We recently had our first Chapter Council Meeting of the year, and it was a great start with an inspiring and energetic mix of new and returning members.
Cameron Bruhn, the National CEO, updated us on the upcoming Australian Architecture Conference in May, which promises to be an exciting event. Spread over two days, it aims to open a discourse on architecture in Sydney. In addition to the core conference days, the NSW Chapter is developing a series of Fringe Events. If you have clients, colleagues, or friends interested in a day of inspiration and debate at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, encourage them to get a ticket.
Each of our Councillors shared their experiences, interests, and aspirations for their term. The profession is well represented across small, medium, and large practices, spanning early, mid, and late career stages, as well as architects working in allied fields such as local government and management. Sustainability remains a key focus, along with increasing our visibility as a profession and fostering engagement through collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and connections.
We welcomed Jo Bastian as the new Regional Committee Chair, succeeding Phoebe Glanville, who dedicated four years to the role—thank you, Phoebe, for your energy and commitment! Jo is eager to engage even more regional members, so if you would like to get involved, please reach out.
Kirby Rees will continue as Vice President, supported by Chapter Council. Thank you, Kirby for stepping into this essential role.
All NSW architecture-related events can now be found on the NSW Events Calendar page. Easily accessible via the NSW Chapter Homepage of the RAIA Website, this will include both the Institute’s 2025 events and those from other organisations contributing to discussions on architecture and the built environment. It is a work in progress but a great initiative—stay tuned for updates.
We farewelled our SONA Representative, Orlando Iliopoulos, who is moving on to represent SONA at a National level as Vice President for Advocacy. Students are the future of our profession, and we look forward to welcoming the new representative and understanding how the Institute can best support them.
The briefing of the NSW Juries was held at Tusculum – again a great cross-section of representation. Thank you to all who have committed the time.
This month is a busy month for Advocacy with papers being prepared for continued commentary on housing and the Building Bill.
