Design Speaks Weekly

Is “trend” a dirty word? | Rachel Nolan and Patrick Kennedy

Rachel Nolan and Patrick Kennedy are founding partners of the award-winning practice Kennedy Nolan. Along with its many accolades and acknowledgments, the practice has amassed one of the largest Instagram followings of any Australian architecture studio, making it arguably one of the most influential studios in the country today.
Over the years, Kennedy Nolan’s designs have shaped trends in the industry rather, than followed them. But being a so-called “trendsetter” comes with responsibilities.
In today’s episode, we learn about Rachel and Patrick’s approach to staying ahead of the game, how they really feel about imitation and the importance of being mindful of social media’s impact.
Further reading:
First House: Kennedy Nolan Architectshttps://architectureau.com/articles/james-street-house-by-kennedy-nolan-architects/
Balam Balam Place by Kennedy Nolan, Openwork and Finding Infinityhttps://architectureau.com/articles/balam-balam-place-by-kennedy-nolan-openwork-and-finding-infinity/
Melbourne Place by Kennedy Nolanhttps://architectureau.com/articles/melbourne-place/
The developer’s perspective: Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit by Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinityhttps://architectureau.com/articles/the-developers-perspective-wilam-ngarrang-retrofit-by-kennedy-nolan-with-finding-infinity/
Six Ways House by Kennedy Nolanhttps://architectureau.com/articles/Six-Ways-House-by-Kennedy-Nolan/

Who, or what, defines Indigenous architecture today? | Carroll Go-Sam and Deidre Brown

In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Carroll Go-Sam and Deidre Brown explore the progress of Indigenous recognition and representation in architecture across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
Carroll (Dyirbal, Gumbilbara Bama) is a senior lecturer at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Queensland. Deidre  (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) is a professor of architecture at the University of Auckland and the recipient of the 2023 Te Kāhui Whaihanga New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal.
During Deidre’s 2024 Australian tour of her gold medal address, host Georgia Birks sat down with the pair to ask them to reflect on how Indigeneity in architecture and education has shifted over time.
You can read the full interview in the 2025 Jan/Feb issue of Architecture Australia or on ArchitectureAu.com.
 
Further reading:
Creating space: The rise of Indigenous recognition and representation in architecturehttps://architectureau.com/articles/Creating-space-the-rise-of-Indigenous-recognition-and-representation-in-architecture/
Carroll Go-Samhttps://architectureau.com/contributors/Go-Sam-Carroll/
New Zealand Institute of Architects 2023 Gold Medal: Professor Deidre Brownhttps://www.nzia.co.nz/awards/gold-medal/2023-gold-medal-professor-deidre-brown/

Mastering the art of high-low design | Brahman Perera

In today’s episode, editor of InteriorsAu Cassie Hansen speaks with interior designer Brahman Perera about mixing styles, textures and price points to craft interiors that are unique, dynamic and accessible. His portfolio includes fitouts for fashion labels such as Christian Kimber and Henne, alongside hospitality venues like Entrecôte, Hopper Joint and Ursula's Paddington.
Brahman was a speaker for the 2025 Design Speaks Night School series, titled “Balancing Act: The art of high-low design,” where he reflected on the value of blending the refined with the humble to create layered, balanced interiors.
 
Further reading:
Hopper Joint by Brahman Pererahttps://architectureau.com/articles/Hopper-Joint-by-Brahman-Perera/
Christian Kimber store by Brahman Pererahttps://architectureau.com/articles/christian-kimber-store-by-brahman-perera/
Perri Cutten Manuka by Brahman Pererahttps://architectureau.com/articles/perri-cutten-manuka-by-brahman-perera/
 

What makes a successful Olympic city? | Lawrence Nield and Philip Thalis

This week marks 25 years since the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games – an event that reshaped the city through an ambitious masterplan developed by a team of built environment professionals, including architects Lawrence Nield and Philip Thalis. Lawrence, a founding director of BVN and the 2012 Gold Medallist, has contributed to three Olympic Games: Sydney 2000, Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Philip, founding principal of Hill Thalis Architecture and Urban Projects and the 2024 Gold Medallist, also played a significant role in the Sydney masterplan.
In today’s episode, they discuss the city-making potential of the Olympics, the planning and design thinking behind a successful games, and how the profession might shape the urban legacy of Brisbane 2032.
 
