Australian Institute of Architects national president Ken Maher.
The Australian Institute of Architects has inaugurated Ken Maher as its 77th national president at the annual general meeting in Melbourne on 13 May.
Maher has a strong interest in the role of design in contributing to public life, and extensive experience advising governments throughout Australia and internationally on sustainability and the future of cities.
“Architecture is a creative profession but it is much more than that, with real and significant potential to enhance the quality of our lives and support a civil society,” Maher said.
Maher will use his skills and networks to pursue an ambitious advocacy campaign that builds on the Institute’s work promoting social value of architecture and the importance of building resilient and productive communities.
One of his first duties is the launch of the Institute’s 2016 federal election campaign, calling on each of the major parties to commit to recognizing the key role of design in addressing the challenges of building communities and long-term value in Australia’s towns and cities of the future.
“Now more than ever, challenges to our planet such as climate change, and exciting opportunities for the densification of our cities and the transformation to more vital and engaging public places, puts our profession in a unique position to provide genuine and informed leadership,” Maher said.
Maher is currently a fellow and former chairman of the Australian and International practice Hassell and was awarded the Institute’s highest honour, the Gold Medal, in 2008.
He is a professor at UNSW Built Environment and was elected president of the Australian Sustainable Built Environment in 2015. Maher is chair of the City of Sydney’s Design Advsory Panel, a member of the Sydney Opera House Eminent Architects Panel and a board member of both Urban Growth NSW and the Co-operative Research Centre for Low Carbon Living.
Maher was elected by the Australian Institute of Architects National Council in March 2015. He succeeds immediate past president Jon Clements.
