Major work draws duo in
ADEPT ARCHITECT ROGER MAINWOOD SEES SIMILARITIES BETWEEN FILM DIRECTING AND HIS FIRM TACKLING BIG COMMUNITY PROJECTS LIKE CAIRNS MUSEUM AND THE SCHOOL OF ARTS BUILDING, WRITES HAYDEN SMITH
One of Cairns’ most experienced architects, Roger Mainwood, likens his profession to directing a film.
“It’s bringing in a whole heap of technicians and a story. You have to then develop that story and pull it all together,” he said. Since 1994, Mr Mainwood and his business partner Edi Piagno (above) have co-directed local firm TPG Architects. Having overseen a swag of award-winning projects — Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal to name just two — the pair recently toasted the completion of a job about a decade in the making.
ONE of Cairns’ most experienced architects, Roger Mainwood, likens his profession to directing a film.
“It’s bringing in a whole heap of technicians and a story. You have to then develop that story and pull it all together,” he said.
“But it doesn’t get turned around in six months. It could take up to 10 years.”
Since 1994, Mr Mainwood and his business partner Edi Piagno have co-directed local firm TPG Architects.
Having overseen a swag of award-winning projects – Tanks Arts Centre and Cairns Cruise Liner Terminal to name just two – the pair recently toasted the completion of a job about a decade in the making.
The Cairns Museum and Cairns School of Arts Building reopened last year, signalling a new era for one of the city’s most iconic sites.
“When they were walking the volunteers through, I was told that two of them started crying because it was such an exciting turnaround,” Mr Mainwood said.
“It’s really rewarding to do these community projects,
SINCE 1994, ROGER MAINWOOD AND HIS BUSINESS PARTNER EDI PIAGNO HAVE CO-DIRECTED LOCAL FIRM TPG ARCHITECTS
which are not incredibly successful financially (for us) but they are successful in terms of the capital we can give to the city.”
Mr Mainwood moved to the Far North as a graduate archi- tect in 1987, working at a national firm based at Port Douglas.
While growing up in Adelaide, from an early age he became fixated on a career in a creative industry like architecture.
“I was a Lego kid. I always enjoyed drawing and imagined being in this space,” he said.
He moved to Cairns, where he eventually teamed up with Mr Piagno, a Far North local, to create TPG Architecture.
Having travelled extensively for his work, Mr Mainwood said Far North Queensland’s climate made it a fascinating – and often challenging – part of the world for practising architecture.
“We have a fantastic opportunity to make buildings transparent and work with the weather,” he said.
“The only issue is the rain and humidity. For the rest of the year it’s fantastic weather.
“Designing in the tropics is like providing a big hat to keep the rain out.”
While there are countless late nights of meticulous sketching, Mr Mainwood said his profession was as much
about communication and lateral thinking.
The 59-year-old speaks passionately about the concept of “design thinking”.
“It’s becoming very popular in large companies for problem solving,” he said.
“It’s not a linear process. It’s about a whole bunch of data, scattered all over the place, and you have to have a different way of thinking to see all these pieces of information and pull them together.
“It’s a broad concept, but one this is intangible and quite difficult to teach.”
The Holloways Beach resident was optimistic about the future of architecture.
“It’s a human to human process and I’m not sure that artificial intelligence is going to take us out of the picture for a long time,” he said.
“The big picture of projects is as important as the fine detail and that’s the great thing about this profession. We can work in that space.”
His company is currently working on the Cairns City Master Plan review being undertaken by Cairns Regional Council.
As part of this project, a stretch of Florence St in the CBD is set to receive a multimillion-dollar overhaul.
“The town has changed quite dramatically in the last 10 years,” Mr Mainwood said.
“We’ve got the Cairns Performing Arts Centre under construction, Munro Martin Parklands, the Aquarium building – there was a real necessity to create a spine that links those buildings into the city.”
Looking ahead, Mr Mainwood said Cairns had a unique opportunity to capitalise from the “digital revolution”.
“If we can offer people a great lifestyle and have lots of good cultural and social infrastructure – like the Tanks and CPAC – the digital connection gives the opportunity for us to really foster innovative thinking,” he said.
I WAS A LEGO KID. I ALWAYS ENJOYED DRAWING AND IMAGINED BEING IN THIS SPACE ROGER MAINWOOD