Norman Day


Dr Norman Kingwell Day is an architect, educator, and writer.

Architecture

He has designed and built in Australia and Asia, notably in Melbourne, Canberra, Dili, East Timor and in Vietnam. He worked with Robin Boyd and Professor Frederick Romberg before starting his own practice in 1971, now with offices located in Melbourne, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok and Dili.
His architecture is contemporary and investigative, it seeks to provide long-life-term constructions which last over time rather than short-term solutions which satisfy a culture of ‘architecture as a commodity’.
Buildings include public and private housing and educational facilities in and around Melbourne, health buildings, institutional, new and restored.
His Major commissions include Mowbray College, Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Headquarters
, RMIT International University, Vietnam and Can Tho University Learning Resource Center and Embassy for East Timor.Since 2000, he has been involved in consulting the new nation of East Timor consulting on the reconstruction of the country with projects including the Xanana Gusmão Reading Room/ Library, Hotel dom Aleixo and schemes for empowerment training. He is a Board Member of "Architects Without Frontiers". Design submissions have been made for a design proposal for the new Assembly and Ba Dinh Hall, an urban design competition for Thu Thiem district, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, MOMA at Heide, West Kowloon Redevelopment and National Trade Union Headquarters.

Education

He is an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the RMIT University which also awarded him an honorary Doctorate of Architecture. During the period 1976 to 2002 he was Lecturer and Design Coordinator Theory, History, Communications Department of Architecture, Faculty of Design and Environmental Construction, RMIT University.
He has lectured also at the University of Western Australia Perth, School of Art and Design, RMIT at Bundoora, University of New South Wales, School of Architecture, University of Melbourne. Department of
Architecture, Columbia University, New York, Lecturer Council of Adult Education, Monash University,Swinburne Technical College, and Deakin University.
Day's titles are: Doctor of Architecture, Adjunct Professor of Architecture, M Arch, B Arch, ARB,

Exhibitions

XXX Exhibition, 30 Years of Architecture – Norman Day, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne. 2001

Models Inc. Architects + Industry A + I Gallery, Melbourne. 1996

World - Wide - Work : Architecture by Fax CURVE, Tolarno Gallery, Melbourne. 1995

"Fin de Siecle? : and the Sydney twenty - first century: Architectures of Melbourne", Clapin Burdett Gallery. Sydney. 1993

" Fin de Siecle ? Melbourne - and the twenty-first century " RMIT. Melbourne. 1992

Australian Mythos Sydney - Reflection on an Unfinished Journey. 1988

Neo-Classicism ? Monash University + Power Institute.1986

Two x Two '86: Artists + Architects: George Paton Gallery.1986

Architecture as Idea, RMIT Gallery, Melbourne. 1984

Next Wave, Canberra. 1981

Four Melbourne Architects , Powell Street Gallery, Melbourne, with Edmond Corrigan, Greg Burgess , Peter Crone 1979

Awards and honours

Professional awards include:

RAIA-Bates Smart Award for Architecture in the Media.

Finalist Award Robin Boyd Award House of the Year

RAIA : For Outstanding Architecture.

Seven Royal Australian Institute of Architects Awards.

Lustig + Moar - RAIA Architecture Prize.

BELLE magazine "House of the Year" 1990.

Housing Industry of Australia, House of the Year Award.

The Australian Business award 2005 for "Business Innovation", Australian Chamber of Commerce – Fosters Vietnam Ltd.

Excellence in Construction - National Building and Construction Awards,Commercial Building, National Award Master Builders Association of Australia.

Excellence in Construction - Commercial Building
Victorian State Award Master Builders Association of Victoria.

Australian Government Award for valued contribution as a volunteer working in East Timor.

City of Port Phillip Design + Development Awards – best contribution to achieving sustainable development.

Writing

He was first employed as architecture critic for The Age in 1976, and has supplied critique for the Australian Broadcasting Commission, and previously for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Sunday Age.
Articles have been published world-wide including - National Times, Architecture Australia magazine, Architect Magazine, DOMUS, Studio International, International Architecture, Aujourd Hui, Monument Magazine, Transition Magazine, Australian Art Review, Express Magazine, Meanjin and Melbourne University Magazine.

Publications include