About the Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA)
The Good Oil
The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) is the Godzilla of Australian architecture according to its own website. Supposedly it wields magical powers over Australian architects that Gandalf the Grey would have wept for. But is that the case?
The Confused Numbnuts at the AACA
Here is how the AACA describes itself on its website:
[the AACA] is recognised as the national organisation responsible for establishing, coordinating and advocating national standards for the registration of architects in Australia and for the recognition of Australian architects overseas by the relevant Registration Authorities.
We have no idea who 'recognises' the AACA. The Pope? The Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia? The Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem? The ghost of Harry Seidler? The lazy fat-arse Australian academics who sit on AACA boards?
We are not even sure what that would even mean in Australia's federal system. Our tour of the legislation pertaining to architects in the Australian states reveals but a single 'recognition' of the AACA: in the legislation of the Australian state of Victoria. Let's have a think: where is the HQ of the AACA? Victoria!
If there is a worse website of a body claiming some sort of authority, we would like to see it. The AACA website is beyond pathetic: it was cobbled together with Microsoft Word documents, and left to rot in the sun.
Our experience with the AACA is limited. In our quest to find out the truth about Monash University, we had some communication with the hard-working staff at the AACA. They answered us as best they could, but even they were confused. They sent us the AACA's definitive list of Australian architecture schools, a document that is meant to have legal force in at least the state of Victoria. It was labelled Guide Only. There are fewer than twenty schools of architecture in Australia, but the supposed legal repository of this data admits it is incapable of keeping track of them! Jee-zus!
In our quest for answers, we even emailed the 2008-09 President of the AACA, Andrew Hutson. We included all our correspondence with his employees at the AACA. He responded:
I am unaware how you believe I could assist
Quite: the President of the AACA, Mr Andrew Hutson, has no fracking idea. After long years enjoying an Aussie taxpayer-funded salary at an Aussie university, he wouldn't know reality if it sat on his face and farted. If you are incapable of keeping up with your correspondence at the AACA, Mr Hutson, why don't you surrender your job for someone who can?