Timothy Hill: What is an architect, really?

Timothy Hill is the director of architecture studio Partners Hill. In 2025, he was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal in recognition of his exemplary architectural work, as well as his broader contributions to the profession through education, discourse and advocacy.

In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Katelin Butler, editorial director at Architecture Media, sits down with Timothy as the national Gold Medal tour gets underway. He reflects on the current state of architectural process, explains his use of the term "little 'a' architect" and considers how we might more clearly define the role of the architect.

During the conversation, Hill reflects on the paradox that, despite all the advances in digital tools, architecture hasn't necessarily become more efficient. He notes that while "architects use QWERTY keyboards to make drawings now," much of the essential knowledge about how buildings are made still comes from two-dimensional drawings.

"I'm not speaking romantically. It's just that, for all the 3D-ness of things, you need to know the measurements - and the measurements are forever going to be in two dimensions. So here we are, madly drawing in 3D, but the drawings are still for building contracts. So, um… why are we drawing in 3D again?"

Design Speaks Weekly is presented in partnership with the Australian Institute of Architects and with support from Lysaght. A fresh episode will be delivered every Tuesday. You can listen to it on major podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music and Pocket Casts.