Urban Growth NSW, the NSW government’s urban transformation agency, has established an advisory panel to provide design guidance for major urban transformation projects.
Co-chaired by Australian Institute of Architects national president and Urban Growth NSW board member Ken Maher and NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet, the Design Directorate will focus on design leadership and design review and provide portfolio-wide support to project teams in the delivery of high-quality urban design outcomes.
The advisory panel is made up of highly respected leaders in the professions of architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and planning, including Julie Bindon (director and founder of JBA), Roderick Simpson (environment commissioner at the Greater Sydney Commission), Catherin Bull (professor emeritus of landscape architcture at the University of Melbourne and chair of the South Bank Corporation), Tony Caro (director of Tony Caro Architecture), Ben Hewett (deputy NSW Government Architect), Ken Maher (Institute president and Urban Growth NSW board member) and Peter Poulet (NSW Government Architect).
The directorate is to meet at least monthly and will report directly to the chief executive of Urban Growth NSW.
The Office of the Government Architect has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Urban Growth NSW to provide strategic design advice and guidance to the agency’s project teams.
“The Design Directorate is our design champion and reflects the importance of embedding design thinking at every stage of the development lifecycle,” said UrbanGrowth chief executive David Pitchford.
“This is a body that advocates internally for design excellence and integrated design principles, while at the same time acting externally as a public advocate by articulating quality outcomes for our public domain and precinct visions.”
Design Directorate co-chair Ken Maher said, “This initiative supports a commitment to ensuring projects not only enhance the capacity and productivity of our city, but also provide strategic design advice and guidance to Urban Growth NSW’s project teams.”
NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet said best-practice design processes need to be understood and used early on to create great precincts and places.
“Good design considers the inter-relatedness of things, as well as opportunities, constraints and potential impacts early. The aim is to improve the quality of strategies, places and buildings for the benefit of the public,” Poulet said.
