How Parlour principles have guided Built Environment Channel

The architecture profession is lucky to have Parlour pushing for change. It could easily have stayed as an academic research report – to be left on the shelf as a historical record of our collective failings. Instead, through the vision of its leadership it took the path of an advocacy organisation with a central interest in media and communications. After all, it is almost impossible to create change without communicating the need and intent effectively.

When I was approached to design a new media platform for architects in 2017, the potential for our profession stood out as an opportunity that we shouldn’t pass up. Through my time as a member of the Australian Institute of Architects National Committee for Gender Equity, I could see that gender equity initiatives needed two things to make them more successful. 

First, they needed funding sources to make it viable to invest the resources to make them work. Second, architects in the broadest sense needed to be made aware of them. Parlour does a great job in this regard, with extraordinary reach into an enthusiastic audience of progressive architects. However, for change to be most effective, the message needs to be shared beyond the enthusiastic member base into practices who may not be currently engaged with the discussions around gender equity and diversity.

This is the critical role that Built Environment Channel was built to play.

Built Environment Channel is a national screen network located in the workplaces of architects, developers and construction companies. BEC is free for qualified members. We connect architects and built environment professionals with the information they need, efficiently and effectively, so they can build a better built environment.

Everyday 7,900 or so professionals across Australia are working in offices that receive BEC content and therefore Parlour’s advocacy. New graduates who may never have heard of Parlour can see Parlour headlines in their office and then click through using the DesignAtlas tool directly to the Parlour website.

Regarding the objective of providing financial support to gender equity initiatives, the Built Environment Channel sought out Parlour as their very first industry partner when they launched in 2017. Since then, BEC has contributed $466,268 to support the wider industry.

In addition, Built Environment Channel contributed funding towards a research project into gender equity within the landscape architecture profession. The purpose of this project was to take the data-driven process that had been so successful in the architecture field and apply it to the landscape architecture profession. As a result, the Census Report 2001–2016 Women in Australian Landscape Architecture report was published. This formed the baseline data set for tracking gender equity progress in that field.

In the coming months, Built Environment Channel will be rolling out additional tools and templates for practices wanting to improve their office culture and the wellbeing of their staff. Our Culture Deck will provide an off-the-shelf communications plan to help support leaders put wellbeing initiatives into practice.

The principles of gender equity were baked into the DNA of Built Environment Channel from day one. 

Six years (and one horrible pandemic) later, we are proud to continue our role in supporting the profession transform for the better.  

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