Pert outlines rationale behind Melbourne move
October 4 2012
Pert told Urban Realm: “Everyone is assuming that I’m disappearing which is actually far from the truth. I’m only going over in October for a few weeks to try and get to the bottom of what the time commitments are going to be. The idea is I’ll be going over there periodically, for the first six months in particular I’ll be back and forth quite a bit - but there’s a team of four in Nord so it’s not as if it’s one person.
“Melbourne is just such a big opportunity for us. We’ve been talking to the School on and off for over a year now and the optimism that’s going on in places like that is worth a look. There’s also a big opportunity to develop research links with them so I’m going over to try and tease some of this out. I’m doing a lecture over there at the end of the month at the Robin Boyd Baker House, but I’ll be back here in November.
“I’m not too sure yet how it’s all going to pan out but hopefully I’ll be chatting to a few practices when I’m over and it might be that one of them comes over to Glasgow for a wee cultural exchange. There are also a couple of interesting competitions coming up over there that we want to do.
“The School has been appointing professorships over the past year and some interesting people have taken them up. They’re also building a new A$90m faculty of architecture. There are not many places in the world making that commitment to architectural education, so that in itself is a big attraction.”
13 Comments
#1 Posted by boaby wan on 4 Oct 2012 at 08:56 AM
PHEW.... I'm glad you cleared that up alan I was getting worried for a while there
#2 Posted by Aye Right on 4 Oct 2012 at 09:49 AM
Indeed, what a relief for us all. Sounds much like taking a part time job at asda to help make ends meet, 'cept with a bit further to travel.
#3 Posted by John Smith on 4 Oct 2012 at 16:12 PM
Oh come on! Don't be coy! The Melbourne School of Design believes it has made a full-time appointment. This has been the case since at least May of this year:
http://www.msd.unimelb.edu.au/in-the-news/
Is this sudden vagueness an attempt to appease individuals who should perhaps have been informed earlier about the move...?
http://www.msd.unimelb.edu.au/in-the-news/
Is this sudden vagueness an attempt to appease individuals who should perhaps have been informed earlier about the move...?
#4 Posted by Aye Right on 4 Oct 2012 at 16:20 PM
What......like the staff?
#5 Posted by John Smith on 4 Oct 2012 at 16:47 PM
Please, Aye Right, get it (aye) right: they are not "staff", they are "directors"....!
#6 Posted by Spin Doctor on 5 Oct 2012 at 09:25 AM
I'm looking forward to further important Alan Pert related headlines such as Alan Pert outlines rationale behind new hair cut and Alan Pert buys a new car.
Surely there is more important news out there than this.
Surely there is more important news out there than this.
#7 Posted by boaby wan on 5 Oct 2012 at 11:05 AM
maybe an update on that chair he won a while back too?
#8 Posted by Keep Spinning on 5 Oct 2012 at 13:38 PM
#6 It's relevant exactly because of the spin and sad. Why make up some tall tale bu#'shit about commuting.
#9 Posted by Urban Outfitter on 6 Oct 2012 at 12:34 PM
How many offices do nord have now? Glasgow, London, Ireland, Barcalona, Melbourne... Is there any truth in the rumour that Pert is in discussions with NASA about setting up a practice in outer space? Apparently it's a research based and is going to be called nord galactic, when asked for a comment Pert was quoted as "being over the moon!"
#10 Posted by Reality on 7 Oct 2012 at 12:32 PM
Your all being cynical. Sounds like you all need a jealousy antidote.
The Melbourne School has gained an excellent Professor - its a good news story for a Scots architect. Congratulations to Alan and to NORD who produce some excellent work.
The Melbourne School has gained an excellent Professor - its a good news story for a Scots architect. Congratulations to Alan and to NORD who produce some excellent work.
#11 Posted by pinocchio on 7 Oct 2012 at 18:21 PM
Well thanks for clearing that up Alan, clear as mud. Kind of reminds of...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9wR-tXavTo
#12 Posted by John Smith on 8 Oct 2012 at 10:06 AM
#10 You are right. This is a great new job for Alan. The question that many seem to be asking, however, is why is he downplaying it? It's a full-time position and he has stated elsewhere in the press that he is moving his family to Australia to take it up. That is fine. But don't use the platform of UR to tell us that it is a part-time job that has not yet been confirmed. And don't try and tell us that when the principal of a practice is 10,000 miles and 10 time zones away that it is business as usual at NORD!
#13 Posted by Excellent Professor on 17 Oct 2012 at 13:34 PM
Alan Pert an excellent professor? His unit of final year students at Strathclyde University had the lowest pass-rate of all units this past year. Dead last.
Post your comments
Read next: Emirates Arena officially opens
Read previous: Work to complete Anderston’s Bridge to Nowhere commences
Back to October 2012
Like us on Facebook
Become a fan and share
News Archive
Search News
Features & Reports
For more information from the industry visit our Features & Reports section.