University of Tasmania, Australia

Exhibition opening speaker: Professor Jeff Malpas, Distinguished Professor, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania

Exhibition opening: 5.30 - 7pm Thursday 4 July

Exhibition artist: Professor Roger Fay

Exhibition curator: Malcom Bywaters, Director, Academy/NEW Gallery

The title of this exhibition was prompted by a remark made by the renowned scholar Serge Chermayeff who believed that his life as an academic was blessed because he had the opportunity to work and develop relationships with some of the brightest people of his generation.

As an architect practitioner, a photographer and an academic, I too have been fortunate to work with many wonderful and inspiring people in Australia and overseas.

This exhibition presents concerns and interests that have influenced my thinking. Throughout my working life, environmental issues in particular, have increasingly informed my academic work. More recently, design for the elderly and particularly those with dementia, has reshaped my thinking about design in general. By this I mean that the proper role of architecture and architects is to create environments that nurture the human spirit.

One important part of Fay’s professional career has been the realization of the new building for the School of Architecture & Design at the Inveresk campus and part of the exhibition will showcase this development.

Roger Fay was a Professor at the School of Architecture & Design, University of Tasmania and is now an Honorary Associate in the School of Architecture & Design and a Research Associate at the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre. He has a BArch(Hons)(Melb), GradDipEd(Hawthorn) and a PhD from The University of Melbourne. He has taught at Deakin University and RMIT as well as practicing as an architect in Australia and the UK. Roger is a Registered Architect and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.  Professor Fay taught design and building technology, with a major research focus on sustainable design and the environmental performance of buildings through the application of design knowledge and creative problem-solving skills. He continues to contribute to the university through his research and guest lectures and design studio involvement.

Professor Fay’s exhibition is presented as part of the NEW Gallery Showcase Program that aims to profile and highlight the achievements of UTAS academics. 

^{image credit: Professor Roger Fay}