The National Architecture Conference is a yearly gathering convened by the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA). Over two days, there is much dissection of the issues facing the profession through the prism of an over-arching theme. This year’s theme – Risk - had great resonance for young architectural graduates too. Risk is experienced in myriad ways by established as well as emerging practices. As the conference keynote speakers are often high profile or overseas Architects (sometimes both), it is fantastic to see that through fringe events the focus does revert occasionally to Emerging Architects and their work.
Architectural Window Systems (AWS) are committed to supporting young architects through their sponsorship of the Emerging Architect Prize. They continue to extend their support by hosting this years Emerging Architects breakfast at Fatto Bar & Cantina - a fringe event to the 2015 conference. Fatto is perched on the upper level of the new Hamer Hall redevelopment by ARM architecture. It enjoys enviable views across the Yarra to the Melbourne CBD - including Federation Square and Flinders Street station. Their modern Italian menu was a perfect complement to the crisp, contemporary interiors by Projects of Imagination. One could not think of a better setting to host a gathering of Architects.
Present at this year’s event were current winners of this year’s Emerging Architect Prize, previous years’ winners as well as guests from the Emerging Architects + Graduates Network (EmAGN). Events such as these foster vital connections within the architectural community - creating a network of individuals who can support one another via collaborations or simply share stories of life in architectural practice. A special edition ‘newspaper’ was organized for the day – The EAP news – which helped answer the big question on many people’s mind, ‘What happens after you win the prize? How does it (re)shape your career? Does it do so in unexpected ways?’
The 2014 Emerging Architect National winner Nic Brunsdon spoke a few words at the breakfast, which included a few comments regarding newer forms of social media such as Twitter and Instagram. He touched on its power to connect one with fellow architects but also how he saw social media as an extension of his professional persona. Social media is no longer simply a part of our post-work lives, the boundaries are beginning to blur. This sentiment was also echoed by another past winner in the EAP news column:
“Instagram has been a great connecting device between interstate practices, celebrating the process of architecture.”
-Clare Cousins, 2013 Emerging Architect National Prize winner
My conversations with other attendees revealed that whilst the term ‘Emerging’ is clearly understood within the profession, it could cause some confusion for others. For instance, it is not uncommon for winners of the prize to have close to 10 years of industry experience before winning the award. The word ‘Emerging’ may sometimes obscure this fact and lead clients to question the level of experience that winners have. Architecture is a slow-burn profession and translating its peculiarities to the general public is up to each and every one of us. In this context the term ‘Emerging’ can be better explained as the ‘Rising stars’ of the profession to the general public.
However, past and present winners are unanimous in outlining the benefits of the prize. Whether it be finding mentors/collaborators within the industry or a renewed confidence in practice – the Emerging Architect Prize, with AWS’s ongoing support, is an important pillar of support for this community.
Written by: Sonia Sarangi of Atelier Red + Black (Victorian Event Correspondent for AWS)
Sonia Sarangi is co-director of Atelier Red+Black, an emerging architecture practice in Melbourne. She has a Masters in Architecture from the University of Melbourne and has previously worked for a small practice (Melbourne) and large international practice (Singapore). She is a proud supporter of Parlour and firmly believes that good design enriches life. She can be found on Instagram: @thesarangi
