Amongst the aim of bringing architecture to the public, Archicentre Australia is committed to informing on “Crook Buildings” as they affect communities across the country.

Archicentre Australia director Peter Georgiev considers there to be a need for Federal leadership on what is emerging as a major socio-economic burden – concentrated in the major cities and reaching into newly established city fringe housing estates – across the nation.

Georgiev’s view is that “……an independent national task group be set-up to bring together stakeholders – peak bodies such as the MBA, HIA, ACEA, Institute of Architects, Building Regulators, Quantity Surveyors, Building Owners/Superannuation companies  – to face up to shortcomings (& make good) and develop processes that can re-establish quality procedures not to mention community trust.”

Further, he states, “We need to be mature enough to face the realities (and consequences) of recently constructed defective/crumbling buildings and infrastructure.

This is too big for the States to handle – what with so many variations across their jurisdictions.”

He points to some key words and terms that describe a complex and intertwined web –

  • Finance – banks, private equity, super funds, governments, developers
  • Design – statutory planners, architects, engineers, building surveyors/certifiers (e.g. MFB)
  • Methods of Procurement – project management, novation, public/private partnership (PPP), traditional building contract
  • Owner’s Corp./Body Corporate Management

“Along the way there is opportunity for such things as reduced quality, ignorance, carelessness, contract variations and statutory blind spots/certification lacking, owner’s management deficiencies and consumer naivety” he says.

“It is acknowledged that all participants want a good deal – developer makes a profit, builder achieves a built outcome, architect delivers innovation and improved building performance, the economy ticks along employing people and growing, real estate agents sell the attraction of location, future capital growth and liveability.”

He points out that underpinning this is the need for an orderly system that establishes ground rules for success – Urban planning, Building Codes and their administration/implementation, Innovative and improved building practices. Matters of public and private safety and amenity are fundamental to this order – we are a first world country.

Georgiev’s view is – “…….an imbalance has occurred – at least since the 1990’s. Innovation has been translated to “short-cuts”. Efficiency has been translated to “cutting corners”. The built article has become compromised by increasing profit.”

“Recent manifestations reveal cracks in this approach – they appear to be tips of a range of icebergs – depending where they bob up – city, regional centre, new estates, roads/tunnels and the like” he says.

He suggests that the traditional system of procurement – builder and owner – administered by an architect/supervisor, has been increasingly challenged by project management practices that blur the lines of responsibility in the name of efficiency.

“We need to step back and assess the long term cost rather than a diminished short term achievement. An amount of ‘back to the future’ appears appropriate for procurement of buildings and infrastructure. The Novation and PPP experiments are failing our society” he says.

 

For more information go to www.archicentreaustralia.com.au

This media release has been written and distributed by:

Archicentre Australia

Peter Georgiev, Director

Level 1, 9 Strathalbyn Street,

Kew East, VICTORIA, 3102

Phone: 1300 13 45 13 | 03 9859 9950

 

Please contact Archicentre Australia for further information about this release or to arrange an interview.