Developers and architects have struggled to exist harmoniously since the roles were established, yet Jeremy McLeod (Breathe Architecture) & Phil Thalis (Hill Thalis) are striving to redefine this tumultuous relationship. Thalis and McLeod both advocated for a redefinition of the role of ‘developer’ as a means to create more affordable & relevant architecture.
“We need to connect with people in all fields otherwise the industry is bound to become quite marginalised” Phil announced to the audience, using his Narara Eco-Village to explore this statement further. Thalis continued by saying that that in order for a fully resolved development to be successful that it’s the architects responsibility to “ensure yield and financial credibility be considered... and to ensure people buy into a viable development”. By combining this mentality with responsible and intelligent design, architects have the power to redefine the quality and viability of large-scale developments, and in turn, create more affordable and liveable housing.
In the same vein, Jeremy McLeod proposed that the role of the developer in the design process must be revisited. Citing that “collaboration…(more broadly within the industry)… could dramatically change the urban environment in which we design”. Using his projects ‘The Commons’ & ‘Nightingale’ as examples, McLeod proposed that a new paradigm for project funding was right in front of us. By amalgamating the role of ‘architect’ with that of the ‘developer’, architects can control the means by which architecture is funded and thus how it is designed and constructed. Coining the term ‘Intelligent Property Development’, McLeod suggests that by designing architecture that is economically, sustainably & architecturally intelligent we can redefine the mechanisms by which property developments are produced, and in turn the ever-escalating property market for the consumer.
As architects attempt to absorb the role of the ‘developer’, empowerment for both the architect and the consumer begins to appear on the horizon. By clarifying the channels by which projects are funded and redirecting the objectives of developments from profitability to affordability, we as architects have the potential to reinvent the course of the property market for the greater good of the public.
“It’s not a commodity, it’s housing…” – Jeremy McLeod.
Written by: Ben Cohen of Studio GL (New South Wales Event Correspondent for AWS)
Ben is a Sydney based Graduate Architect, who graduated from Sydney University with a Masters in Architecture. He recently begun work at Studio GL where he has been developing his interest in urban design; his role has involved developing graphic information, design and research for civic master planning and development of design principles for a range of projects relating to master planning and urban design.
