APPOINTMENTS

ABOVE Andrew Fong.

AJ+C STRENGTHENS EDUCATION DESIGN WITH FONG ACQUISITION

Andrew Fong has moved to AJ+C’s education team after joining the practice in April.

With over a decade in design experience, Fong’s passion for community-shaping projects makes him a valuable addition to the practice’s personnel.

Prior to joining AJ+C, Fong worked on the landmark Arthur Philip High School in Parramatta (BVN & Grimshaw), the first highrise public high school in New South Wales, plus new schools and campus additions in the ACT and Sydney, and upgrades to primary schools in Western Sydney and Wollongong.

The architect has also designed noninstitutional learning environments for public settings including the award-winning Marrickville Library (BVN), the Creative Learning Centre (CLC) at Sydney Opera House, and Hyde Park Barracks Museum Learning Project (Hayball). STUDIO NINE CREATES NEW LEADERSHIP TIER

Studio Nine Architects have created a new tier within their leadership team, with Keith Dougal and Nigel Howden becoming the Adelaidebased practice’s inaugural Principals.

With the studio expanding its number of personnel from 30 to 50 in the last three years, the new Principal tier occupied by Dougal and Howden allows for further growth and development of Studio Nine due to the upper management structure being strengthened.

Both Dougal and Howden work in conjunction with S9’s five Directors to assist in strategizing and developing internal processes to take the studio into the next phase, applying their experience from global practices and bringing in the mechanisms of a larger studio uniquely to S9.

ABOVE Samantha Peart.

FORMER DEVELOPMENT VICTORIA DIRECTOR HANDED GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY ROLE

Samantha Peart, an internationally renowned Australian sustainability leading light has been appointed as the global Head of Sustainability at Hassell.

An entrepreneurial leader in sustainability consultancy, driving organisational transformation for a world-wide roster of clients, Peart’s reputation as an expert in the field is seldom rivalled. The new Head of Sustainability will be at the forefront of Hassell’s desire to be a leader in sustainable thinking and action in the built environment. A career spanning 20 different countries and of projects across a suite of sectors, Peart is well and truly primed for her next chapter.

Peart was formerly the Senior Director at Development Victoria, where she designed and implemented the organisation’s sustainability strategy and drove transformation within the office of the CEO. Prior to this, Samantha spent over a decade at Arup, starting in the Sydney headquarters before moving to Singapore, Los Angeles and Melbourne.

ABOVE Deb Robbins.

ROBBINS ANNOUNCED AS INAUGURAL PRINCIPAL OF NEW BRISBANE STUDIO

National landscape architecture practice TCL has expanded its operations to Brisbane, with Deb Robbins appointed as Studio Principal.

A born, bred and educated Queenslander, Robbins is excited to be joining the practice and embarking on a permanent chapter within the river city.

Some of TCL’s past and present clients in the State include the Queensland University of Technology, the City of Cairns, Brisbane Airport Corporation, The QLD Department of Environment and Science and the Livingston Shire Council in Yeppoon, amongst others.

TCL is solidifying our presence in Queensland to strengthen our ability to deliver dynamic design solutions within some of the most spectacular landscapes in Australia.

ABOVE Jonathan Goh (left) and Elan Barr (right).

DOUBLE DIRECTORS AT M3ARCHITECTURE

Coinciding in 25 years of architectural practice, m3architecture has announced long-time architects Elan Barr and Jonathan Goh have both been elevated to the position of Director. m3architecture Director, Michael Banney.

Barr has been with the practice for nine years and has contributed to projects in the education, cultural, heritage and commercial sectors. Banney says the new Director is an all-rounder who is valued for her strong skills in client liaison.

Also, with the practice for nine years, Goh is renowned for his design stewardship that has made an enormous contribution to the success of many projects, particularly in the education sector. Gray Puksand has announced a new structure and expanded leadership team as it continues to evolve its operations.

The new structure includes a strengthened focus on professional leadership and business intelligence, to allow the practice to further extend its reach on a national scale. The new additions and changes to the practice’s structure will help to deliver over $750 million worth of projects across studios in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, and Sydney.

Stephen Turner (pictured top left) has moved into the role of National Managing Partner, bringing 30 years of expertise in professional leadership, design excellence, and complex project management to the position. Turner has delivered projects for a range of public and private clients, including the Greater Shepparton Secondary College, and further established Gray Puksand’s Canberra studio. Amanda Fyfe, Lead Partner (ACT) will now head up the Canberra studio, while Heidi Smith, Lead Partner (VIC) steps into a leading role in Melbourne. Smith says she will look to build on her expertise and leadership within the new role.

Gray Puksand’s new corporate social responsibility plan looks to ensure balanced gender representation across all levels, disciplines and sectors, with a plan for fifty percent of Gray Puksand Partners to be female before 2030. The appointment of Natasha Lauricella (pictured top right) as Commercial Business Manager puts the plan into practice.

With significant experience in commercial, residential, and retail property, as well as hotel and franchising as a senior finance leader, Lauricella’s technical and innovative mind-set and extensive experience in key industries is set to drive the growth and development of the practice.

Founding Partner Robert Puksand will move away from his role as National Managing Partner to work on strategic projects and the establishment of new sectors and will continue to support the practice as Chair of the Board.

ABOVE Stephen Turner (left) and Natasha Lauricella (right).

NEW GROUP SUSTAINABILITY LEADER FOR DWP

Architectural practice dwp has announced Kit Boochangkool as the practice’s new worldwide Group Sustainability Leader, furthering its commitment to environmental sustainability.

With experience spanning across USA, the UK and Asia, Boochangkool has a personal passion in sustainability which he developed into a professional skill by studying global energy and climate policy in London.

The new Sustainability Leader’s expertise and desire to develop sustainable policy will ensure dwp will remain an environmentally conscious and innovative enterprise, from its operations through to its projects. dwp is a founding signatory of the ‘Architects Declare’ and believes built environment professionals are rightly at the forefront of delivering a substantial impact for better sustainable outcomes during construction and over the lifetime of buildings.

The practice says the efforts to implement sustainable design practices can and will have a huge beneficial impact for clients and the planet.