The Architects Champions of Change has released its latest Progress Report, documenting the last two years of work, and setting the scene for the ongoing work of fourteen practices.
This report represents the work of two groups within architecture – the initial group founded in New South Wales in 2015 and the National Group founded in 2018 – involving sixteen practices. The Champions represent some of Australia’s most prominent practices, and the program is part of the broader Champions of Change Coalition. In 2021, these two groups combined to become the Architects Champions of Change. This report documents the efforts of the preceding two years.
The 2019–20 report outlines the Champion’s approach, described as “Listen, Learn and Lead through Action”. It introduces the process through which this is undertaken, and documents findings and progress so far. This work occurred in relation to themes identified through “Listening and Learning” sessions conducted within the participating practices. Themes tackled include: flexibility, expectations of commitment, parental leave and career breaks, career planning, networking, mentoring and sponsorship, culture, representation, bias and pay equity. These themes then informed a set of actions, which looks to address inequity at the level of the individual, the practice and the industry.
This work has led to the development of a set of toolkits. Still in production, these will be released to the broader profession on completion to support increasing equity across the industry.
The final section of the report presents the data documenting progress within the practices in 2019 and 2020 in terms of representation, recruitment and promotion, and practical actions. Progress is particularly apparent in relation to establishing policy and strategy.
Download the full report from the Champions of Change website.
