Reflections: A Regional Architecture Association Journey

DATES: 17-19 September 2026

WHERE: Cobar NSW on Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan Country

A RAA event exploring the journeys that define architectural practice—from the road to Cobar to the lifelong evolution of architects as designers, thinkers and leaders within their communities.

RELEASE DATE – 30 JULY 2026

The Regional Architecture Association (RAA) announces its next event – REFLECTIONS in Cobar NSW on Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan Country 17-19 September.

Regional architectural practice demands adaptability to place, environment and community. Country, cultural, social and political influences inform design thinking, developing architects’ responses to the unique opportunities and challenges of site, brief and client.

REFLECTIONS will explore how architects evolve as designers, thinkers and technicians. Participants will be asked to document their journey to the event as a starting point to considered questioning of our position within the professional landscape.

Set against Cobar’s remarkable natural and built heritage, the program examines professional development, regional revitalisation, housing, climate and infrastructure challenges.

THE LOCATION

Cobar is a characteristic outback town in western New South Wales, located at the crossroads of the Barrier Highway and the Kidman Way. Known as the Copper City, its story is closely tied to mining, with copper discoveries in the late 1870s helping shape the town’s growth and identity. Today, that history remains visible in Cobar’s old buildings, museums, memorials and mine lookouts, while the surrounding landscape reflects the rugged beauty of the outback. Local features include the Great Cobar Museum, Fort Bourke Hill Lookout, and the world-renowned Sound Chapel.

REFLECTIONS – FRINGE EVENTS – Thursday 17 September

Our first Thursday fringe event will be a guided bus tour around the main attractions of Cobar, concluding with the Sound Chapel.

This will be followed by a workshop built around our collective journeys to Cobar; travelling across Country – a pause to allow greater observation of the landscapes, towns, sites and locations we often miss or only glimpse from the car window speeding to a destination. Delegates are invited to document their journey through sketches, collage or other creative forms for the purpose of this workshop.

We will then gather at the Great Western Hotel, featuring NSW’s longest lacework verandah, for a buy-your-own community dinner.

REFLECTIONS – MAIN SPEAKER DAY – Friday 18 September

Our main speaker day at the Cobar Youth & Community Centre will start with a Welcome to Country from Ngiyampaa Wangaaypuwan Traditional Owner, Aunty Elaine, followed by an introduction from Cobar Shire Council’s General Manager highlighting their own design journey enlivening the experience of this regional township.

Jonathan Temple of DunnHillam will then reflect on the practice’s long-standing collaboration with the community of Cobar. He will address the process of delivering a series of transformative civic projects throughout the town as well as broader town revitalisation initiatives.

After morning tea, we will hear from Paulo Macchia, discussing his Byera Hadley research project exploring how local governments across Australia have used effective procurement processes to engage architects who deliver high-quality public buildings.

Melissa Hollis of the NSW Architects Registration Board will then highlight their public-interest work and the various ways NSW ARB supports the profession across the career journey, from students and graduates to experienced practitioners.

After the lunch break, Dr Liz Brogden, senior lecturer at the University of Queensland school of Architecture, Design & Planning in Brisbane will present her research, which focuses on designing and delivering climate, resilience, and sustainability-focused education.

Thomas Jager, recipient of the 2026 Architects Medallion, will then present his University of Newcastle final year project. Thomas will explore how architecture can better respond to Country, climate and community by challenging conventional ideas of home through listening, learning and designing with humility and respect.

Following afternoon tea, the formal program will conclude with a panel discussion summarising the theme of reflection, framing our past and considering what are seen to be future challenges on the lifetime journey of practice.

On Friday evening, we’ll gather for a relaxed barbecue dinner outside the Great Cobar Museum, offering the perfect opportunity to connect with fellow delegates while experiencing one of the town’s most significant heritage buildings. During the evening, attendees will also have the opportunity to explore the museum and its thoughtfully restored exhibitions.

REFLECTIONS – FRINGE EVENTS – Saturday 19 September

Our first Saturday fringe event will be a visit to the Cobar Early Learning Centre, led by Jonathan Temple (Dunn Hillam).

Jonathan will then take us to the Ward Oval Pavilion, a project that strengthens the civic and sporting life central to many regional communities. Positioned at the heart of Cobar’s Ward Oval Precinct, the pavilion forms part of DunnHillam’s broader masterplan to revitalise one of the town’s most important public places.

Our final Saturday fringe event will be a visit to the Mount Grenfell Rock Art Site, where we’ll experience one of the most significant collections of Aboriginal rock art in New South Wales. Located within Mount Grenfell Historic Site, this remarkable cultural landscape has been a place of gathering, ceremony and knowledge sharing for Ngiyampaa People for thousands of years.