Meet the NSW/ACT Committee
The NSW/ACT Committee has recently expanded, with new members adding to the existing team of committed, enthusiastic volunteers. Issues of interest to the group include fees and tendering, architectural education, communicating the value of architecture, and solving the profession’s big challenges.
Ivana Simkovic, NSW/ACT Branch President
ARCH
Ivana is a Principal Architect and Studio Director for ARCH and has been on the ACA NSW/ACT Committee for three years. Ivana joined the ACA Committee, as she was interested in getting more involved in discussions with peers on topics related to employment, business and what is important to a small, medium and large practice. The issue of particular interest to Ivana is procurement, especially government procurement. With fees not published and very little or no feedback provided to unsuccessful tenderers, there is a perception that successful tenderers are going lower than “benchmark fees”. The increased number of tenders with a design competition component is also a concern, as it increases the tenderers’ time and cost spent on a bid without any financial subsidies.
Farhad Edibam, NSW/ACT Vice-President
GHD Design
Farhad is a GHD Principal and Business Group Leader at GHD Design in Canberra. GHD Design joined the ACA back in 2019 and Farhad has been a member of the committee for several years.
The ACA’s mandate of promoting and advocating for the Business of Architecture was Farhad’s primary motivator for joining the committee. “Having spent a good part of my career overseas, I was fascinated by the continuously evolving, yet consistent nature of the pressures and opportunities facing our profession and the impact of the various nuances and idiosyncrasies across countries and further differences across the various States and Territories in Australia.
As a business leader in a smaller jurisdiction (ACT) within the broader NSW context, I am continuously exposed to the push and pull of changing regulation and professional standards across the two distinct yet adjacent jurisdictions. I believe lessons learnt from experiences across the two jurisdictions can be used to facilitate evidence-based approaches towards solving some of our profession’s big challenges.”
Farhad’s primary concern is the fair treatment of architects as a key component of the broader construction industry. “Both large and small practice owners and business leaders have had to react to a rapidly changing regulatory and business environment, reacting to such global shocks as financial crises, credit crunches, COVID and unstable interest rates, all of which have a direct impact on the construction industry. This rate of change is amplified by state and territory level interventions – ranging from additional licensing requirements to rapidly changing building codes and architects’ professional responsibilities towards addressing existential subjects such as climate change and net zero (or better) environments. Whilst we live and work in an era where the rate of change is increasing exponentially, it is important to ensure that prudent policies and governance is put in place to safeguard and empower our profession and in particular the small and medium enterprises that constitutes the vast majority of our professional cohort.”
Greg Isaac, NSW/ACT Secretary
Fulton Trotter Architects
Fulton Trotter Architects has been an ACA member for over 15 years and Greg has been involved with the ACA NSW/ACT Committee since 2012, and secretary since 2014.
Greg and Fulton Trotter Architects believe it is important to be involved in discussions about the Business of Architecture with other architects to hopefully assist in improving the business side of the profession. Greg’s desire to join the committee was mostly about having conversations with architects about their business. “In these discussions, there are often things that are learned, times when we compare notes, and situations where we find out new things that can assist each other. As we are tasked with representing our members, I want to be part of the conversation of the normal day to day things that affect our business and what things can improve architectural business.”
The issues of concern to Greg include fairness in dealings with clients, insurers and regulators; managing risks; improving fees and business profitability; and assisting younger architects to be good in business. Whether online or face-to-face, any opportunity to get architects together to discuss these issues in an open and supportive way helps assist the business side of the profession.
Harry Hamor, NSW/ACT Treasurer
Gibbon Hamor & Associates
Harry has been a member of the ACA for nine years. Harry has found that his firm, and the profession at large, has been under considerable pressure to manage its business activities adequately and profitably. He shares, “We are typically under-resourced. We appear to be in a race to the bottom, undertaking bigger more complex and demanding projects, with more liability and responsibility, with lesser return for those services, often unnecessarily competing with our colleagues. While we understand that all clients want value for money, we are offended by the fee-bidding circumstances in which many of the profession find ourselves.”
Harry joined the ACA committee as a positive step towards changing these conditions. “In many instances we find ourselves informing, even teaching our clients what it is that we do, other than ‘designing buildings’. While this is very simplistic, it is a reflection of a surprising lack of knowledge of the profession’s activities. An aim I have is to improve our clients’ understanding of the fees that we ought to charge and to have the profession achieve at least some steps to that improvement. And last but not least to improve student’s understanding of the importance of practice and business management, at least starting this knowledge base before they graduate. Experience so far indicates there is much to do in this field.”
Agi Sterling
Sterling Architects
Agi is the Immediate Past President of the NSW/ACT Committee and a member of the ACA for over 12 years. She is also the Director of Sterling Architects, which has been registered since 1999. The bulk of her projects are single residential, but she has also been involved in many commercial interiors and medical centres.
Agi joined the Committee when then NSW/ACT President Steve Kennedy encouraged her to join. Agi considers Steve a mentor, an impressive contributor to the profession, and a model to follow. It was Steve who encouraged Agi to set up the Sydney East Architects Network, where Agi is still involved. Agi is an energetic, passionate contributor to the ACA NSW/ACT Committee.
Agi outlines the issues that she would like to see progressed within the ACA. “The ACA provides valuable information to architects to enable them to run their business effectively – webinars, education and keeping the members up to date with industry news. It is important to me to maintain relationship with the Institute, ArchiTeam and the Regional Architects Network. What I would like to do is to establish a relationship with the small practices networks. I’m already involved and making progress.”
