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4 June 2009
GHD architect Melinda Dodson has become the national president
of the Australian Institute of Architects - the youngest person
ever to be elected to the position.
Melinda, 39, is also only the second woman ever to assume the
presidency of the institute and will make support for young and
emerging women architects a major part of her platform for the
year.
“Women make up less than one percent of the company
directors in architectural practices in Australia, and yet they
comprise almost half of architecture graduates,” Melinda said.
“I want to be a role model and build on the growing engagement
and involvement of young architects in the institute and its
work.”
Age has never been a barrier for Melinda, who studied in
Adelaide and was supervising a team in a large office there by the
age of 30. She won the Australian Institute of Architects Young
Architect prize at 35.
Melinda joined GHD in Canberra in 2008 and is currently working
on two major health projects in the ACT. She is a member of the
company’s architectural leadership group and an active participant
in the Women in GHD forum.
Since joining the multidisciplinary GHD, Melinda has had the
opportunity to work side-by-side with engineers, scientists and
planners, and wants to use her new role to promote the value of
integrated teams in achieving sustainable outcomes.
“Urban development is a major contributor to the greenhouse
problem and I see the convergence of climate change drivers and
economic drivers as a real catalyst to changing the way we design
cities and buildings,” Melinda said.
“It’s my aim to champion sustainable cities and affect a
cultural change in our profession by highlighting exemplary
sustainable projects. I’d like to see smart growth of our cities
through urban infill rather than urban sprawl.
“As architects, we have a responsibility to use our creativity
to provide solutions that sustain long-term human health and
wellbeing.”
For further information, contact:
Sonia Adams