January 2013
Dear Colleagues
,
Welcome to the first
Newsletter for the year from the Eastern Cape Institute of Architects.
We will be sending out these communications monthly, in order to give a view of
what is topical to our profession and to the built environment.
If you are anything like me
then you already have too much information coming to your desk and you can’t
stomach the idea of another monthly mail that you wont get around to reading. I
urge you please to see this Newsletter rather as a time saving device, a view of
what you should look into in greater depth and what you could perhaps come back
to later.
·
The ECIA has a very useful website (www.ecia.co.za) (thanks
Jacques van Tonder) All important notices, memos and minutes are stored there for
you to browse through at your leisure. The newsletter will not duplicate that
information, but rather highlight what may be most relevant or pressing.
·
The ECIA now has an active Facebook page
(thanks Jo Staats). This is an ideal forum for members to engage in debate and
discussion around issues relevant to us in our work as Architects. Please
“like” the page “Eastern Cape Institute of Architects”
·
You can follow the ECIA on twitter @ECIAPE
(Please do). Jo Staats is in control of this feed and posts only quality
information there for us.
·
The ECIA has begun to post videos of lectures
you may not have been able to attend. These can be found on Youtube (thanks
Tarique Abdul) at
“So
what does the year have in store for us?”
January
would not be complete without us pondering this question. Let me offer you my
view, so we can see how different it is to yours. The truth is, I see a good
year ahead. I say this sincerely and I
say it for the following reasons:
·
I see a consensus developing that the worst
of the economic downturn is now behind us and that the public and private
sector are starting to build buildings again. House prices are beginning to
rise and there are some reports coming through of agents reporting stock
shortages especially at the lower end of the market. Shortage of stock means
new buildings have got to be built and that means business for Architects.
·
I also see that we are heading for national
elections next year, and when I look back at the last three national, there was
a definite spike in urgency from the public sector developers in the year or so
before. I predict we will see the same this time around and have already begun
to see evidence of renewed vigour in stalled or sluggish projects.
·
I predict that the political impasse that has
crippled Nelson Mandela Bay’s administration
of the last few years, will in the coming months find resolution. I see this as
an unexpected by-product of the Manguang conference, where our Mayor, Zanuxolo
Wayile, visibly supported the winning “Zuma”
faction and his arch rival, regional political boss Nceba Faku, vociferously
backed the Monlante “loosing horse”. Why
is this important for Architects to watch? Because it now becomes more likely
that the ANC in the region will rally behind our mayor knowing that he is on a
winning wicket; and a Mayor with strong support in his own party is a mayor who
can be decisive and effective. And we all know that getting buildings built
requires decisive and effective leadership. We will watch this space eagerly.
·
The other dynamic I am watching carefully is
the tragedy of dramatically low fee tenders that are being accepted by many of
our clients. In the past year the MBDA and National Department of Public Works
accepting tenders with 40 and 50 percent fee discounts. There are only two
possible outcome of this trend:
o
the first outcome sees firms continue to
offer the service that we have traditionally expected the architect to provide,
but find their expenses outstripping their income leading to inevitable
business collapse.
o
The second outcome sees firms compromise
dramatically on quality of service. Working ‘to rule’ but in the process
damaging the built environment and the long standing good reputation of the
Architect as a professional.
Controversially,
perhaps, I would argue that both of these outcomes will lead to corrections
that would improve prospects for Architects in the longer term. The first
outcome will see Architects tendering too low punished with business failure,
leaving those that survive to continue, but at more realistic rates. The second outcome, will see client
organisations looking more carefully at their procurement systems to protect
themselves against the inevitable poor service that emanates from a tender
process that emphasises lowest price above all else.
Whatever happens, 2013
promises to be full of excitement? We have an excellent committee elected at
the AGM toward the end of last year. This new team will build on the success
and the momentum of Professor Albrecht Herholdt’s 2011/2012 committee. This
committee is made up of: Albrecht Herholdt, Andrew Palframan, Bandile Boyana, Debbie
Wintermeyer, Jacques van Tonder, Johann Staats, Mary Mangan, Neill Kievit, Nicola
Darke, Tim Hewitt-Coleman
These people have all
volunteered their time and energy to the cause of the Architectural Profession
in the region. Please support them in their task by taking them into your confidence
by sharing your frustrations, dreams and ideas.
Colleagues, lastly, please
remember that we run the Merit awards programme this year. (thanks Andrew
Palfarman and Debbie Wintermeyer) You will be called upon later in the year to
submit your best work for a panel of expert judges to assess. Yes, it’s scary,
but please participate. This process of peer review and peer recognition is
part of what makes our profession great.
Thank you.
Yours in Architectural
Excellence
Tim Hewitt-Coleman
(President
– East Cape Institute of Architects)