Further reading:
Olympics Updatehttps://architectureau.com/articles/olympics-update/
Sydney’s Olympicshttps://architectureau.com/articles/sydneys-olympics/
Lawrence Nield on deciphering the meaning of architecture and the role of the architecthttps://architectureau.com/articles/lawrence-nield-on-deciphering-the-meaning-of-architecture-and-the-role-of-the-architect/
Avoiding substance abusehttps://architectureau.com/articles/avoiding-substance-abuse/
Built environment institutes call for design input over Brisbane 2032 Olympicshttps://architectureau.com/articles/Built-environment-bodies-call-for-design-input-over-Brisbane-2032-Olympics/
Don’t let this opportunity go to waste: A tale of two citieshttps://architectureau.com/articles/dont-let-this-opportunity-go-to-waste-a-tale-of-two-cities/
Design review is the missing piece of the Olympics puzzlehttps://architectureau.com/articles/design-review-is-the-missing-piece-of-the-olympics-puzzle/
Woolloongabba can win goldhttps://architectureau.com/articles/woolloongabba-can-win-gold/
Brisbane 2032: pathways to legacyhttps://architectureau.com/articles/brisbane-2032-pathways-to-legacy/
The complicated Olympics planning processhttps://architectureau.com/articles/the-complicated-olympics-planning-process/
The Brisbane olympics: a marathon or a sprint?https://architectureau.com/articles/the-brisbane-olympics-a-marathon-or-a-sprint/

Trusting the chaos | Simone Bliss

In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Emily Wong, editor of Landscape Architecture Australia, is joined by landscape architect and creative director of SBLA Studio Simone Bliss to discuss rethinking the design process in the face of the climate crisis.
Drawing on Richmond High School by SBLA Studio, Simone reflects on the value of open-ended design – a process that embraces uncertainty and leaves room for change.
Further reading:
Concrete thinking: Richmond High Schoolhttps://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/concrete-thinking-richmond-high-school/
Landscape Architecture Australia, May 2025https://landscapeaustralia.com/issues/landscape-architecture-australia-may-jun-2025-186/Landscape Architecture Australia, May 2025https://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/reducing-reusing-and-recycling-in-practice/
Material trajectory: Meg Calkinshttps://landscapeaustralia.com/articles/material-trajectory-meg-calkins/
 

What is an architect, really? | Timothy Hill

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 and explains his use of the term “little ‘a’ architect” – a term he finds useful when advocating for architecture’s purpose and value.
Further reading:
2025 National Prizes: Gold Medalhttps://architectureau.com/articles/2025-national-prizes-gold-medal/
A generative practicehttps://architectureau.com/articles/a-generative-practice/
‘Oh my god, it’s not that you’re cynical at all. It’s just that you’re analytic.’https://architectureau.com/articles/oh-my-god-its-not-that-youre-cynical-at-all-its-just-that-youre-analytic/
On the urbane and analogical lessons of Timothy Hillhttps://architectureau.com/articles/on-the-urbane-and-analogical-lessons-of-timothy-hill/#:~:text=Timothy%20Hill's%20architectural%20imagination%20is,a%20commission%20and%20a%20composition.
Living in the planhttps://architectureau.com/articles/living-in-the-plan/
What makes the difference?https://architectureau.com/articles/what-makes-the-difference/
2025 Gold Medal tour with Timothy Hillhttps://architectureau.com/calendar/tour/2025-gold-medal-tour-with-timothy-hill/  
Magical sequencing: Daylesford Longhousehttps://architectureau.com/articles/daylesford-longhouse/
Architectural archeology: Install Househttps://architectureau.com/articles/install-house/
Revisited: State Library of Queenslandhttps://architectureau.com/articles/revisited-state-library-of-queensland/
Revisited: HH House by Donovan Hill, 1993https://architectureau.com/articles/hh-house-by-donovan-hill/

Is the competition system failing architects? | Camilla Block

Camilla Block is director of architectural studio Durbach Block Jaggers. In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, she tackles the state of architecture competitions in Australia, and asks: are they still working as intended? Reflecting on their history, their evolution and their impact on the profession, Camilla considers what an ideal future for the architectural competition system might entail.
Camilla will be addressing the issue at ArchitectureAu Asks in Canberra on Friday 7 November 2025, where she’ll ask a group of industry leaders to respond to the provocation: “The competition system is under scrutiny – how could it be better?” You can learn more and buy tickets at the first link below.
Further reading:
ArchitectureAu Asks | Design Speakshttps://designspeaks.com.au/events/2025/11/07/architectureau-asks
Design competitions: Starting from Countryhttps://architectureau.com/articles/design-competitions-starting-from-country/
A Year in Competitionhttps://architectureau.com/articles/a-year-in-competition/
Expressions of interesthttps://architectureau.com/articles/expressions-of-interest/
Regaining a competitive edgehttps://architectureau.com/articles/regaining-a-competitive-edge/

