News from AILA Victoria Chapter 22 March 2022
Dear Members,
It is my magnificent pleasure to write to you specially today, which is the Persian New Year #Nowruz and also my birthday! Birthdays and new years are obvious excuses for initiating new goals and to pause and rewatch the journey to date!
Just like many of you, I have been very lucky to have been exposed to many wonderful, strong and passionate leaders/mentors in my journey! I attribute my strengths and style to all of them and continue to seek their guidance and support as I continue to grow. I have learned from them that we need to keep working hard to support and encourage one another as we move forward and take younger generation along for the journey and help them to be the best version of themselves.
As we all know, the last two years have been challenging for those in the earlier stages of their journey within our profession and industry. The traditional pathway of studying at university, joining a practice and progressing up with shadowing, learning in an office or class environment or even simply learning from someone else's experiences was no longer a case.
Moving forward, we all need to be focusing on building capacity for young generations, celebrating the achievements, and recognising the strengths and incredible skillsets and share their stories. The world needs to hear those stories, particularly stories of the students and graduates who are thriving during these challenging times.
If you know anyone in your team with outstanding achievements either presently studying an AILA accredited (or pathway) degree or have graduated from an AILA accredited degree within the last five years, you still have time to nominate them for Future Leader Award. More information can be found here - entries close 5pm AEST Friday 8 April 2022. Thank you to Aurecon for supporting this initiative.
In support of the development and mentoring of emerging talent, AILA Victoria is pleased to announce Prue Batchelor from Realm Studios as an Observing Graduate Jury member for the 2022 AILA Victoria Landscape Architecture Awards. Prue is already demonstrating leadership within the Landscape Architectural profession and was the recipient of the Future Leaders Graduate Award in 2021.
The AILA Landscape Architecture Awards program is currently underway. Entries recently closed and our 2022 Jury members are preparing to meet in the coming weeks. We look forward to revealing the amazing projects from our Victorian Chapter on 25 May. Thank you to everyone who entered and good luck!
Looking forward to enjoying and learning from all the projects and stories!
Azin Emampour, AILA Vic Executive Member
News from AILA Victoria Chapter 8 March 2022
Dear Member
I am really torn. I am excited to be writing this message from my office – surrounded by 3-dimensional colleagues for the first time in I-don’t-know-how-long. I don’t think anything surpasses the depth of thinking and ideas that arise from a group of smart, insightful professionals collaborating around a table and a roll of yellow-trace.
But also, I am all too aware of the devastating events occurring around the world. I’m sure we all someone affected by the floods in northern NSW and SE Queensland. And, of course, we are horrified by the events taking place in Europe.
If there are any positive messages to take in from these events, it must be these:
* The incredible outreach of support and generosity by people supporting other members of their community: friends, neighbours and complete strangers;
* The often random acts of kindness – a meal, latte or even some spare cash given freely without question; and
* The extraordinary sights of people across Europe welcoming with open arms desperate refugees fleeing unimaginable terror in The Ukraine.
As landscape architects we are often strive to make places safe, vibrant, liveable and welcoming. Recent events illustrate that while our designs create places that are perhaps more temporary than we might have anticipated, they also help establish a community spirit and sense of responsibility that endures long after the infrastructure is gone.
AILA hopes that members support causes in ways that contributes to a better planet and in so doing enriches their roles as landscape architects. I would encourage all landscape architects to think how they can make a difference to some of the many events facing the world today. Every contribution makes a difference no matter how large or small. I look forward to hearing how members have contributed to the lives of people across Australia and around the world in many varied and creative ways.
Andrew Partos, AILA Vic Executive Member
News from AILA Victoria Chapter 29 November 2021
Dear Members,
I hope you are all keeping well and looking forward to a week of warmer weather following extensive spring rains this season. I think the holidays are going to be consumed with weeding and hopefully a bumper crop for those growing summer fruits and vegetables.
The Melbourne CBD has come to life with people returning to office, and spending time together as our food, arts and cultural events spring back into action. It has been timely that City of Melbourne established its Design Excellence panel and advisory committee to bring a range of expertise together in forward planning for the CBD and broader municipality. I am representing AILA on the Design Excellence Advisory Committee and look forward to contributing to the strategic direction of major projects across Melbourne.
Equally it has been amazing to see people visiting and spending time in our regional centres once again. The amount of people both relocating and spending several days now working from home from regional centres will bring with it new expectations and demand on our built and natural environments. A regional focus is in development with the executive and will align with AILA’s strategic plan.
The executive has been very busy working with our sub-committee groups and I encourage you all to consider involvement in a committee of interest. There is such extensive knowledge across the committees, and in collaboration with the AILA Strategic plan we have a big year planned for 2022.
Last week saw the successful delivery of our Blue meets Green live stream event. This AILA event, now in its fifth year, has become one of our major events on the events calendar. Thank you to Meredith Dobbie and Naomi Barun for facilitating each session, and to our Chapter Manager Martha Delfas for coordinating the event. Thank you also to Greater Western Water, City Green and Aurecon for supporting this event and sharing AILA’s vision for better designed green spaces for improved liveability and community health.
The planning for next year’s Victorian AILA awards have commenced and will now move into Jury selection and announcing our Jury Chair shortly. We will provide extensive communications on the awards as we progress into the new year and hope to see many wonderful projects from our Victorian chapter.
I encourage you all to visit and spend some time on the new website and explore memberscape over the holiday period. The memberscape platform is just a fantastic method of knowledge sharing and connecting with those across our profession; I recommend you bring this into your routine and with your colleagues as we will all benefit.
Well, it is that time once again, and fair to say a year like no other we have experienced before. Please take care, rest well and enjoy time with family and friends over the holiday period. It is fair to say that 2022 is going to be a huge year for AILA and our profession.
Kind regards,
Matt York, President - AILA Victoria