to switch to working mode when the COVID-19 crisis arose.

As Queensland prepared for lockdown, Cairns-based practice People Oriented Design worked on strategies with health, wellbeing and the long-term financial sustainability of the practice firmly in mind.

Hayball has explored varied modes of working and learning over many years, but the rapid shift to remote, distributed workplaces in the era of COVID-19 is a new challenge.

For BVN, the transition to all staff working from home has been ‘seamless’. The ease of the move is an outcome of already having robust flex systems in place, a commitment to open honest communication, and a focus on health and wellbeing.

Online support is more important than ever. The ACA invites architectural practices across Australia to share practice experiences, knowledge and strategies.

Brown Falconer is in the process of transitioning all staff to remote working. Mario Dreosti emphasises the importance of open communication and sharing both the knowns and the unknowns as essential to building trust, autonomy and initiative.

Thomson Rossi’s approach to managing the practice in the context of the novel coronavirus is guided by a COVID-19 Policy Statement, which establishes clear boundaries and habits. Simon Thomson explains that the intent is to keep the office open as long as possible.

TheFulcrum.Agency partner Emma Williamson explains how the consultancy is responding to COVID-19 and offers advice about how to proactively manage through a crisis while maintaining the cultural integrity of your practice.

Justine Ebzery outlines the steps Fulton Trotter has taken in response to COVID-19 so far, including clear, regular communication to clients and employees, transitioning to more work from home arrangements, and a focus on patience and kindness.

Taylor Robinson Chaney Broderick (TRCB) has been trialling staff working from home for a number of weeks. Leigh Robinson generously shares details about how this is working, lessons learned, and the guidelines the practice has developed.

Vice President of the NSW/ACT branch Michael Lewarne discusses his early career, lessons learned in practice, and the value of thinking critically, maintaining curiosity, and making space for opportunities along the way.

For Melbourne-based Kosloff Architecture, building a positive, healthy practice culture is a key priority, and achieving B Corp status an important step in the evolution of the practice.

Newly appointed Victorian State Building Surveyor Andrew Cialini says it’s time for the building industry to preference public safety and quality over cost, and to implement change for the good of overall outcomes rather than self-interest.

For Sydney-based Aileen Sage, early collaborations with artists, academics, innovators, larger architectural practices and other consultants have opened up a diversity of projects and opportunities.

As Birrelli celebrates its 25th year in business, Launceston-based architect and former ACA State President Jack Birrell reflects on the challenges and joys of practice on a remote island.

For multidisciplinary practice GHDWoodhead, growing the business is about strategic focus and working hard, with continued growth, global expansion and ongoing diversification the key ambitions.

Professor Naomi Stead, Head of Architecture at Monash University, is one of the champions of a proposed new research project currently under development, Mental Wellbeing of Architects and Architecture Students: Culture, Education and the Workplace, which aims to examine links between architectural culture and identity and mental wellbeing. Here, Naomi takes a quick look at the issues.

For emerging practice Winter Architecture, location is no obstacle to team collaboration, with employees located around Australia. Here, Director Jean Graham describes the practice’s origins, ambitions and determination to remain flexible, agile and openminded.

Darwin-based practice Jackman Gooden Architects prides itself on its success in collaborative projects, aligning with other local and interstate architects, specialist consultants and design-oriented building contractors.

As International Women's Day 2019 approaches, ACA CEO Angelina Pillai reflects on her upbringing, the importance of seeing strong women leaders in public life, and the need to push for basic human rights for all.

Bijl Architecture founder and director Melonie Bayl-Smith shares the key lessons she has learned in practice, the value of mentoring programs, and the many benefits she has gained from involvement with professional organisations.

In 2018, HHH Architects celebrated its 40th anniversary on the Gold Coast, an opportune time to reflect on past achievements, succession planning and the challenges ahead.

As we kick off another year, we feature a wide-ranging interview with the first female Vice President of the National Executive Committee and President of the NSW / ACT branch.

Business courses, development programs and mentoring opportunities have helped motivate a reassessment and continual improvement approach for Rosalie Pech Eva.

A series of challenges at Williams Burton Leopardi provided the impetus for a radical review and rethink of everything from client interactions to studio systems and processes.

Ongoing strategic planning helps Fulton Trotter create a road map for future business development opportunities, ensuring they stay relevant and working in the markets that will sustain their business.

Learning when to say no to the wrong client, the wrong project or the wrong situation in general has been valuable for Shannon Battisson of The Mill in Canberra.

For Bryant Alsop, success comes from building strong relationships - with consultants, builders and suppliers as well as valued employees.

A client focus and a reverence for place have been fundamental for Denmark firm PTX Architects.