VIVRE SA VILLE

On 21 January she became the new chair of the Syndicat des Architectes de la Côte d'Azur.

After two consecutive two-year mandates, Luc Svetchine has handed over to Sophie Nivag­gioni, the second woman to take the architects' union's chair since it started. Another change is to have increased the advisory committee from 15 members to 29. "There's a good generational mix, with all types of architecture and methods of practice represented," the new chair explains. Meaning the SACA can now actively draw on a greater range of competences. "We'll need to for pursuing our ongoing projects, notably continu­ing and extending our union fights in the present climate of recession. Our sector isn't doing well in either private or public commissions. For the latter we're already working on terms and conditions we want local authorities to adopt in order to counter price undercutting and fee devaluation."

Fighting received ideas

Another SACA priority is promoting the profession to the public. "People often think using an architect is prohibitively expensive, but that's not true. What's more, it's a smart move to use us; we don't just sign off plans, we inject real added-value and make the whole building process easier; our function is to make people happy through successful projects." A mission already underway via the ArchiCOTE contemporary architecture competition, now in its third year: "It's an important event that helps promote our profession. But we need to go further, which is why we've set up a dedicated communication committee. And architects have to come down from their ivory towers too. Our open days this 12 and 13 June are good for this, as is the SACA gala we organise every year; that's on 26 June at Villefranche-sur-Mer's citadel."

By Alexandre Benoist