National President’s foreword: Architecture Australia, January 1999

If you ever have the chance to see the RAIA Gold Medal, it is inscribed on one side with the RAIA Coat of Arms, and on the other with the traditional images of a mason craftsman and implements; no doubt based on the trade guilds of old Europe. This reference to the architect as craftsman is particularly relevant to this year’s Gold Medal winner.

The RAIA can be well proud of its latest Gold Medallist, Richard Leplastrier. In his dual role as architect and builder, he has immersed himself into all aspects of the building process in a way reminiscent of the craftsman-architect of old. Through his unique and extraordinary career, he has given the profession and, through it, the community a most unusual gift. His influence on the architectural profession goes far beyond his projects which have been built—though these alone are worthy of recognition, particularly when viewed as a sequence of buildings produced over a long and sustained career.

His influence has been most profound in the sheer number of architectural graduates he has inspired with his enthusiasm and personal commitment to architecture in all its guises. There are many architects (including other Medal winners) who will look back on their careers and recall the unselfish and unrelenting energy that Ric poured into their education and experience.

Perhaps the most telling attribute is his genuine desire to avoid the accolades and the awards that would normally have been bestowed long before this. In a profession where praise and admiration from our peers is often seen as an end in itself, it is entirely refreshing to recognise someone who has contributed so much to architecture without wanting recognition, and indeed most often avoiding it wherever possible. Genuine humility combined with inspired talent is a powerful combination. The 1999 RAIA Gold Medal winner has plenty of both.

Through the latter stages of 1998, I enjoyed the hospitality of many practices in Sydney, Adelaide and Perth. This was the beginning of a program by the RAIA president to visit as many offices as possible throughout the country to ensure direct and effective communication with the profession. In the next few months, I will be visiting practices in several other states to continue the most enlightening experience of talking at the coalface. Based on the practices visited to date, the issues which are currently of concern include destructive fee bidding, the public’s perception of architects, professional development, practice and design standards, and a number of issues relating to our recent restructure. Along with some valid criticism, many of the firms also had excellent suggestions as to future initiatives and directions.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing to emerge was the genuine appreciation by these firms of the Institute actually coming to meet and to listen. In response, the focus of RAIA resources can be fine-tuned as required. These resources depend largely on membership numbers and it should come as no surprise that those of us currently involved at the national level are seeking to achieve full coverage of the profession.

Despite requests for reduced membership fees for different ‘groups’ of architects, it is difficult to justify that one architect is any less a professional than the next, whether an academic, public servant, employee or practitioner. In promoting excellence in architecture the RAIA must represent and be relevant to the whole profession, not just one particular group.

Increased resources will allow us to do this more effectively. Increased membership will provide those resources.

Graham Humphries FRAIA
National President