The Commonwealth Association of Architects (CAA) is delighted to welcome the return of the Guyana Institute of Architects (GIA), further strengthening the organisation’s reach across the Caribbean and Americas region.
Founded in 1965, the CAA is a professional association of national architectural associations representing architects in Commonwealth countries, with the stated purpose of maximising the contribution of architects to the well-being of society. The GIA’s membership brings a vital new voice to that mission, one speaking from a country in the midst of one of the most dramatic economic transformations of the 21st century.
The discovery of the Liza oilfield off the coast of Guyana has had a massive economic impact on the country, which was previously categorised as a low-income nation within Latin America and the Caribbean, but has rapidly transformed this status to a middle-income nation and is ambitiously striving towards a high-income regional hub.
This growth is reshaping the built environment at an unprecedented rate and has catapulted infrastructural developments and urbanisation in recent years, placing enormous pressure on Georgetown and secondary cities to absorb rapid population and economic growth. There is a growing demand for commercial and residential properties, driven by an influx of expatriates and a rising middle class, with major new highways, bridges, and ports in the pipeline. Yet this construction boom carries real risks. Hotels, casinos, and luxury housing complexes springing up in Georgetown symbolise, for many residents, a future that is not for them, while the boom has dramatically inflated rent and food prices.
Recognising that moments such as these provide not only great opportunity for the architectural profession, but also great responsibility, the Guyana Institute of Architects has declared its intention to play its role in leading this charge by championing adherence to established construction standards to ensure long-term resilience and safety.
Guyana needs planning frameworks, sustainable design thinking, and a strong professional community capable of shaping growth that serves all its citizens and the CAA looks forward to supporting the GIA to deliver on its objectives of ‘Building a resilient Guyana where design honours heritage, serves community and shapes a sustainable future.‘ Rawle Jordon, GIA President.