Office of the Victorian Government Architect Sophie Patitsas

Office of the Victorian Government Architect: Confirming our value and impact

Words by Sophie Patitsas

“Their work behind the scenes is in many cases the difference between taxpayer money being used to build assets or future liabilities.”1

An important legacy for any government can be seen in the quality and design of the public projects they deliver. As the largest procurer of design services, buildings and infrastructure in Victoria, the state government has significant influence and impact on the quality and long-term value of the places it builds for its community. Through our role as an independent advocate and adviser on good design, the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (OVGA) is critical in driving better design outcomes for the community. This year’s 2022-23 State Budget outlays a record $184 billion in new and existing capital projects across several portfolios including health, housing, arts and culture, education, and transport infrastructure. Government infrastructure investment is projected to average $21.3 billion a year and averages $1.8 billion a month in 2022-23.2 Meanwhile, OVGA’s recurrent core budget of $1.3 million per annum has remained relatively static since its establishment in 2006 when government infrastructure investment averaged only $4.9 billion a year. Inexplicably this year, despite the almost four-fold increase in annual infrastructure investment, the 202223 State Budget includes a 41.7% reduction in annual funding for the OVGA. Even before the reduction in funding, the OVGA’s core budget had not kept pace with increased infrastructure expenditure, and we have worked hard to service an almost exponential growth in demand for our services. To do this we have established partnerships across government that financially support us as an organisation – keeping the lines of communication and availability open with all departments who value our input. This complements our core funding as the OVGA seeks to meet demand. However, this model is not sustainable for a highly skilled and outcomes-focused team. It adds a significant administrative burden and sometimes compromises the very aspect of the office that is most valued – our independent voice. The OVGA has not taken our role in government for granted. We have commissioned several reports that independently review our activities to demonstrate value and secure support. OVGA’s value is borne out in the most recent review of our activities – The Value and Benefits of the OVGA: 2021 Refresh by SGS Economics and Planning.3 In a stakeholder survey about contribution to design quality, 100% of respondents agreed that OVGA services helped advocate and drive design quality at a strategic or systemic level. When probed further as to how OVGA’s input helped achieve this outcome 94% agreed that the OVGA demonstrated a deep understanding of designquality issues as well as promoting creative and best practice approaches to achieving design quality.

The OVGA holds considerable industry and public sector design expertise in its core team with experienced specialists in a range of disciplines including architecture, urban design, and landscape. It is significant that our small team is embedded in most of government’s major project investments included in the 2022-23 State Capital Program. We provide practical advice on government’s ‘Transformational projects’ including the Big Housing Build, Suburban Rail Loop, Metro Tunnel, and the Level Crossing Removal Project. We are involved in all, bar one of government’s current list of Public Private Partnership projects7 including the New Footscray Hospital, Frankston Hospital Redevelopment, Geelong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Homes Victoria Ground Lease Model Projects, North East Link and West Gate Tunnel. In addition, we provide input to other public projects – including schools, justice facilities, cultural heritage projects, tourism, and national park attractions (including this year’s Victorian Architecture Medal winner), regional projects – and selected planning applications for which the Minister for Planning is the responsible authority. This ability to engage in various ways across building types gives us a unique insight into the challenges of project design and delivery. The OVGA is exposed to a range of project planning and technical design issues, procurement processes, contractual methods, delivery modes and post-occupancy evaluation. This level of involvement across the investment lifecycle of projects ensures that our advocacy and advisory work is well informed, rigorous, and relevant. OVGA’s publication Government as Smart Client (2021) is an example of advocacy aimed at driving design quality at a strategic level but informed by OVGA practice. The document accepts and explores the full range of building procurement methods deployed across government and provides practical guidance to enable a good design outcome to emerge regardless of the method adopted. The guidelines are also supported by case studies on past projects that give an overview of the project, the procurement method, constraints, and key steps taken to protect design quality through the process. It is one of the OVGA’s most successful advocacy initiatives – presented at conferences in both Canada and the United States – with other government architect offices across Australia seeking to replicate or adapt the work for their relevant jurisdictions. Another ongoing OVGA concern, and instance of systemic reform informed by critical knowledge, is the quality of apartments. Our work in this area with the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning led to the Better Apartments Design Standards, looking to improve the liveability of apartments and neighbourhoods in Victoria. This initiative emerged from being exposed to poor quality residential developments that were coming to our office for peer review through the planning approval process. Seeing that the issue was systemic rather than isolated and, knowing the good work that New South Wales had done in this area through its State Environmental Planning Policy No 65—Design Quality of Residential Apartment Development dating back to 2002, the OVGA initiated an awareness campaign in Victoria. Better apartments has been an important design quality initiative for the state, however, as the recent Inquiry into Apartment Design Standards by Victoria’s Legislative Assembly Environment and Planning Committee found – there is still much work to be done.4 The OVGA’s submission to the inquiry advocated further improvements which are included in the committee’s final report. The OVGA supported the Australian Institute of Architects with site visits to precedent projects where the committee could experience well-designed apartments. The report contains 35 recommendations and 66 findings aimed at increasing the liveability of apartments in Victoria. Most of the recommendations align with the OVGA’s advice and evidence presented at the inquiry. The committee also recommends “monitoring the success of the Future Homes Program and student design competitions in promoting design innovation with a view to develop future state-wide apartment design innovation program”.5 The 2021 SGS report highlights that additional ongoing funding is needed to allow the OVGA to maintain, customise and expand its operations to keep pace with demand. A wellfunded office dedicated to driving good design outcomes sends a message that quality matters. It provides an authorising environment for an independent, frank, and fearless voice on good design. It enables a whole-of-government approach to achieving great outcomes for the Victorian community. An office focused on good design can also generate project savings, reduce risk, streamline delivery, and reduce long-term operating expenses. With the state election on the horizon, and at a time when government’s investment in health, housing, arts and culture, education and transport infrastructure is at a record level, support for the OVGA really matters and simply makes good sense.

Sophie Patitsas is principal adviser, Urban Design and Architecture, Office of the Victorian Government Architect.

Notes

1 Smith, Michael., 2022. "Penny wise, pound foolish: Victorians risk wasting billions", The Age, 11 May 2 Department of Treasury and Finance, State of Victoria, 2022-23. State Budget, Budget Paper No.4: State Capital Program: 2; 12-13 3 SGS Report - The Value and Benefits of OVGA: 2021 Refresh: ovga.vic.gov.au/value-and-benefitsovga-sgs-report-2018-2021 4 Parliament of Victoria, Legislative Assembly, Environment and Planning Committee, 2022. Inquiry into Design Standards: xxix

5 Hobbs, Emily., Andrew McDougall 2020. "Design still matters: government architects and economic stimulus" SGS Economics and Planning: sgsep.com.au