A new advisory panel has been set up by the NSW Government’s urban transformation agency, Urban Growth NSW to provide design guidance for major urban projects.
Led by Australian Institute of Architects national president and Urban Growth NSW board member Ken Maher and NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet as Co-Chairs, the Design Directorate also includes leading names from the architecture, landscape architecture, urban design and planning sectors as members. The panel will meet every month and report directly to the chief executive of Urban Growth NSW.
A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Office of the Government Architect with Urban Growth NSW aims to provide strategic design advice and guidance to the agency’s project teams to ensure the delivery of high-quality urban design outcomes.
Urban Growth NSW chief executive David Pitchford observed that the Design Directorate reflected the importance of embedding design thinking at every stage of the development lifecycle.
Design Directorate co-chair Ken Maher explained that the initiative will not only ensure the projects enhance the capacity and productivity of the city, but will also provide strategic design advice and guidance to Urban Growth NSW’s project teams.
Emphasising the importance of understanding and using best-practice design processes, NSW Government Architect Peter Poulet noted that a key objective of the initiative was to improve the quality of strategies, places and buildings for the benefit of the public.
