Carmelo Nastasi is a Sydney-based designer at Tzannes and sessional academic who was inspired by both his parents and the creative video platforms of his formative years. As a member of Australian Design Review‘s 30UNDER30 for 2025/2026, he tells ADR how a love of Sims was one of the pathways that led to a career in which he is designing places in the real world.

Australian Design Review: What do you think are the benefits of mingling with professionals from different disciplines – architects with interior designers with product designers etc? 

Carmelo Nastasi: Collaboration is fundamental to design professions. It is essential in creating work that is both functional and beautiful. Collaboration between architects, product designers and interior designers fosters a deeper appreciation of a project as a whole across all scales and levels of detail.

What do you think are the most pressing challenges for designers coming up to 2030?

Affordable housing, climate resilience and sustainable construction are critical priorities for our industry. We need to lead with design approaches that are flexible and responsive to climate. We must also confront the long-term unsustainability of a demolish-and-rebuild mentality and instead find thoughtful, durable solutions to complex challenges such as housing availability – delivering denser, harder-working and more affordable outcomes.

Do you remember your first encounter with design?

My interest in, and earliest encounters with, design came from my parents. My dad, a structural engineer, inspired my fascination with the world’s tallest towers, while my mum fostered my creativity through her work across ceramics, clothing and food. I also owe some credit to childhood hours spent playing video games like The Sims and SimCity, designing homes and cities. I’m sure these experiences have inspired a generation of designers.

What has been a highlight in your career so far? (for example, a project, collaboration, workplace, client, mentor, trip, award or realisation)? 

It’s hard to pick just one. Working on the Circular Quay Renewal project at Tzannes, undertaking research with the Australian Institute of Architects on flood resilience, which took me to the Netherlands and Denmark, and my recent visit to Zurich to attend a seminar on sustainable construction with the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction have all been highlights.

What guiding values drive you and what kind of impact do you hope to make through your work?  

Design that responds deeply to site and addresses sustainablity and climate resilience. 

Top image: Carmelo Nastasi at the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Constructions Emerging Changemakers Retreat, December 2025. Photo: The Holcim Foundation.