She also praised the building for being not only “architecturallysignificant,” but also “a wonderful cultural asset” for the city. She called it “a public building that enables more cultural experiences and is a catalyst for economic growth.” That kind of feedback and industry recognition means a lot to CA Architects, according to Carlo: “Awards are really important to us, because they come from our peers in the industry, and they are not easily given,” he says. “They make all the hard work that you do worthwhile. They also help us with marketing. They give our clientele confidence that we’re a quality practice, and confidence that the project we’re going to deliver will meet their needs and the needs of the community.” In this case, Carlo credits the award-winning results to the relationships they built with the clients and other stakeholders on both projects: “On projects like this, the most important thing is to really understand the client,” he explains. “You have to understand their needs and wants. If you don’t understand their requirements, you won’t be able to guide them to a result that meets those requirements.” “The other really important thing is good collaboration, with both the client and the other architects,” he adds. “We all have to listen to each other and work together. We believe that’s the key to a really successful project.” Moving forward, CA Architects’ goal is to continue achieving success through collaboration, and continue delivering highprofile and award-winning projects like CPAC and the Munro Martin Parklands. Their vision is to do more projects of that size and scope, not just in Cairns but in other locations including Townsville, Brisbane, and Darwin. The practice currently has a group of young associate directors who are eager to take those steps. “There’s a succession plan in place for the young directors to take over,” Carlo says. “They are very keen to grow the business and develop it in other areas. Their idea is definitely to grow the practice to the next level.” “There’s definitely a big future for CA Architects,” Carlo concludes. MAY 2023
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