Great Cities, Rich Conversation

Since I learnt what an architect DOES as a young boy I wanted to be one, and since I learnt what an architect COULD DO I wanted to be an educator, and now I am lucky enough to do both. I love what I do as a practising architect, but it's what we could all be doing with architecture that drives my teaching and research. I love our little country too, and it's going to be a whole lot better when collectively we know as much about architecture as we do about sport. We need to talk about architecture, a lot. It needs to have its own Sky Channel too. And I'm not just talking about Grand Designs. We need to expand the public conversation around architecture here. We need to question presumptions and develop inspiring alternatives that make our towns and cities the places where, in Sir Paul Callaghan's words, "talent wants to live".

To raise the level of our public conversations here, we need to be part of New Zealand professional and academic conversations too. Just like other artists, New Zealand architects need to talk shop with the best brains in the game. Not only on the telephone, and not only through magazines and awards programmes. We need to take our built projects into the galleries and lecture theatres where rich conversations are happening abroad. We also need to bring the profession and the academies closer together. To do our best work, to innovate, and ultimately to make great towns and cities, we also need rich conversations.

And it just so happens that some of the world's most interesting conversations around architecture are happening just across the ditch. One of those conversations is happening around an exhibition of interior architecture called, 'Situation14', at the Design Hub building, RMIT, Melbourne. An office we designed a few years ago in Wellington for a talented web design company called Resn has been selected for the show, so we're building part of it in the gallery. Believe it or not it's just a wall, but it's a wall that is part office meeting table, part domestic shelf, part museum cabinet and now that it's going in a gallery, it's part gallery wall too. It's a different kind of office. It's the kind of office that talent loves.

But getting a piece of New Zealand architecture to a celebrated New Zealand audience takes money. Not a lot. But some. This is an appeal to supporters of the arts, architecture and intellectual communities for little bit of help. Any donation you can make, ten, twenty dollars or more, will help cover the costs of getting me to Melbourne and building the wall there (and all donations attract a 33% tax credit). You'll also be part of bringing my voice, and ears, to that rich conversation; and you'll be a part of the rich conversation we need here to make great towns and cities.

Thanks very much for your support.
Sam

For a recent article on Sam see:
http://www.australiandesignreview.com/architecture/44946-the-architects-architect

For more information on the Resn project see:
http://bestawards.co.nz/entries/spatial/resns-office