Communicating the value of architecture at the National Conference

The National Architecture Conference is taking place in Canberra from 30-31 October 2023, and Rachael Bernstone is presenting at two sessions.

As you may have noticed if you follow me on social media, or you’re a regular reader of The Drill, I’m presenting at the National Conference in Canberra on 30 and 31 October 2023.

In one of our session planning meetings last week, a co-presenter noted that she hasn’t seen communications discussed in the way we are planning at a national conference at all – ever! – and that’s been my experience, too.

My first ever national conference: 20 years ago

I first attended an Institute of Architects National conference in 2003: it was the Imagining Architecture event that was creatively directed by Ian Moore. It provided a (perhaps unusually elevated!) benchmark for me to compare future conference with - around what conferences might focus on and amplify - with its emphasis on beautiful singular objects designed by thoughtful and considered architects such as Adam Caruso of Caruso St John, Sean Godsell, Waro Kishi and Rick Joy.

I love a one-off exquisitely detailed single family home as much as the next architecture buff, but even back in 2003, I was actively seeking out examples of architects who were designing housing at scale for a broader market – ie for social and affordable clients – and examples of architects who were pushing the limits of sustainability, working with clients who were willing to experiment and innovate (it’s worth remembering that this was before the introduction of energy efficiency measures into the BCA).

That same year, just after the conference, I won a Churchill Fellowship – to study sustainable and affordable housing and to travel to the UK, Finland, Sweden and the USA. The projects that I visited on my travels were as far removed from Rick Joy’s sublime commissions in the Arizona desert for wealthy clients as you could possibly imagine.

My long-held desire to expand and amplify the role of architects and architecture – so that more people can benefit from good design – started to take shape in my mind, around that time. With the benefit of 20 years of stories, interviews and knowledge-transfer since then, I’ve solidified my purpose, and this stated intention underpins both of my upcoming conference presentations.

Highlighting new and innovative modes of architecture practice

The first is a session called Practice? What Are We Practicing For? and I’m presenting alongside Sarah Lebner (Cooee Architecture), Amelia Lee (Undercover Architect) and Rebecca Caldwell (Maytree Studios). This is one of the streamed sessions, and it’s taking place on Monday 30 Oct, from 1.30-2.30 pm.

Sarah convened this interactive panel discussion to unpack how we are reshaping architecture by Facing Forward. She called us: “a panel of do-ers and action takers; some might say disrupters.”

We’ll kick off the discussion by referencing three important precedents, including:

Visiting Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s buildings in Glasgow - including The Hill House - set the direction for my future career, even though I didn’t know it at the time.

• Architects’ well-being, psychological distress, and burnout;

• The current role of the architect in tackling the housing crisis; and

• Climate emergency and the impact of built environment emissions.

And based on our own unique stories and experiences, the session will unfold as a wide-ranging discussion, taking in, but not limited to:

• Education around business development;

• Communication styles and messaging;

• Disruptive modes of practice and delivery;

• Marketing, selling and how to increase architecture’s impact; and

• Business metrics, efficiency and waste.

There will be time for audience questions and participation, and we hope that attendees will be inspired by the discussion to think about ways they can broaden their own impact and reach. Each of my fellow presenters shares my desire to elevate architecture and improve the overall quality of the built environment, so that the entire community can benefit from the value of good design.

Enhancing communications skills to expand architecture’s impact and reach

The panellists in our Communicating Architecture session are Jenny Edwards, Patrick Kennedy and Kirsty Volz, and it’s led by Catherine Townsend.

The second session I’m involved with is called Embracing Culture Skills Lab: Communicating Architecture, and it’s an informative and practical session convened by Catherine Townsend. I’ll be joined by archi-presentation expert Saneia Norton (SNDC) and we have a panel of great presenters to share their insights and experiences, including Kirsty Volz (Toussaint and Volz and UQ), Patrick Kennedy (Kennedy Nolan Architects) and Jenny Edwards (Light House Architecture + Science).

That session is taking place on Tuesday 31 Oct, from 11.45am to 1pm.

It’s an interactive skills lab where we will examine the barriers to successful communication, and provide suggestions and advice about how architects might overcome these barriers.

The session will focus on a series of typical scenarios where architects are required to present, including:

• To an awards Jury – often with a time limit of 3 or 5 minutes

• To overcome conflict

• In a five-minute pitch – about yourself, practice, a project, or an issue

• To clients

• To the community more broadly, and

• To get published.

We’ll put forward practical and tactical tools and suggestions, and we hope that this session will enable attendees to view presentations in a new way: as an opportunity to communicate the value of architecture, rather than as a terror-inducing experience.

Will I see you at the National Conference?

I hope to see you at the conference this year – I haven’t attended since the #CollectiveAgency2019 event - and I always love catching up with old friends and meeting new people, and learning more about what makes architects tick.

Conference registrations closed on Friday 13 October, but you can contact the Institute’s events team to organise a late ticket, via email at conference@architecture.com.au or phone 02 6121 2021. 

If you any questions about my two presentations, or any of Sounds Like Design’s communications services for architects, you can scout around this Website - click the Services tab above to find out more about how we can help. Or feel free to click here to email me.

I’m always happy to hear from architects who want to improve the way they communicate their value to future clients, and grow architecture’s market-share pie.