SA Branch Update EOFY 2024

19 July 2024

Advocacy, First Nations engagement and learning, and a strong events program have been a focus for the SA branch committee in the first half of 2024. Sascha Byrne and the SA committee review the highlights.

THE ACA SA COMMITTEE

The ACA SA Committee is a busy, committed group of practitioners, working hard to advocate for more equitable working arrangements, to share timely, relevant information and experiences, and to host informative events for South Australian practice owners. You can Meet the SA Committee here.

ADVOCACY

Justin Cucchiarelli leads advocacy efforts in the ACA SA Committee, dedicated to representing practices in his state when engaging with the Department for Industry and Transport (DIT). The ACA SA engages regularly with DIT, primarily through the DIT Commercial Construction Industry Forum (DCCIF), which includes peak bodies representing different parts of the construction industry, and a subgroup representing lead and secondary consultants. At a high level we are working with DIT to try and improve payment times, project timeframes, consistency across process, and scope and budget alignment. Justin discusses our recent advocacy work in South Australia in more detail here.

EVENTS

Welcome breakfast

We started the year with our annual Welcome Breakfast, once again hosted at Luigi’s. Members and potential members joined us for a delicious breakfast. John Held talked about plans for the ACA in 2024 and we then welcomed Rebecca Darcey and Jenna Holder from Southern Launch, who joined us for an insightful presentation on their work here in SA.

Unsettling Country

On 30 May we hosted ‘Unsettling Country’ to mark Reconciliation Week, the first in a series of lunchtime talks exploring the privileges and opportunities of working on Country.

Michael Hegarty, a member of the ACA SA Reconciliation Committee and the ACA National RAP Working Group, convened the session and commenced with a heartfelt ‘Acknowledgement of Country’, drawing on his own experience as a relatively recent settler. He urged all attendees to make their Acknowledgements meaningful and authentic rather than using rote words, imparting a sense of obligation without meaning. He then introduced guest speaker Anthony Coupe of Mulloway Studio, one of the Creative Directors for the 2023 Australian Exhibition in the Venice Architecture Biennale.

Anthony’s informative presentation focused on the process of developing ideas for the exhibition ‘Unsettling Queenstown’. There are many Queenstowns around the world, a name not related to place, but to the colonial spread of the British empire. The exhibition explored two Australian Queenstowns, the former mining town on Tasmania’s west coast and the suburb in western Adelaide, witness to the arrival of South Australia’s first European settlers. A fictional Queenstown permeated the exhibition, a metaphor for the colonisation process.

Anthony acknowledged fellow Creative Director, Associate Professor Ali Gumiillya Baker, a Mirring person working on Kaurna Land, who was unfortunately unable to attend due to other commitments. Anthony described the process of building the ghostly belvedere of the Empire Hotel, an ironic colonisation of Italy with Australian ‘Italianate’ architecture. The exhibition included two films of the two Australian Queenstowns with aural history soundscapes and an Open Archive. The Open Archive was an assemblage of the work of Australian practitioners and academics, organised thematically as a series of ‘tactics’ that address the challenge of decolonisation. These are available to view here.

Working on Country

We followed up on 11 July with ‘Working on Country’. The SA Committee was delighted to have Jess Davies-Huynh, a proud Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri woman, deliver the Welcome to Country. Jess is passionate about supporting self‑determination for Aboriginal people and their communities. She is currently employed at the National Indigenous Australians Agency, where she works closely with Aboriginal organisations and communities across the urban Adelaide region and supports reforms under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.

The Working on Country event featured three local architects: Anthony Coupe (Mulloway Studio), Susan Phillips (Phillips Pilkington) and Ashley Halliday (Ashley Halliday Architects). Each shared their experiences and knowledge of practical engagement outcomes from recent projects. Attendees shared their thoughts.

“The Working on Country CPD event was a fascinating look into our colleagues’ experiences in the consideration, deliberation and delivery of culturally sensitive and significant projects. Their stories of interaction and interpretation, married with how sensitive, careful and appropriate responses could be provided were inspiring. It’s given me a lot to think about with regards to how we should and could all be doing better to sensitively and collaboratively integrate First Nations stories and symbology into all our projects.” Simon Frost, Greenway Architects

“Whilst three specific projects were discussed, it was a reminder that no matter the project, we should always remember we are working on Country.  That we can consider the stories, landscape and both human and animals that utilise the land whilst creating built forms.  That as architects we have a responsibility to foster respect and recognition with all of our clients and the land.” Kristina Soggee, Livingstone Studio

“One thing that was evident was the need to allow time and sufficient fee for both the architects and the First Nations participants to achieve meaningful results. Sue charted her journey of engagement with First Nations groups from the commencement of their practice in 1992, describing a process of lifelong learning rather than a one-off interaction.” John Held, Russell & Yelland

Business of Small Practice (BoSP)

BoSP is an important part of our calendar of events each year and this year did not disappoint. Crushed Dreams or Gold Taps opened up the discussion around budget and design expectations. Our panel of speakers included Chris Rowlands (RAD Studio), Craig Buckberry (Anaglypta Architecture), David Handsaker (Williams Burton Leopardi) and Tom Bernard (Rider Levett Bucknall).

The panellists provided valuable insights during the discussion, highlighting effective project management strategies. Key takeaways included maintaining regular client communication throughout the project to foster trust and transparency. They emphasised that building trust facilitates easier discussions about project budgets. Additionally, as architects, staying informed about market conditions through independent research is crucial. This knowledge allows architects to proactively manage budget expectations by communicating potential impacts early on. Overall, the discussion highlighted the importance of proactive communication, trust-building, and market awareness as essential components for successful budget management in architecture.

SPONSORS

Our Platinum Sponsors in SA have got off to a great start this year with online articles and an event for members.

On 10 April, Stratco hosted members for a discussion around key considerations of design with a curved roof or walls. They joined Shawn Stevens and Tom Drizners for a factory demonstration, showing how curved products are manufactured and imparting practical knowledge for design and documentation of a building with curves.

In June, ROUSSOS Recruitment Director and Founder, Anna Roussos, discussed her observations of recent salary fluctuations within the architecture industry. Read here >

We thank both Stratco and ROUSSOS Recruitment for their support of the architecture community in SA. We also thank Chris Tan Consulting for continuing to support the Keith Neighbour Study Group Program again this year (see below).

KEITH NEIGHBOUR GRADUATE STUDY PROGRAM

The Keith Neighbour Graduate Study Program aims to support all young members of the profession who are thinking of going for their registration. We encourage graduates to take advantage of this valuable program. From data collected during the second round of the APE exams, the exam success rate of candidates was noticeably higher for those who had attended the KNSG, which is very encouraging.

The program is proudly sponsored by Chris Tan Consulting, whose support has allowed the ACA to continue to be a vital part of the younger cohort’s growth and knowledge sharing as they work towards their registration. This is particularly valuable for those with limited exposure and opportunity in the wider world of architectural practice.

If you are interested in joining the group, contact the ACA’s Executive Officer, Sascha Byrne.

Photos: BASH images, Mel Boulden, Sascha Byrne