Melbourne-born Sean Godsell becoming an outstanding Australian architect was possibly an inevitable and cosmic alignment of fate. David Godsell, the late successful architect, is his father and Mr Godsell (junior) was raised in a home designed by his gifted old man, who adapted Usonian house principles on a sandy and sloped block in beachside Beaumaris. Architecture is embedded in his genetic code.

An internationally renowned and critically acclaimed architect in his own right, Mr Godsell is currently on his national victory tour as the Australian Institute of Architects’ 2022 Gold Medallist – the Institute’s highest honour.

He says he’s honoured and privileged for his peers to grant him such a significant award and was thrilled to be shown around the Academy of Science as part of his tour – a construction which he says is an “all-time favourite”.

Canberra was his first tour stop, and Mr Godsell sat down with Canberra Daily to chat about the link between architecture and climate change, integrating First Nations culture into design, and the future of architecture.

He says Canberra’s architecture has some “great moments” and the uniqueness of the city is emboldened by the legacy of the Griffins and the Plan for Canberra.

“We came very close to winning the National Portrait Gallery years ago – we got given second place, which was nice. It caused me to look really closely at that part of Canberra that is now a triumvirate … a really powerful part of the city.”

In a masterclass for rising Canberran architects, Mr Godsell explains the critical importance of understanding the nature of the city before designing a building.

“To go back to when we were designing our scheme – our unsuccessful scheme – for the Portrait Gallery,” Mr Godsell smiles, “I remember we spent a lot of time brushing up on the history of the city, the importance of civic access and so on and so on.”

But grasping the conception of a city is only the tip of the iceberg for Australian architects, he says, as they must remember they’re “building on country”.

“Wherever we are in Australia, we’re building on land that was part of the traditional owners’ life. So, I think in multiple small ways, our profession is sensitive to and attuned to that fact now, and for two centuries we haven’t been.

“So, I think that’s a really important moment for our country but also our profession, that we can acknowledge that, and we can acknowledge it in a number of ways when we design buildings to understand the history of the land, to understand the local mobs and what was important about the land that we are building on, and to respect their concerns about what’s going on is really important.”

During his Gold Medallist presentation, Mr Godsell’s core theme centres on the integral role architecture plays in future-proofing our planet against climate change.

“I think any architect not talking about climate change is missing the point … We deal with the constructed environment. So, we, as a profession, are at the coal face of the issue of climate and what we design has a direct quantifiable impact,” he says.

“So, if we design buildings that are intelligent, in terms of the environment, then we are doing good for the community. If we are not doing that then we are missing the point. So, every time we step up to the plate to do a new building, we have climate at the top of our agenda.”

Mr Godsell fears the importance of architecture is overlooked by the general public.

With the effects of climate change ever present in Australia, he feels a greater understanding of how architecture weaves the fabrics of society and history together would impose deeper insight into how the industry can be vital in reversing the impacts. 

“It’s [climate change] an issue of the day. All architects ever do is we deal with whatever the issues of the day are because the history of architecture suggests that at certain times in our evolution, there were important things to do,” Mr Godsell says.

“There was a point where building temples to our gods was important, there was a point where building cathedrals and palaces were important. So, at the moment, what is important is that whenever we build a building, we minimise the impact that building has on the environment because the planet is suffering.”

“It’s [climate change] the primary issue on the planet – notwithstanding pandemics and wars and supply chain issues. All those things aside, they’re meaningless if the planet doesn’t sustain human life. So, it has to become a priority.”

-Sean Godsell

Speaking to emerging architects in Canberra during his Gold Medal breakfast, Mr Godsell expressed optimism for the future of architecture, despite a mountain of obstacles in the new graduates’ way.

“Our young architects are being well trained, and I think that they’re prepared and willing and ready to step up to the plate,” he says.

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