Studio Shand won the Emerging Designer of the Year award, sponsored by ForestOne, at the 2024 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA).

With an integrated approach to design, realised through essential materials, geometries and tectonics, Studio Shand has worked on projects ranging from single residential and commercial projects to object design for private clients and retail, as well as sculpture for public display. 

IDEA jury member Graham Charbonneau called the studio’s work “deeply connected to the art of creation”.

Australian Design Review (ADR) spoke with Studio Shand director and architect Benjamin Jay Shand about the studio’s win and the challenges that led to its success.

ADR: What did it mean for you to win your category? 

Benjamin Jay Shand: A lot! Being awarded Emerging Designer of the Year means that our work at Studio Shand has reached a pinnacle and has been recognised by peers and an industry we feel very fortunate to be a part of.

ADR: Tell us a bit about your studio and who is on your team.

BJS: Our studio operates as a multidisciplinary design practice, where our residential and commercial architectural projects are interspersed with the design of objects and sculpture. This sailing across scales and mediums keeps things fresh and keeps us alert with respect to materials and detailing. Geran Atkinson, our head of interiors, has been with me since the beginning and is integral to everything we do. We have been lucky to have had other skilful designers work with us over the years.

ADR: What have been some of the challenges of establishing your studio over the past five years?

BJS: Retaining our studio’s mission statement – the making of ‘architecture, object and art’ – has been rewarding and challenging since the beginning. Certain project types naturally work better or are more viable than others. It would have been easy to narrow our focus and have our studio operate more conventionally as an architecture and interiors firm. We’re happy to have not let this go as we believe our varied work and broad design thinking are key to what we do.

ADR: How would you describe 2024 for your and/or your studio?

BJS: 2024 was a whirlwind. We opened our new studio at Buon Gusto in Darington, completed large commercial and residential interiors projects, commenced a couple of food and beverage projects and started on-site our largest architectural project to date. We also received broad editorial coverage of our work and recognition from bodies such as IDEA, making this our best year yet.

ADR: What advice do you have for other young design studios?

BJS: Figure out what it is you love about design and build a world of work around it. I find that going into the workshop to physically create with my hands helps.

ADR: What’s next for you? Can you share any upcoming or current projects you’re working on?

BJS: We’re on site in Surry Hills working on a residential project with a great team, which has a level of complexity and scale that we haven’t undertaken before. We’ll also be heading to site in January on new restaurant and multi-residential projects. In between we’re launching a new rug collection and exhibiting new sculptures.

IDEA 2024 is proudly brought to you by our sponsors Miele, Cult, Crafted Hardwoods, Neolith, Halliday + Baillie, Krost, MillerKnoll, Laufen, ForestOne, Zenith, Designer Rugs, and supported by our event partners Axolotl, Four Pillars Gin, Moo Brew Beer and Artfull.

A special thank you to our jury chair Clare Cousins, and our jury members Brooke Lloyd, Davina Bester, Graham Charbonneau, Melissa Bright, Michael Alvisse and Manuela Millan.