The inaugural Circle Session, hosted by The Advisory Studio as part of Australian Design Review (ADR)’s 30UNDER30 program, brought together leaders from the program’s practice partner firms for a candid and forward-focused discussion.

Held in a confidential, collegial format, Circle Sessions are designed as a new kind of forum where senior voices from across architecture and interior design practices can come together to reflect, share and challenge one another on the forces shaping the business of architecture and design. 

Session one – ‘Clients and converting new work’

Circle session one, held at the Cera Stribley studio in Melbourne after work on Wednesday 2 April, kicked off the series on an essential note. Centred around ‘Clients and converting new work’, the session covered changing client priorities, tactics for converting new and better work, adapting to evolving procurement practices and being proactive about better conditions.

It delved into the value of fostering deeper, long-term client relationships and understanding at a time when tech and shortened attention spans might be working against this.

If one theme unified the discussion, it was change: its inevitability, complexity and the critical need to adapt to it. 

From the evolving definition of what it means to be an architect to the mounting pressure to articulate value in a hyper-competitive, increasingly fast-paced and tech-driven landscape, the conversation quickly cut to the heart of what many firms are facing. An underlying drive to please – to do good work, deliver for clients and make a positive impact – can sometimes work against architects’ own interests as a profession.

The power of collective insight

This tension between service and sustainability, responsiveness and resilience, was echoed throughout the session. In a time when AI, globalised access to expertise and shifting client expectations are rewriting the rules of engagement, how can practices continue to assert their unique value?

One compelling insight drew comparison with the accounting profession, which has long been adept at communicating its role to business. For architects, the challenge lies not just in delivering excellent work, but in collectively conveying their value to clients.

A session of solutions

Looking ahead, the session surfaced a number of key imperatives to help the industry better understand clients and win work:

1. Remember the ability to pick up the phone and call clients. Talk to them about their world, and build a relationship of trust and shared interests.
2. Try to have a more integrated conversation and approach, rather than always fitting architecture services into an uncomfortable system.
3. Put your hands up for how the process should work and give stronger advice to clients about how to get the best outcomes. 
4. Have a better public profile that helps share insight and respect for what architects do, advocating for the value of design.

The first Circle Session proved that when leaders step away from the daily demands of practice and into a shared space of reflection, the broader issues become clearer and the pressures more manageable.

Running quarterly, future sessions on offer to the 2024/2025 practice partners will explore the value of design in a complex market, design talent and leadership and contemporary working in design firms.

Become a practice partner and join future Circle Sessions

For firms considering joining ADR’s 30UNDER30 program as a practice partner, Circle Sessions offer more than a seat at the table; they provide a chance to shape the future of the profession in collaboration with other informed and aspirational industry leaders, such as the principals of our 30UNDER30 practice partner firms.

Learn more about ADR’s 30UNDER30 program here or contact Jillian Hood jillian.hood@niche.com.au about becoming a practice partner of the 2025/2026 program.

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