Now in its third year, Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 program has established itself as the leading mentorship and career development program in the architecture and design industry. The unique program brings together game-changers, industry leaders, practice founders, product manufacturers, suppliers and sponsors to celebrate and empower the young interior and product designers of the future.

Second-time 30UNDER30 shortlist judge Brian Clohessy knows a thing or two about not judging a book by its cover as BVN’s head of people and character. He is constantly delighted by where designers find motivation for creation.

With expertise in learning and development, talent management, recruitment and people retention, Clohessy is determined to sustain BVN’s momentum as a practice that prides itself on having a culture grounded in compassion and concern for employee wellbeing, alongside pursuing work that has a positive impact on communities.

In speaking to potential 30UNDER30 entrants, Clohessy advocates for finding mentors far and wide, embracing unexpected opportunities that test capabilities and perceptions, in addition to abandoning the mentality that success and prosperity come from racing to the finish line.

Australian Design Review recently sat down with Clohessy to discuss his excitement towards engaging with the new cohort and how he is inspired by the successive generation of designers who wear their values on their sleeves.

Australian Design Review: You offered your time as a shortlist judge to Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 Architects and Innovators of the Built World program in 2023/2024. What motivated you to do it all again?

Brian Clohessy: I found it very rewarding to get a sense of the range of diverse talent in the industry and the variety of interests and values early-career architects and designers apply to their work. It’s fascinating to get a glimpse of the motivations of people and how it varies dramatically between people. It reminds me to never assume anything about people and to remain curious when discovering what energises them and what they need to do their best work.

Was there anything like 30UNDER30 when you were just starting out in your field?

There wasn’t, and there were not many prompts to get you thinking about your career or values, as it was all about jumping in and getting on with it. Practices were not clear on their values, so it was harder to find a practice which was aligned with your values.

Were there any other early-career opportunities that were a turning point for you?

Early in my career, after working on a number of projects that never made it past the DA and construction documentation stage, I recall being desperate to get experience from concept to delivery.

It was proving difficult to find a project to satisfy this aspiration until I was asked to work on a workplace interiors project, which I hadn’t envisaged on my career path. It turned out to be one of the best growth opportunities for me – a super quick timeframe from concept to completion that allowed me to stretch myself in all aspects of my competencies. My key takeaway was to be open to all opportunities, even if they are not what you had planned.

What is the best advice you have received in your career?

Early on, when rushing to get experience and become registered and involved in a project from start to finish, you can’t help but compare your progress to that of your fellow graduates. A boss told me it’s not a race and to take the pressure off myself so I can enjoy the journey. Looking back on it now, it was spot on even if it was hard to do at the time.

How important is it for designers to build a community of industry peers and mentors?

It’s really important to have a network within the community so you can hear about diverse experiences, challenge your perceptions and lean on supportive peer networks. You can never have enough mentors. While most larger practices have formal mentoring programs – which is important to take advantage of – you also need to find mentors outside of your company and beyond the industry. They will provide a unique perspective and allow you to develop a broad range of people to bounce ideas off and seek counsel.

What do you notice about young designers you have worked with that makes them different from generations before?

My observations are that they are much more values-driven, deeply invested in protecting the planet and generally want to make a difference within their community and beyond. My sense is that in previous generations, it was more the minority who demonstrated those characteristics rather than that being the majority now.

What will you be looking for when you are judging the entries into this stream?

I’m keen to see how the applicants harness technology and embed sustainable outcomes in their work, alongside designing with Country and being conscious of how their work benefits communities. In essence, I want to see a multi-layered approach to architecture with a clear understanding of the value the profession can bring to communities.

Lead Image: Brian Clohessy by Jessica Lindsay.

Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 Interior and Product Designers stream is brought to you by major sponsor Neolith, alongside gold partners Interface, Miele and Tongue & Groove. The program is supported by practice partners Arent&Pyke, BVN, Billard Leece Partnership, Cera Stribley, COX Architecture, Hassell, HDR, Richards Stanisich, Rothelowman, GroupGSA, SJB and Williams Burton Leopardi.

Check out the program here!