BURO HAPPOLD (2020- Ongoing)
Role: Associate (Design Management)
Responsibilities: Leadership within the design management (PDM) group (11 staff across Europe). Project support via Design Management (design process, communication strategies and facilitation, design coordination, briefs/scopes, change management) and Project Management (commercial/contractual, quality, financial). Primarily working on multi-disciplinary engineering teams for major projects, specialising in Architect/Engineer joint ventures.
Typical Day: 6am exercise/breakfast - 8.30am focused time to read/learn - 9am log on, catchup on messages - 9.30am team meeting - 10am line management 1on1 call - 10.30am review project timeline/actions/minutes - 11.15am video coffee with colleague - 11.30am facilitate design jour fixe - 1pm lunch and walk - 1.30pm impromptu call with architects office - 1:45pm check contract for scope creep - 2.15pm review incoming project invoices - 2.30pm emails/teams chats etc - 3pm engineering coordination session - 4pm follow up design team actions - 4.15pm resourcing strategy call - 5pm look at viability of new management software for rollout - 5.30pm focus time.
Highlights:
Museum Complex, Saudi Arabia
Group leadership
What I am learning: Distributed working, cross cultural communication and leadership, design management experience on major (vast) international projects.
TSA MANAGEMENT (2018 - 2019)
Role: Design Management
Responsibilities: Client representative in design forums, leading the design management: Creating the project brief, engaging consultants, preparing and maintaining the design programme, design coordination processes and facilitation.
Typical day: 6am run/swim /breakfast - 8am focused work in the office - 10am facilitate design team meeting at architects office - 11am sit with designers to get updates / identify issues - 1pm lunch - 2pm presentation/interview with prospective contractor - calls - 4pm catch-up with project team in the office - 6pm business catch-up with a consultant/contractor after work.
Highlights:
Santa Sophia College - Ambitious new K-12 school development with really progressive pedagogy. Very early contractor involvement, prefabrication, very fast timelines.
St Matthews College, Mudgee - New school on a greenfield site in rural Australia with complex stakeholder negotiation.
Leading the development of TSA's Reconciliation Action Plan, a commitment to reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
What I learnt: client side perspective on a project, , the importance of effective communication, enable don't manage.
AUSTRAIAN HIMALAYAN FOUNDATION AMBASSADOR (2018 - Ongoing)
Role: Design, fundraising and management of various pro-bono efforts to rebuild schools destroyed by the 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Responsibilities: Architectural advisor the foundation. Lead master planner or designer (depending on the project). Remote site supervision and project manager. Hosting of fundraising dinners and awards nights.
Highlights:
Nepal School Rebuild Program - Meeting Nepalese students who had classrooms to learn in (instead of plastic sheeting)
Garma Hall - Design and management of an earthquake resistant hall for the school and community which culminated in leading a group of volunteers to the site to help with construction
What I am learning: So much!
TOM SINGLETON DESIGN CONSULTING (2016 - Ongoing)
Role: Director
Responsibilities: Everything needed to run very small design practice. Supplemented by interior designers, 3D modelling/rendering and documentation on a contract basis.
Typical day: working in the evening or weekends on various projects.
Highlights:
Property assessment, design standards and layouts for various franchise businesses. (2015 - 2019)
Design for a country house in New Zealand (not built) (2014)
Design for Eco Lodge in Bhutan (under construction) (2018 - ongoing)
What I learnt: Multitasking, efficiency and the importance of being connected to site.
DAVENPORT CAMPBEL (2015 - 2018)
Role: Head of Built Environment
Responsibilities: Responsible for the architectural office. This included design, documentation, coordination, client presentations, meetings, team resourcing, hiring staff, invoicing, variations etc. Between 5-10 staff, working in 30-40 person interior design office.
Typical day: 6am surf - 8am work prep/thinking time over breakfast - 9am team resourcing meeting - 9.30am review design presentation for client presentation- 10.30am focused time on a new concept design. 12.30pm lunch with interior design team to discuss business development - 2pm Meet with client and present design progress - 3.30pm drive back to office via a construction site to check in - 4.30pm meet with finance on invoicing - 5.30pm run office bootcamp session after work - 7.30pm diner with client.
Highlights:
Creating the office wellbeing programme (DC Wellness) - Cookbooks, exercise, guest lectures and events.
Jordan Springs Community Hub - Award winning design one of the first CLT buildings in Australia
CBA Standards - Defining the development standards for Australia's largest bank
Ravenswood School Science Labs - Construction Architect
What I learnt: How be an Architect and run a business, and the importance of becoming a trusted advisor.
CONTRACTOR TO GOVT. ARCHITECTS OFFICE. (2015)
Role: Project Architect
Responsibilities: Picking up partially completed design from architects who went into liquidation whilst construction was underway. My responsibility was to complete the design to meet the clients changing needs, whist maintaining the construction budget and programme.
A typical day: 9am Meet with Ministerial offices or state departments to confirm the design - usually changes were required - confirm the design changes - 10am attend site to see what has already been build, sketch out a solution with contractors on site. 12 pm update sketches at lunch - 2pm issue drawings to engineers for coordination. 3pm project management meeting (timelines and budget). 4pm in the office for a few hours.
Highlights: The NSW Government Relocation project was completed on time and within budget despite a change of State Premier, the architects going insolvent, and the project being located above a news station with live broadcasts.
What I learnt: Working on a high security, highly sensitive project. Communicating with heads of state, ministers and senior political figures. Creating design solutions on site.
GOVERNMENT ARCHITECTS OFFICE (2010 - 2014)
Role: Graduate Architect/Project Architect
Responsibilities: Preparation of fully coordinated architectural designs and documentation for all phases through to construction documentation at 1:5 detail
A typical day: drafting, sketching, markups, drafting, drafting, drafting, drafting.
Highlights:
Cameraygal Building (award winning design of 6 story university building refurbishment)
Passive thermal performance upgrades of regional schools (design intervention with pre and post data collection)
TAFE NSW Masterplan (development strategy for university growth across 2 campuses)
Killara School Masterplan and Design Centre. Masterplanning for the removal of demountable, increase in student capacity and full design of new art and design centre.
Lucas Gardens School (new school for students with special needs)
George Bass School (new school for students with special needs)
What I learnt: How to be an architect
TEACHING ROLES (2008 - 2009)
Visual communication tutor at University of Sydney
Sustainability tutor at University of Sydney
What I learnt: How little I know
LEARNING THE ROPES (2005 - 2009)
Cox Architecture - Work Experience
Environa Studio - Design assistant: Model making, preparation of presentations, rendering of documentation
Highlights:
Jumeirah Palms: Visualisations for design proposal
E3 Passive House: Physical models and presentation boards
Micro-maisonette: Construction of 1:1 prototype
What I learnt: How to work in an office, model making is harder than it looks, patience.
EDUCATION
Batcher of Design and Masters of Architecture at the University of Sydney
Certificate IV in project Management
NCAS Level 1 Powerlifting
What I learnt: How to design, the fundamentals of project management and how to lift really heavy things.