Malcolm Middleton, who was recently appointed Queensland Government architect, has over 30 years experience in the industry.
His career has covered masterplanning, urban design and integrating landscape design into projects.
Middleton has served on the South Bank design advisory panel, the Queensland Heritage Council and on the development committee of the Queensland Heritage Council.
A&D spoke to Middleton about the flood rebuilding process in Queensland, working in China and where the potential for urban design lies in the sunshine state.
You have recently been appointed Queensland government architect. What are you hoping to achieve in the role?
The role is essentially an advocacy role with an emphasis on regional Queensland, as well as capital city projects. The aim is be involved early in the decision making processes that vary quite widely across agencies to assist with processes that maximise the government’s desire to elevate design excellence across all project initiatives in the state.
I hope to have the [role] as one of the first resources sought in formulating approaches to procurement and to assist with the briefing and assessment of project initiatives.
What is your view on how the flood rebuilding process is going in Queensland?
From my recent tour of the state with the AIA awards program, it was clear that there is a tremendous momentum across all regions to move on as quickly and effectively as possible.
Some of the hardest hit areas have made exceptional progress in rebuilding over the past six months.
You have been involved in quite a few Chinese projects. Do you think Chinese architecture is developing it’s own identity or is it becoming more western-styled?
Architectural expression in China fulfils many aspirations for the emerging image of the country. At one end of the scale there are the high profile, internationally-focused projects which have offered opportunities for many of the world’s great designers.
At the next level there is a great desire to build new projects, sometimes at the expense of what we in the west may value as the richness of a place’s history.
More recently I am hearing that adaptive reuse approaches are being explored, which will allow the pattern of history in the country to be retained with relevance.
What project have you found most challenging and why?
The Roma Street Parkland project was a major transformation of a forgotten and hard-to-access area adjoining the CBD. It is not often you have the chance to work on such a large footprint in the city centre.
There were virtually no services on-site and very limited access options. The repositioning took place over a very tight program and is now successfully embedded into the fabric of the CBD.
Access is slowly improving and the platform is there for substantial growth in and around this important piece of city public realm.
Roma Street Parkland is the world's largest sub-tropical garden in a city heart. It boasts a one-hectare lake, waterfalls, playground, a variety of gardens, walkways and bridges. Image: QLD Public Works
Do you think regional architecture can be as engaging and innovative as city architecture?
Some of the most interesting projects and their stories of creation have been in the regions that I have visited over the last two years with my involvement in the AIA awards program.
There is often a heightened sense of ownership in the regions as capital expenditure is harder to come by and demand harder to justify. I think Queensland regions, in particular, have great potential for high quality growth from the existing urban patterns.
Many regional centres have a sense of history and purpose, are well served with infrastructure and can accommodate growth pressures comfortably.
You have had quite a varied architectural background. Which part of architecture do you enjoy the most?
I love to visit new cities and see how the successful parts of the city operate — both old and new places. Architecture is a way of life and it is more than just individual buildings.
You have won a number of awards, including the Order of Australia Medal in 2009. Which award are you most proud of achieving?
The AIA state award for urban design for the Roma Steet Parkland was very pleasing as we had such a large and diverse team that worked around the clock to deliver the outcome. We waited for five years before entering the project so it was well established and not just a new place.
