Congratulations Michael Gay
Congratulations to Michael Gay, ACA – WA’s newest committee member, on receiving the WA Emerging Architect Prize from the Australian Institute of Architects.
We are delighted to see Michael recognised through this significant award, and look forward to working with him further on the ACA – WA Committee.
Michael comes from a practice of two people, so brings great insight into the issues faced by small practices. He’s used ACA resources as he has set up his own practice and we hope that he’ll help us build connections with young practices and sole practitioners. Michael also sits on the Australian Institute of Architects National Gender Equity Committee.
We are pleased to publish the citation for the prize in full. The ACA congratulates Michael on his achievements to date, and is excited to see how his career and his contribution to the profession develops.
WA Emerging Architect Prize Citation
This is the eighth year of the Emerging Architect prize, awarded in conjunction with our long-standing partner AWS. While Renzo Piano once said that “architects should live for 150 years because you don’t stop learning for the first 75 years,” this award is a well-deserved celebration of an architect who is in the early stages of their career and has demonstrated excellence in architectural practice, research or education and contributed to our profession through leadership, involvement with the Institute and in the community.
This year’s winner, Michael Gay, is an outstanding recipient. Since graduating in 2004 and registering in 2009, he has sort to diversify his practical experience working in both small and large architectural practices, on work of varying scale and typology and in recent years opening his own small practice. This broad grounding provides an excellent and well-rounded perspective into how architecture is practiced, ensuring that Michael will be able to contribute to the issues currently faced by his fellows.
Michael has also demonstrated clear leadership within the profession in his role as an informal peer mentor and volunteering time as a committee member on the Institute’s National Committee for Gender Equity and the WA committee for the Association of Consulting Architects.
It was Michael’s raw honesty about his private contemplations managing a mental illness, a practice and family, along with his desire to effect change to our professional lives that set this application apart.
The panel applauded Michael’s desire to increase the awareness within our profession of issues surrounding ethical practice, work/life balance, mental health, gender and sexual stereotyping in order to create a strong and stable profession that is sustainable into the future.
We trust winning this esteemed award will provide the perfect platform for Michael to continue his momentum around these issues making him an outstanding emerging architect.
Congratulations Michael.
Emerging Architect Prize Jury: Stewart Winmer (AWS), Suzanne Hunt (President WA Chapter, AUstralian Institute of Architects) , Amanda Hendry (Chair EMAGN) and Joe Chindarsi (on behalf of previous award winner David Weir).