Australian Design Review’s regular round-up of appointments, promotions and other practice news in Australian architecture and design in June 2026.

Appointments

Hassell 

Hassell has announced the appointment of Kristen Whittle as global leader of MMC, Design Director and Equity Principal at Hassell. The practice says Whittle will play a key role in advancing Hassell’s expertise in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC), helping clients unlock sustainable, efficient and customisable models of modular delivery without compromising design quality.

Based in Hassell’s Melbourne studio, Whittle will also support the practice’s continued leadership in complex, large-scale projects globally, with a focus on health, residential and mixed-use environments.

Whittle says the opportunity to join Hassell comes at a defining moment for the industry: “Architects have a critical role to play in solving some of the most urgent challenges facing cities and communities globally. With a strong background in place-based health design and mixed-use urban regeneration our intention is to increase housing supply through intelligent systems design.

“Hassell has the international scale, ambition and collaborative culture to lead that change. I’m excited to work with teams across the practice to create places that are not only beautifully designed, but smarter, more adaptable and more impactful.”

John McAslan + Partners

Following the move of the practice’s Sydney studio to a bigger space in the same building in Buckingham Street, Surry Hills, it has announced two promotions and one new appointment. Ryan Wazir has been elevated to Associate Director. Martin Fox joins the practice as a Senior Associate, while James Coakley has been promoted to Associate.

• Ryan Wazir is an architect working across major public, cultural and community projects. He has  design expertise in urban renewal, adaptive reuse and heritage and contributes to the profession through research, teaching and juries. A Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship recipient, he authored Re-Imagining Mosques: The Intersection of Inclusive Architecture and Urban Design and was a 2026 Summer Fellow in Architecture at the State Library of NSW.
• Martin Fox is an experienced architect with specialist expertise in the transport and commercial sectors. He has worked in several renowned firms in Australia and the UK on projects including Barangaroo Towers, London’s BBC Headquarters, build-to-rent developments and several projects for Sydney Metro. He is currently on the Sydney Metro West team.
• James Coakley joined John McAslan + Partners in 2023. He is an architect with significant experience on complex, large-scale residential, mixed-use, civic and masterplanning projects. Coakley is currently delivering several major projects within King Salman Park, Riyadh and is working on education and transport projects in Sydney.

Matthews Architects

The North Adelaide-based practice has announced the appointment of five new team members across a variety of design roles. Jacques van Tonder is a senior designer and project leader, while the other four are all graduates of architecture.

• Jacques van Tonder joins the firm from South Africa, where he spent more than 20 years working as a registered architect across large-scale commercial projects at one of the country’s largest architectural practices. In that time he held a principal role and managed the firm’s Johannesburg studio. His project experience has involved retail, hospitality, transport infrastructure and civic buildings, with a particular experience in large-format retail.

• Ping Ern Gan completed her five-year architectural studies across two countries, gaining her bachelor degree in Malaysia before arriving in Adelaide to complete her Masters. Matthews Architects is her first professional role in Australia and she has a keen interest in projects that serve communities, with a particular focus on schools and commercial spaces.

• Daniela Zapater, originally from Colombia, brings more than five years of professional experience in residential architecture, having worked for a construction firm delivering luxury housing projects before relocating to Australia in 2022. During her studies, she also completed a semester at the University of Granada in Spain, broadening her design education. She is currently completing a Diploma in Civil Construction Design.

• Jordan Bower completed a five-year architecture degree, graduating with a Masters in 2025, and joined Matthews Architects as her first role in the profession. She is keen to explore all elements of architecture as well as building skills and processes with clients. She has an interest in healthcare and education but is approaching her early career with an open mindset.

• Bruce Sun has a Masters degree in architecture from the University of Adelaide in 2022 and has since worked across healthcare, residential and commercial projects. Most recently he spent a year working in Queensland on large-scale commercial projects before returning to Adelaide earlier this year. He has a strong interest in heritage architecture, and likes the challenge of communicating complex architectural ideas to clients.

LOOP

The commercial furniture brand, LOOP Solutions, has announced the addition of Jazmin Barker to the team as sales manager. Joining LOOP from Zenith, where she was a member of the business development team, Barker brings decades of experience in the commercial interiors industry, with a particular focus on workplace and education environments. She is known for a long-standing commitment to sustainable design.

In her new role, Barker will lead LOOP’s sales function, bringing a creative yet commercial perspective to the studio’s operations. “What drew me to LOOP wasn’t just the ‘circularity simplified’ ethos,” says Barker. “It was the people behind it. Having the opportunity to contribute my experience to building a business grounded in integrity, innovation and sustainability feels incredibly aligned with where I want to be. It also helps that I’ll be working alongside – and continuing to learn from – two of the industry’s best, and dear friends [LOOP founder] Peter Appel and [general manager] Michael Bond.”

Studio news

ARM 

The practice has opened a new Adelaide studio in Pirie Street, marking a convergence of milestones: a new home in the heart of the city, 10 years of ARM’s presence in Adelaide, 40 years of ARM nationally and 25 years since its first South Australian project, the Marion Cultural Centre, was completed.

The new studio was opened by South Australian Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Planning and Housing Infrastructure, Nick Champion, who singled out ARM’s contribution to the Adelaide Railway Station precinct, where the removal of the former concourse has helped reveal the station’s historic civic presence and improve one of the city’s most important arrival sequences.

Blaklash and Willie Weston

Willie Weston and Blaklash have announced a new co-ownership model, bringing First Nations leadership into the Australian commercial textile brand. Amanda Hayman and Troy Casey of First Nations design studio Blaklash will join co-founders Jessica Booth and Laetitia Prunetti as co-owners of Willie Weston, uniting two leading design businesses to scale opportunities for First Nations artists across Australia.

