Alumni Archive 2006

Summary
For decades, the Faculty has debated the need to adopt a new name to better reflect its evolving academic profile. The possible future merger with Engineering and IT has given this debate some urgency.

3 alternatives have been canvassed:

1. Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planning
2. Faculty of Design
3. Faculty of Architecture

The Alumni Council favours option 1, while the staff prefer option 2. Option 3 preserves the status quo.

There will not be any changes to current degree programs or degree titles, but the 'branding' of the Faculty is important to many stakeholders: alumni, students, staff, donors, and the wider academic and professional communities.

If you have an opinion on this issue, please take the time to register your feedback on
http://helpdesk.arch.usyd.edu.au/alumni
by 23 October before the Faculty Board meets on 25 October.

BACKGROUND
From its inception in 1919 the Architecture Faculty has been a small, but dynamic unit that has nurtured some of Australia’s most creative talents in many fields. Along the way its disciplinary base broadened with the addition of Town and Country Planning, Architectural Science and more recently Design Computing, and a visual arts program centred on the Tin Sheds Gallery. These have become centres of excellence in themselves and collectively dominate the staffing and research output of the Faculty.

More recently, the Faculty has become part of an administrative cluster with the Faculty of Engineering and the School of IT, while retaining its present title, to relieve academic staff of some of their administrative load and make other administrative economies. If this arrangement is successful it is posited that Architecture, Engineering and IT may merge as a combined ‘super faculty’ in the future.

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN AND PLANNING
THE CASE FOR: This is the Alumni Council’s preferred name. It reflects the broad academic scope of the Faculty, and every discipline can be described by at least 2 of the 3 words in the title. Importantly, it retains Architecture as a key element of the branding, which is important while a possible merger with Engineering and IT is being considered.

THE CASE AGAINST: The title is lengthy and may require some time for acceptance in the marketplace. Architecture faculties at other universities have recently adopted portmanteau titles such as 'Faculty of the Built Environment' and Sydney University could be seen as.

FACULTY OF DESIGN
THE CASE FOR: This title is preferred by the staff, because design is the common element of all the Faculty’s teaching and research, and is a neat 'fresh start'. It is a title used by some eminent Universities such as Harvard and Stanford.

THE CASE AGAINST: To remove Architecture from the title would be a needless waste of ‘brand equity’ and create confusion in the marketplace. It could alienate alumni, friends and students, and have an adverse impact on external funding and donations. As a title it would be seen as a substantial downgrade for the Faculty as the title 'designer' is used by many professions that do not require university qualifications, such as fashion design and hair design

FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE
THE CASE FOR: Ours is the oldest Faculty of Architecture in Australia and has a proud tradition of academic and teaching excellence. Architecture is a very well recognised professional brand that is well understood within the community. The allied disciplines that have grown within the Faculty are arguably subsets of the whole, and need not be identified separately.

THE CASE AGAINST: Architecture has evolved from being a monolithic discipline to one that is broadly based with a growing number of sub-specialties, some practiced by engineers and designers as well. This spread of allied disciplines should be reflected in a broader name.

YOUR INPUT IS IMPORTANT!
If you have an opinion on which name would be most appropriate, please take a few moments to respond at http://helpdesk.arch.usyd.edu.au/alumni. Your comments will be tabled at the Faculty Board meeting on 25 October.

Many thanks in anticipation.

Michael Neustein
President, Architecture Alumni Council

You can advance the faculty's foundations of excellence by giving to na Endowed Chair, to a scholarship, or simply make your own suggestion. With your support, The Faculty will continue to provide state-of-the-art teaching & research facilities. Click here to see the Development Website.

CONGRATULATIONS COL JAMES AM

The Alumni Council is very proud to announce that one of our distinguished alumni Col James AM (DipTCPlan’77) has been awarded the Alumni Award for Achievement in Community Service by the University’s Alumni Council. He has been dedicated to creating improvements in the lives of the urban poor, aborigines, the homeless and the disadvantaged for over 30 years. He is a well-respected member of staff and the Director of the IB Fell Housing Research Centre. Col will be presented with this award at a reception in MacLaurin Hall on 2 September at 6pm. Please join Col and his family on this important occasion. This event is supported by the Alumni Relations Office, and is free to attend. RSVP to rsvp@usyd.edu.au. Congratulations Col.

THE ARCHITECTURE REVUE IS BACK!
The Alumni Council is also proud to be involved with the Architecture Student Revue. Yes, its back!! And we can’t wait to see it. The Council is supporting the revue by holding an Alumni Reunion on the opening night - 21 September at the Seymour Centre. Meet up with old mates, have a laugh at the antics of the current students and walk down memory lane. An alumni space will provide a meeting place, with drinks and canapés provided.
Tickets will be on sale through the Seymour Centre from 1 September.
Keep 21 September free in your diary. See you there!!

