Architects institute calls for more public input in public projects

Caption: PNGIA President David Rovou

By MATTHEW VARI

Sunday, November 22, 2015 (Sunday Chronicle, PNG)

WITH the announcement of the country’s first ever public design competition winner on Tuesday- the Papua New Guinea Institute of Architects (PNGIA) has called on organisations to consider public involvement in design and development of building projects of public interest.

President of PNGIA David Rovou made the remarks when speaking at the announcement of the winner of the Design Idea Competition run by the National Research Institute in close cooperation with the architectural body.

Mr Rovou pointed out pointed out that the institute had guidelines in place to cater for such involvement from the general public at large for greater public benefit.

“I am pleased that the National Research Institution has taken this step to point us in the right direction because as we develop as a nation and we have all these development challenges in our urban centers,” Rovou said of the competition.

“This is one way that facilitates as the coordinated approach where everybody benefits. Sometimes commercial interests may take precedence over the need to properly plan our environment in the urban centers.”

“As the president of the PNGIA to convey our council’s pleasure in taking part of this event and we want to see it happen more in the future.”

He said through the professional judging by the institute and its partner in NRI, there was also the public judging that saw public opinion weighed in on preferred designs for the Fairfax Harbour redevelopment that was proposed through the competition.

“Especially for projects that have a lot of public interest in them, with public money spent in them this is a way where we get our public and the wider community in the development of our building environment.”

“We also call on government departments, other statutory bodies, plus those other organisations that think they have projects that are of significant public interest to partner with us so that we can take this step to create outcomes that are more enjoyable and pleasing for a wider community and interest,” he added.