Established in Naarm (Melbourne) in 2015, Willie Weston works exclusively with First Nations artists to create textiles, wall coverings and other products for commercial interiors.

Over the past decade, Booth and Prunetti have built ongoing, scalable income streams for artists across Australia, sourcing sophisticated and diverse artworks and translating them onto high-performance commercial substrates. Prunetti says formally embedding First Nations leadership into the brand was the natural next step.

Blaklash is a 100 percent First Nations-owned and operated multidisciplinary design consultancy working across architecture, place, public art and strategy. As First Nations designers, curators and placemakers, the team uses design as a vehicle for cultural, social and economic change, partnering with Traditional Custodians, communities and project teams to deliver Country-centred outcomes.

Sarah Ellison

The designer has announced her departure from Ellison Studios in order to focus on a new eponymous design studio, SARAH ELLISON, which will be based in Byron Bay. Through the new company, the designer will release her own pieces as well as collaborate with some of the world’s leading brands across furniture, textiles, lighting, tiles, tapware and accessories, lending creative direction to limited-edition collections and design partnerships. A first textile collaboration is underway, alongside other projects with Australian and international partners. 

Sydney studio H&E Architects has announced that it has been appointed by Capital Corporation to design the 1200-square metre clubhouse at Lovedale Farm in the Hunter Valley. Led by Principal Christopher Grinham, the design draws on the site’s heritage as a former dairy farm, with low, horizontal lines that settle into the surrounding landscape and a floating roof form designed to complement the 18th hole of the championship course.

Davidov Architects

Founder and director Robert Davidov has revealed another string to his bow, launching an exhibition to showcase his art practice. Small Acts of Permanence, presented by Oigåll Projects, brings together a new series of sculptural ceramics shaped by material negotiation in a way that explores form, weight, aperture and composition. The exhibition runs from 2 July to 19 July at the independent gallery, which is located at 122 Gertrude Street in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy.

Design award and commission opportunities

Powerhouse

Applications are now open for three Powerhouse design commissions and awards: the Holdmark Innovation Award, the Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator, and the Powerhouse and David Jones Australian Design Commission. 

The Carl Nielsen Design Accelerator offers an industrial designer up to 10 years post-graduation $25,000 and a tailor-made program to advance a product prototype that demonstrates excellence in sustainable design. 

The Powerhouse and David  Jones Australian Design Commission will award an Australian designer $50,000 and the opportunity to design a houseware prototype for David Jones. The successful designer will receive support from both institutions – including access to Powerhouse’s collection and workshop, and mentorship and retail support from David Jones.

The Holdmark Innovation Award is presented to one outstanding Australian-designed project completed between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025 that provides solutions to challenges in Australia’s urban landscape. The winner will receive a $15,000 cash prize, supported by the Holdmark Property Group. 

Winners

RIBA Australian winners

Four Australian projects have been announced as winners at the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Awards for Excellence 2026. Australia was one of only a handful of countries to secure multiple winning projects. In 34 projects from across the world, the Australian winners span housing, education, hospitality and community architecture:

• Burnt Earth Beach House by Wardle (Anglesea, Victoria): transforms the site of a former beach shack into a multi-generational family home, using handmade terracotta to respond to the demands of its exposed coastal setting.
• Church of the Living God by Angelo Candalepas and Associates (Hurstville, NSW): a civic and spiritual hub combining worship, community outreach and residential accommodation within a multicultural neighbourhood.
• Darlington Public School by fjcstudio (Sydney, NSW): a transformative learning environment that connects education with local history and Aboriginal culture.
• The Porter House Hotel by Angelo Candalepas and Associates (Sydney, NSW): converts a heritage-listed 1879 tobacco factory into a contemporary mixed-use destination, balancing historic preservation with new development in the heart of Sydney.

All four Australian projects are now in contention for the RIBA International Prize, with the winner to be announced at the RIBA Stirling Prize ceremony on 15 October 2026 at Old Billingsgate, London.

Annette Blair

The Canberra-based artist has won the 2026 FUSE Glass Prize, announced by Canberra Glassworks and JamFactory, South Australia. The non-acquisitive $20,000 cash prize was awarded to Blair for her piece Remnants of time – In Idleness, 2026. Blair is an internationally renowned designer and maker based at Canberra Glassworks and her own studio in Burra, NSW. Her 2025 work Quiet Skies, commissioned by the Australian War Memorial for its new entrance, brought her significant national attention.

In the emerging category, the David Henshall Emerging Artist Prize was awarded to Adelaide-based artist Isobel Waters for her work In the Absence of a Diagnosis, 2025. A 2024 graduate of the ANU School of Art and Design and recent Honours graduate from the University of South Australia, Waters was the Canberra Glassworks 2026 Graduate in Residence.

Other news

artisan is holding a symposium at the State Library of Queensland. MADE 2026? will be held on Thursday 10 September 2026 and is being promoted as a complete state-of-the-nation for contemporary craft and design. Keynotes will be announced soon and the plenary brings together contemporary craft and design leaders including:

Travis Tiddy, co-CEO Design Tasmania (Tas), Aimee Frodsham, CEO and artistic director Canberra Glassworks (ACT), Brian Parkes, CEO JamFactory (SA) and Carmel Haugh, CEO artisan (Qld).

To have your latest appointments and studio news considered for inclusion in the monthly round-up, please email ausdesignreview@niche.com.au.