Fellow Members Eric Martin, AM Master (Built Environment), B Architecture (Hons), LFRAIA Eric Martin completed his honours degree in Architecture at the University of Melbourne in 1972. He worked with the Department of Housing and Construction (DHC) in Victoria, ACT, NSW and Central Office up until the end of 1981. In 1980 he completed his Master’s Degree in the Built Environment at the University of NSW. On his return from Sydney he took up the position of ACT Region International Year for Disabled Persons (IYDP) Coordinator then acting DHC Central Office IYDP Project Officer controlling the Department's IYDP program throughout Australia in 1981. This was his introduction into an extended career in providing access advice. In 1982 he left public service and took up the position of Canberra Manager and Director of the Cox Architecture Group. During his time with the Cox Architecture Group Eric had the responsibility of managing the Company's business in Canberra and directing the Canberra Office of a large national practice. This involved all facets of architectural practice including being director of large projects. He was also responsible for heritage and disability access provisions for the firm nationally. In 1998 he left the Cox Architecture Group to establish his own architectural practice offering a full range of services with additional expertise in architectural conservation, heritage and access for people with disabilities. In the 23 years that Eric has managed his own practice, Eric Martin and Associates, he has developed a national and international reputation for his work in the areas of accessibility and heritage buildings. He has been an active practitioner in these areas as well as general architecture. During this period he has given his time to taking on almost 50 honorary positions in organisations associated with architecture, access and heritage. He has also presented and lectured at many conferences and courses (more than 120) in Australia and overseas. He has produced 40 books, articles, chapters and papers in his area of expertise. Eric has received significant recognition for this work. He was awarded a Member of the General Division of the Order of Australia in 2005 for his professional and community work in Heritage and 6
Access. In 2009 he was awarded the Inaugural Margaret Spalding Award for excellence by an individual in delivering services and contributing to people with disabilities at the 2009 ACT Chief Minister’s Inclusion Awards. It was noted that Eric had provided access advice and work on more than 1,000 buildings in the ACT. Recently it has been estimated that number has risen to 3,000 to 4,000. In 2013 he was awarded a Life Fellowship of the Australian Institute of Architects. The National Trust (ACT) conferred on him an honorary Life Membership. This was followed in 2019 by his being awarded the Australian Institute of Architects ACT Chapter Architectural Professional Practice Award. In conferring this award the Institute noted that: ‘Eric’s contribution to architectural practice, the wider profession and indeed the community is enormous and sustained. Eric is a life Fellow of the Institute and an exemplary professional architect who has promoted the profession with his competence, dignity, intelligence and good humour.’ Eric is a past President of the ACAA a position he held for 4 years and has served on the ACAA Management Committee for 14 years. He has continued to assist the ACAA in various capacities since 2014. He was awarded a Fellow of Association of Consultants in Access, Australia in 2020. Eric is currently a member of the Australian Institute of Architects National Access Work Group, the Institute’s National Practice Committee, the Institute’s Representative on the UIA Region IV International Committee on Access and Heritage. He is a member of the Australian Building Codes Committee. He is also a member of the Australian Standards Committees ME64 (Access) and ME004 (Lifts). Although Canberra-based, his access work is national, with extensive work in Queensland. He undertakes projects in all states and territories on a regular basis.
THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA