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AGM
The Alumni Association Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 19 October at 5pm in ALT1. Nominations for Office Bearers are called for and will be received by David Turner until close of business 12 October 2006. More information
www.arch.usyd.edu.au > alumni

ALUMNI EVENTS THIS YEAR
The Alumni Association continues to provide support to the Faculty, bringing alumni together and raising money for student scholarships and bursaries. This year these activities have included:
Showcase: An exhibition of the work by recent alumni was displayed in the Hearth. Showcase will return in October, as a special show of the current work of all alumni for the benefit of our students. Please contact David Turner at davidwturner9331@hotmail.com if you would like to exhibit.
Careers Market Day returned to the Hearth for the third year, sponsored by recruitment firm, BLOOMFIELD TREMAYNE. This highly successful event allowed students to meet with practicing firms and discuss their employment opportunities. Workshops were run on resume writing, and skills needed in the workforce. Participating firms included Designinc, Woods Bagot, Mirvac, PTW, Hassell, HBO + EMTB, Neustein Urban, AJC Architects, GTA Architects, Tanner Architects, Morris Bray and Bates Smart.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to the Council members, whose tireless work makes all of these activities happen.
David W Turner BArch’71, MDesSc(FM)’97,
Honorary Secretary
Varoujan Bedrossian MDesSc(Build) ‘97,
Honorary Treasurer
Robert Cahill BSc(Arch)’74, BArch’77
Masaaki Ikeda MTCP ‘78
Peter McDonnell BArch ‘63
Patrick O’Carrigan BSc(Arch)’78 Barch’81

Do keep in touch with the University and with your Alumni Association. We hope to see you at the Faculty soon.
Regards,
Michael Neustein, BArch ‘71, President

May 2006

China has offered many opportunities for Tim Schwager (BArch’71, University Medal ’71). Since 1997 he has been involved in many projects that have utilized his interest in large-scale urban design issues, as well as his expertise in designing big buildings.

Tim is a distinguished alumnus of our University. He recently visited the faculty, and provided a fascinating insight in to the numerous opportunities awaiting architecture graduates in China. With the influx of the Chinese population in to urban areas, China must design and construct an enormous infrastructure of buildings and roads in a very short period of time.

Tim’s projects to date have involved other alumni including Oi Choong, Bill Morrison, Philip Cox, Andrew Andersons, and Virginia Carroll. Sydney firms that Tim has invited to work with him in China include Allen Jack and Cottier, Cox Group, PTW, Occulus, Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, and Stanisic and Associates (formerly Stanisic Turner). He has co-ordinated and built, in collaboration with Australian colleagues including Connybeare Morrison, a 7,000 unit housing estate and a major university - both in Pudong, a new area of Shanghai.

In 2002 he invited AJC to plan and design a 12 000 unit development for his development company. It is now 30 % completed and a major commercial and architectural success with significant design innovations. In 2004 he engaged Cox Group, already well known in China, on his Yellow Mountain (Huangshan) project as master planners. Phillip Graus and Phillip Cox, together with Gary Player, created a wonderful design for the 1000 room hotel, 36 hole resort – a major resort in the sacred mountain province of China.

In 2004 Tim introduced Page Kirkland Partnership as project managers on two of his housing projects; and brought in Hassall (already established in Shanghai) to design a smaller elementary school.

In the last few years Tim has brought several young Australian architects to Shanghai to work with him as Design Managers. Working for a Chinese development company has been a great experience for all of them.

Looking through his work in China, Tim commented on the positive influence of Australian design in China. He genuinely believes that Australian designers and planners have significant experience that is readily transferable to the huge development that is occurring in China today. He is hopeful that he will be able to facilitate more Australian design in China in the future.

Click here to view pictures of Reunion (PDF)

Midday Sunday 19 November
Victoria Park – opposite the Wilkinson Building
City Road
Darlington


Some of us students/graduates/associates who have been through the Sydney Architecture course of the 1960’s (would you believe that was 40 years ago??) are planning to have a reunion/gathering/celebration later this year.

We hope to renew friendships, recall the highs and lows of 5 years or more at City Road, whether at the faculty or elsewhere, most likely at the Wentworth or Manning, the late night and late entries of design projects/the nail-biting crits/non attendance or wasteful tutorial sessions/Arch Science sleep-throughs etc and other experiences.

An informal picnic luncheon get-together at Victoria Park is what we are suggesting. Minimal planning is the key note.
Each can bring what they want for themselves or to share around.

We are not interested whether you completed or not completed in 1966.
the fact that we shared a number of legendary years at City Road with us is enough.

We would love to see you again after all the years that have passed…
Contact Mario on mpjm@tpg.com.au for more details.

See you there,
Kathie and Fritz R, Ian and Margaret F, Mario M

etype Archive

December 06
November 06
October 06
September 06
July 06
June 06
February 06
January 06

2005
December 05
November 05
October 05
September 05
August 05
July 05
June 05
May 05
April 05