+61 8 9299 7277
geoff@pmdwa.com
AwardsInternational Association of Public Participation [IAP2] - 2012
Winner with Territory Alliance, Collaborating on the “NT Housing and Infrastructure Program” UN World Habitat Awards - 2011
Winner with Healthabitat, Collaborating on the “Housing for Health Program” Leadership in Sustainability Prize - 2011
Winner with Healthabitat, Collaborating on the “Housing for Health Program” International Union of Architects - 2011
Winner with Healthabitat, Collaborating on the “Housing for Health Program” Urban Design Institute of Australia Award - 2009
Winner for the Sustainability Design Guidelines for the Six Seasons Development in Broome WA TestimonialsThe work of the firm is also recognised as being of value and appreciated. The following Testimonials have been gratefully provided by current and past clients.
I worked with architect Geoff Barker for four years on the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) in communities across the Northern Territory as part of Territory Alliance. Our community engagement work won a Northern Territory Regional Project of the Year Core Values Award with IAP2. As part of our work, Geoff regularly presented to diverse audiences: from Aboriginal communities to service providers and his peers across Australia. This presentations were always interesting, engaging and well-researched. They highlighted Geoff’s passion to improve the living conditions for Indigenous Australians and drew on interesting case studies and research to advocate for innovative solutions. I would highly commend Geoff’s work as thought-provoking, challenging and relevant to IAP2’s membership base. Jane Munday Senior Advisor | True North Strategic Communication Hi Geoff,
As mentioned to you previously, your and Paul approach to co-designing the Healing Centre with AMHC and Elders is the best example of giving the community a strong voice in the design by embracing the strong Indigenous cultural values that will enhance the healing process. The key to your success is listening and hearing and being inclusive of the community thoughts, ideas and cultural values into a built environment so that the Healing centre and what stands for is owned by the community. The participatory planning process and the tools used in the co design workshops and on country captures the true essence of community engagement and that is community engagement is a two way process that gives the community a voice and ownership of what the future looks like and what it will be. As a community development practitioner with the Indigenous Community Volunteers and as Vice President of the Australian Evaluation Society (AES) and assessor of AES Indigenous Evaluation Awards (2017 and 2018) your and Paul’s approach to community engagement with AMHC is a model that exemplifies excellence in how participatory community engagement should be done with Indigenous communities and organisations and should be commended and recognised as best practice in giving AMHC a voice to reflect their aspirations and vision for the future. Doyen Doyen Radcliffe Regional Manager | Community Development | Western Region It is my pleasure to provide this testimonial for Geoff Barker, a person I am pleased to have known for 15 years but more particularly whom I worked along side for 4 years when l was the Manager of Territory Alliance.
Both Geoff and I worked together on the Australian Government's Strategic Indigenous Housing and infrastructure Program from early October 2008 to mid 2012 as part of the team at Territory Alliance, one of the companies formed to deliver the program. Geoff's extensive knowledge of Aboriginal housing issues, the challenges of remote service delivery as well his long and highly regarded experience as an Architect, were amongst the skills he brought to Territory Alliance. In addition Geoff brought a genuine understanding and appreciation of the importance of community consultation and that awareness was a significant factor in the Alliance's success. The SIHIP project covered a wide geographical area, had more then the average logistic challenges facing a remote project, required a multi disciplined set of skills and human resources and was possibly the most high profile political and controversial program at the time. The Program was complex with competing project objectives, politically driven performance targets and the demands of planning, designing and delivering housing, subdivisions and infrastructure upgrades. Geoff's consultative and inclusive approach and his technical knowledge was valued by all involved and was certainly a major contributing factor to how Territory Alliance completed the project with high levels of community satisfaction and appreciation. Meetings and briefings with community members, government officials and sub contractors were all part of the process that Geoff managed extremely well. This was particularly the case when consulting with Aboriginal people with English as their second or third language and Geoff was able to ensure. everyone was heard and had their say. In a period of four years Territory Alliance delivered, amongst other things, 518 new houses, 314 rebuilt houses, 442 refurbished houses, six subdivisions with roads, power water and sewerage upgrades. In summary, Geoff Barker is a person of the highest integrity, a skilled and professional Architect, who understands and respects the need for consultation, collaboration and inclusion and who has made a huge contribution to improving Aboriginal housing. It was pleasure to have worked with Geoff on the SITUP project and I thank him for his support and look forward to the next project. Yours faithfully, Allan McGill McGill Management Services |