Are you paid fairly? | Justine Clark

August 19 is the national Equal Pay Day for 2025. The date marks the 50 additional days from the end of the financial year that women in Australia need to work, on average, to earn the same annual wage as men. 
Leading the fight for gender equity in architecture is Parlour, a research-based advocacy group whose work outlines what built-environment professions can – and should – do to help eradicate gender pay gaps. 
In today’s episode, Parlour co-founder and director Justine Clark shares Parlour’s findings from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency’s 2025 pay gap data, and how this information can help architects identify pay inequity in their workplace – and what steps they can take to address it.
Further reading
Pay equity & pay gapshttps://parlour.org.au/guides-toolkits/01-pay-equity-pay-gaps/
Second round of architecture firms’ gender pay gap data releasedhttps://architectureau.com/articles/second-round-of-architecture-firms-gender-pay-gap-data-released/
WGEA Data Explorerhttps://www.wgea.gov.au/Data-Explorer
Pay gaps & equal remuneration – 2025 WGEA datahttps://parlour.org.au/research/statistics/pay-gaps-and-equal-remuneration-2025-wgea-data/ 
 

My greatest lessons | Glenn Murcutt

With a career that spans almost 60 years, Glenn Murcutt AO is no stranger to the changing world of architectural practice. His work, which is ongoing, has won numerous prestigious awards, notably the Australian Institute of Architects’ 1992 Gold Medal, and the 2002 Pritzker Prize.
In this episode of Design Speaks Weekly, Glenn joins Architecture Media editorial director Katelin Bulter to discuss poetics and pragmatism in architecture, reflecting on how the creative spirit of architecture survives in an evolving industry, and offering insights from his earliest and most recent projects – including the two most significant design lessons learned over a long and storied career.
Further reading:
Revisited: Marie Short House (1974) by Glenn Murcutthttps://architectureau.com/articles/revisited-marie-short-house/
Revisited: Simpson-Lee Househttps://architectureau.com/articles/simpson-lee-house/
Revisited: Done House by Glenn Murcutthttps://architectureau.com/articles/Done-House-by-Glenn-Murcutt/
Glenn Murcutt, the ‘pavilion architect,’ on his MPavilionhttps://architectureau.com/articles/glenn-murcutt-mpavilion/
Music, desert and sky: Cobar Sound Chapelhttps://architectureau.com/articles/cobar-sound-chapel/
2024 Eat Drink Design Awards: Hall of Famehttps://architectureau.com/articles/2024-eat-drink-design-awards-hall-of-fame/

Why prefab? | Stuart Vokes and Dan Burnett

In the first episode of the Design Speaks Weekly podcast, architects Stuart Vokes of Vokes and Peters and Dan Burnett of Blok Modular discuss their collaborative journey in modular design and prefabrication.
This construction method has myriad advantages, including material and cost control, reduced construction time and high adaptability. It also has the potential to create solutions for two of the greatest contemporary challenges: the housing crisis and the climate crisis.
Stuart and Dan unpack these opportunities and reflect on the lessons learned from their collaborative modular design projects, such as Blok Three Sisters, which was named Australian House of the Year at the 2025 Houses Awards.
Further reading:
Project review: Blok Three Sisters by Blok Modular with Vokes and Petershttps://architectureau.com/articles/blok-three-sisters-by-blok-modular-with-vokes-and-peters/
2025 Houses Awards: Australian House of the Yearhttps://architectureau.com/articles/2025-Houses-Awards-Australian-House-of-the-Year/
Project review: Blok Belongil by Blok Modular with Vokes and Petershttps://architectureau.com/articles/blok-belongil-by-blok-modular-with-vokes-and-peters/
Project review: Blok Stafford Heights by Blok Modular and Vokes and Petershttps://architectureau.com/articles/blok-stafford-heights-by-blok-modular-and-vokes-and-peters/