The Alastair Swayn Foundation has continued to expand both the grants program and our evolving design partnerships during the 2021 and 2022 calendar years, as the COVID-19 pandemic slowly starts to recede. Alastair’s commitment in creating the Foundation to promote architecture in particular, and design awareness more generally amongst the wider community, is being realised through the many research grants, exhibitions and partnerships the Foundation has developed over its first six years.

2021

2021 heralded another year of challenges in the wake of the pandemic, but saw our mission expand to wider audiences by growing partnerships and the grants programs.

The highly acclaimed Piinpi: Contemporary Indigenous Fashion was opened in collaboration with the National Museum of Australia (NMA) and became the first major exhibition of the Swayn Centre of Australian Design, led by Adrienne Erickson, the inaugural Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design at the NMA. This was followed by the exhibition of Tristan Wong and Jefa Greenaway’s InBetween, a vividly immersive digital exhibition celebrating First Nations cross-cultural architecture projects in the Oceanic region.

Other highlights of 2021 included the Foundation’s sponsorship of the Canberra Low Carbon Housing Challenge Competition, in which Canberra’s top architecture firms demonstrated how sustainable and passive house design has the potential to create a zero-emissions Canberra.

Through our partnership with the Australian Capital Territory Government and the University of Canberra, the Alastair Swayn Internship saw the provision of the most awards since its inception in 2019.

A highpoint was publishing the research papers from the Foundation’s first year of grant projects on Swayn Open Research, becoming the first additions to this important repository of design knowledge. Special mentions go to Hugo Chan’s Hope in High-Rise: An Exploration of Urban Density and Apartment Design, and Threeninefivenine by Callum Andrews, which examined architects assisting bushfire-prone and devastated communities.

2022

2022 was another year of significant achievement for the Foundation, bringing a wealth of activities to Canberra through the growth of the grants program.

The Foundation increased funding with the new Design Thinking and Design Strategy grants and introduced the annual Alastair Swayn International Research Grant, which supports architecture and design researchers to travel overseas to study and learn alongside global experts in their selected field.

The Foundation supported the first Swayn Student Studio at the University of Canberra, where dozens of second-year design students were invited to design a new public transport stop for the city’s light rail extension.

In honour of our founder, Alastair, the Foundation launched a call for a Creative Director to lead the inaugural Swayn Legacy Project. Ian Wong, of Monash University, was appointed, with the exhibition scheduled to take place as part of Enlighten Canberra in 2023.

Other highlights in 2022 included assisting to bring the first Parlour Seasonal Salon to Canberra, supporting the Design Canberra Festival, and partnering on the first of a series of virtual tours of architecturally significant buildings with Manning Clark House and the Robin Boyd Foundation.

The Foundation is also most appreciative of the ongoing support of professional bodies such as the Australian Institute of Architects, the Design Institute of Australia, the Australian Institute of Landscape Architects and Parlour, who have generously shared our vision and opportunities with their members and audiences.

The Foundation is delighted to continue its exciting collaboration with the National Museum of Australia and is especially appreciative of the personal support for this initiative from Director Dr Mathew Trinca AM and Assistant Director of Discovery and Collections, Katherine McMahon.

I would like to thank Adrienne Erickson, the inaugural Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design, for her meaningful achievements and contribution to the objectives of the Foundation over the past two years, and we welcome the appointment of Dr Lyndon Anderson as the new Swayn Senior Fellow in Australian Design.

The Foundation Board of Directors continues to develop and refine both our governance structure and the policies and procedures necessary to achieve the Foundation’s objectives. Most notably, these include the appointment of Ashley Blondel as Chief Executive Officer, Linda Daniels as Chief Financial Officer and Company Secretary, and Roger Hancock as External Financial Advisor.

Looking forward, the Board is reviewing its strategic priorities and the skills required to guide the Foundation to continued success long into the future.

I would particularly like to welcome our new staff members and thank all of our valued staff for their commitment and skilled contribution to the work of the Foundation. Susannah Britt, as Grants and Engagement Manager, has overseen a significant increase in both the number and quality of the grants program.

Despite the obstacles presented through two years of COVID, the Foundation has managed to significantly grow its partnerships and grants program, with more great things yet to come.

My sincere thanks go to my fellow Board members, all of whom, despite also leading busy professional lives, have enthusiastically and skilfully guided the Foundation toward realising Alastair’s vision. Special thanks to Alisa Moss and Dr Neil Hobbs for their continued commitment to the demanding work of the Grants Assessment Panel.

It is only through the Foundation’s ability to engage with the broader design community that we will have any real impact on the public’s understanding of why quality design matters and the impact it has on improving our lives and the environment.

Recognition of the Foundation brand, as well as the opportunities it offers the many and varied professional design practitioners and organisations, remains strategically important to the Foundation.

Graham Humphries
Chairman, Board of Directors