Archicentre Australia, a division of ArchiAdvisory Pty Ltd has emerged out of a process involving State based Architect Advisory Services for over 70 years – most recently being a wholly owned subsidiary of the Australian Institute of Architects, a member-based organisation. It remains a national provider of design, advice, assessment and inspection services to the Australian public – offering an alternative to the developer/volume builder based approach to project delivery.

It now stands as an independent and fearless advocate – guiding and educating clients (new homes and renovations), home buyers, governments, business owners, property investors, builders, designers & draftspersons.

Archicentre Australia also provides a range of high quality advisory services for builders, owners corporations/body corporates, property managers and others.  These services to business can be tailored to suit your individual needs including Architect’s Advice, Dilapidation Reports, Residential Property Assessments, Commercial Building Assessments, Maintenance Advice Reports for Owners Corporations/Body Corporates.

History

Along with like-minded architects in other States – most notably South Australia and New South Wales, in 1947 Robin Boyd, Victoria’s renowned architect, was instrumental in starting The Age Small Homes Service, a business established to provide affordable, sustainable, architecturally designed house plans to consumers. This quest to provide thoughtfully conceived, well designed buildings for Australians in diverse contexts and communities drives the architects of Archicentre Australia to this day. In many ways Boyd and architects of his era strove to design eco-oriented buildings, particularly houses – the beginning of what the modern day architect & academic Dr. Phillip Roos describes as Biophillic Design. 

In the mid-1970’s a group of architects who had developed competency certificates for houses – the basis for property assessments currently provided – suggested a merger with the Small Homes Service – the Housing Advisory Service of the Institute of Architects. This merger evolved into Archicentre, the only National provider of expert independent advice, design and inspection services in Australia.

During the years that the Australian Institute of Architects remained as the sole shareholder until September, 2016, Archicentre provided tens of thousands of consumers annually with access to the very highest quality professional independent building inspections and design advice for reasonable prices. It was instrumental in introducing Australian consumers, who otherwise may not have been able to afford the high quality advice and services of an architect, to the considerable benefits an architect brings to any building matter. In the 1990’s it expanded overseas with a joint venture in Malaysia. Archicentre has been recognised as a major source of consumer information and as an advocate on behalf of consumers in the media and to Governments.

Archicentre Australia has emerged out of this entity. It continues to provide services across Australia with a group of architects and timber pest inspectors nationally.

Included on the Board of Directors are architects Peter Georgiev FRAIA – Georgiev Partnership A+ Member and Brad Inwood RAIA – B I Architects A+ Member, the latter being the NSW Nominated Architect – B.Inwood Reg.No.7108.

Archicentre Australia Architects

All Archicentre Australia architects are devoted to expanding the knowledge base of consumers in a competitive and market driven environment. Unlike many European countries where the public is protected by laws that require buildings to be designed by architects, this is not the case in Australia, making the efforts of its architects all the more important as purveyors of independent and informed design and construction advice.

As with all Australian architectural practices Archicentre Australia is covered by Professional Indemnity Insurance and $20M Public Liability Insurance. The company uses primarily sub-contracted architects with whom it has commercial arrangements that define service levels and other quality requirements.

By necessity and as required by statute, all member architects are registered in their respective States (i.e. having completed at least 5 years of tertiary study and have at least 2 years of post-graduate practical industry experience as well as having successfully completed the Board of Architects Registration examination).

Further, all of its architects:

  • Are members of the Australian Institute of Architects.
  • Have completed a rigorous induction program, including advanced building construction & defect detection training.
  • Are passionate design and construction specialists and advisors, who have access to current technical and costing information relating to construction.
  • Have critical knowledge and expertise in working with neighbourhood planning and building disputes for both domestic and commercial properties.

Corporate Governance

The Board of ArchiAdvisory Pty Ltd – trading as Archicentre Australia – is focused on product development, training, marketing and member recruitment – providing a conduit between Board members and practising architect members.

It upholds the vision and aspirations of its founding architects all those years ago.

The Board seeks to ensure that its Corporate Governance obligations are maintained at an appropriately high level of accountability.  This includes structures and processes in relation to decision-making and accountability, which controls its behaviour and enhances performance. The Board seeks to comply at minimum with the ASX principles in meeting its obligations in regard to Corporate Governance.

Risk Management

A Risk Management Policy identifies risks that may materially affect the delivery of the Company’s performance. This includes recognition that many activities of the company may have a financial impact, but first indications of concern would be identified at an operational level.

It has in place a risk management framework that conforms to Australian Standard AS/NZS ISO 3100:2009 and considers relevant legislation, industry standards, best practice and the risks relevant to the organisation, it:

  • Ensures that risk management is an integral part of all decision-making processes.
  • Uses a structured risk management process to minimise reasonably foreseeable disruption to operations, harm to people and damage to the environment and property
  • Identifies and takes advantage of opportunities, as well as minimises adverse effects
  • Trains all employees and contractors to implement risk management effectively
  • Strives to continually improve risk management practices.

In addition, identified risks are:

  • Objectively evaluated in terms of likelihood, consequence and ability to mitigate;
  • Reflective of the various lifecycle stages of major projects (development, construction and operation).