Brent Dunn
Takt Studio for Architecture
Brent founded Takt Studio for Architecture over 10 years ago and has been a member of the ACA since 2015. Having utilised the helpful resources produced by the ACA in his business for many years, Brent was interested in supporting the creation of better business resources and improving business skills for architects. He believes this can only lead to a stronger and more effective design industry in this country.
As a founding member of the Regional Architecture Association, he is particularly interested in building connections between practitioners, and collectively advocating for architecture in the regions, right across Australia.
Justine Money
Noho Architecture
Justine is an architect and founder of Noho Architecture. She joined the ACA over five years ago and then the committee to continue her quest for diversity, equality and sustainability in the business of architecture.
Justine believes in prioritising architects and their growth within the industry. This involves fostering an environment where everyone is heard, has a clear purpose, and is given the opportunity to make a meaningful impact. She would like to see a business run as an ecosystem where each of its parts is as important as the whole. Justine’s Māori heritage influences many of her business decisions, and she reflects on tribal leadership frameworks in business and in the committee to make a purposeful impact.
Michael Lewarne, Architects’ Mental Wellbeing Forum
Unmeasured
Michael started Unmeasured in 2020 to support architects in mastering a creative model of leadership to build a more adaptable and efficient practice. As an Architecture Leadership Coach, Michael joined the ACA Committee to pursue his passions for the profession. “I was so pleased to attend the Mental Wellbeing Symposium that the ACA was part of earlier this year. I’d like to think we’re making great strides in that regard, but there’s a way to go. I’d love it if more architects joined our Architects’ Mental Wellbeing Forum.”
The other big issue Michael is interested in right now is disruption to the profession. “The profession is a little stuck in status quo thinking and there’s a big wave coming. It’s time to catch that creative wave, else we might drown.”
Steve Pearse, RAP Working Group
Steve Pearse Architect
Steve became involved with the ACA over 15 years ago as a member in large practice and then as director of his own practice. Steve joined the committee to work with Steve Kennedy in negotiating better contract conditions with NSW government for procuring architects’ services while a director of large practice. Steve is looking for better recognition for the complete role and skills offered to society by architects through their training and experience.
Steve is an enthusiastic Chair of the ACA’s National Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group. The group includes contributors from states and territories around Australia. It aims to identify actions and a potential education plan, informed by member feedback. The RAP Working Group is currently planning a survey seeking feedback from members, which will assist us in shaping a program of events and information/education for CPD, as well as social awareness programs with each branch.
David Springett
Paragrid Architecture
David has been a member of the ACA since before 2000. He was teaching Professional Practice at UTS and was a member of the RAIA Practice Committee when he joined the NSW/ACT committee to ensure he had a complete picture of the profession that could be presented to the graduating students.
David felt that at the ACA there were like-minded architects who wanted to get things done. He likes the fact that the ACA is active and prompt in getting ‘stuff’ done. “When we have an idea then we get on with it. At the moment we are actively supporting Tools, which is a vital part of understanding the NCC and Australian Standards and how they apply to designs.” David wants to make sure the ACA remains a lean keen machine that delivers to the profession now and into the future.
Michael Kitmiridis
Michael Kitmiridis Architect
Michael has been a member of the ACA since 2015 and joined the NSW/ACT committee to enable him to share the knowledge and expertise gained from four decades of work experience in running a busy, diverse practice with other members of the profession. Also, most importantly, he aims to share the insights and wisdom that he has obtained with younger professional colleagues.
Michael writes: “Recent legislation introduced to address poor practices in the building industry has highlighted significant problems within our own profession. The challenges of greater regulatory oversight and increasing exposure to litigation have reinforced the urgent need for members of our profession to improve their skills and understanding of their increased responsibilities. Members of our profession need to give greater priority to learning or relearning the basics of construction and contract administration. There needs to be a renewed emphasis on an improved and broader educational framework for more junior members of the profession and a more targeted continued educational program for more senior members. The ACA is a perfect vehicle for reaching out to all levels of the profession.”
Jennifer Crawford
Our New Home Coach
Jennifer joined the ACA committee to learn more about the business of architecture and assist in bringing that information to the members in NSW/ACT. She joined the ACA as a member herself in 2018. As a small practice owner, Jennifer wants to focus on small practices being more economically sustainable in these uncertain and challenging times.
Fabricio Siqueira
Fab Siqueira Architect
Fabricio is an independent architect with more than 18 years of industry experience. Fabricio became an ACA member in October 2020 and a member of the NSW/ACT committee shortly after.
Fabricio joined the committee to improve working conditions and recognition of the value of architects in Australia, especially small practices that do not work in glamorous projects. Fabricio highlights the fact that in most professions in Australia it is illegal to practise them without a license or registration; however, for architects only the title is protected. “Any person can do any architecture tasks as long as they don’t call themselves an ‘architect’. While there are exceptions, these can be easily overcome by paying an architect to sign a design compliance declaration, or design verification statement – a few do that and there is no punishment for them, even though they bring the whole category down in exchange for a few dollars.”
Christopher Lal
Christopher Lal Architect
Christopher has been a member of the ACA since 2020 and joined the committee initially for CPD points on subject matter not available through other memberships. He found that over time the developing content is both relevant and engaging. The main issue faced in the ACT is accountability of the planning system, development application process and timing. Progression through a united front could aid in system transparency.
Marie Frost, NSW/ACT Executive Officer
ACA NSW/ACT
Marie joined the ACA NSW/ACT Branch in July 2012, as the Executive Officer. Her role includes managing membership, arranging informative events, which include presentations either online or face to face. The highlight of her role is the interaction with the members and working with a supportive and hardworking Committee of Management.