The Australian Institute of Architects’ QLD Chapter has a new President, with Brisbane native Russell Hall taking the mantle from the Gold Coast’s Amy Degenhart after a 12 month period.
Hall has contributed to the residential, retail, commercial and industrial sectors in his time, regarded for his work in designing the dodecagon Carpenter Hall House on Eildon Hill in Wilston, which features on the AIA’s Nationally Significant Architecture list.
The official handover took place at the annual President’s Honours Dinner, which showcased and celebrated a number of prominent Queensland architects. Hall says he is honoured to have succeeded Degenhart.
“I am delighted with the opportunity the position has, to confer with Governments on regulations and by-laws in the hope of a more climatically appropriate built environment for our state,” he says.
“The anonymous nature of recent buildings from the arctic to the tropics enabled by energy consumption is an anathema to me. It eliminates place identity.
“Well-designed homes and buildings use less energy, are healthier and are better for people. That’s why architecture is so important.”
Degenhart says she is grateful for her time as Chapter President in the sunshine state.
“It has been an honour to lead the Queensland Chapter of the Institute,” she says.
“We have embraced the challenges of policy, especially for more social and affordable, and advocated for greater opportunities for architects to support effective design and place-making across communities.
“I am excited for Russell to take the reins and lead the Institute into 2025. Thank you to everyone from the Institute and our members for their support throughout my year as Chapter President.”
In addition to the official handover, Deicke Richards’ directors Eloise Atkinson, John Diecke, and Peter Richards, Adjunct Professor of Design and Kim Gall Architects’ Jim Gall, former Peddle Thorp executive Ron Burgess, and James (Jim) Crawshaw were all inducted as Life Fellows of the Institute.
Alexandra (Ali) Farmer, Andrew Masters, Anna O’Gorman, Brendan Gaffney, Brett Hudson, Caroline Diesner, Gregort Adsett, Ivano Gestaldon, James Davidson, Karen Ognibene, Lea Lennon, Luke Pendergast, Paul Jones, Phil Smith, Richard Rizzalli and Shy Tay, we all named Fellows of the Institute, while former Queensland Department of Housing disability principal policy officer Margaret Ward AO was named an honorary fellow.
The President’s Dinner also presented the $15,000 travel grant, the Philip Y Bisset Planning (architecture) Scholarship and the $20,000 Asia-Pacific study Dunbar Fellowship.
