Populous senior principal, Paul Henry, has received the coveted Australian Export Heroes Award from the Governor-General Quentin Bryce at Government House in Canberra.
He is only the third Australian architect to have been given the award.
A small number of Export Heroes are named each year by the Australian Institute of Export, recognising them as champions of Australia’s export community and rewarding them for their outstanding long term dedication and commitment to building Australia’s export and international relationships.
Henry is a strong advocate of building government-to-government relationships to help win business for Australian firms overseas, working closely with both Austrade and Trade Queensland.
"The critical element is delivering excellence in the design and delivery of buildings which are sustainable in the long term and widely used by their local communities," he says.
"Stadia and major events showcase cities to the world, providing images that are beamed to billions of people. Designing the stadium or arena or the main event is critical, but equally important is considering the building’s legacy. This is about working with a Client and all stakeholders to produce buildings that are cherished by their local community and used all year round.
"We use exactly the same design principles in our work in Australia, whether it’s advising for a World Cup bid, or the redevelopment of the Gold Coast stadium at Carrara, or the new Queensland Tennis Centre."
Another Populous stadium designed in the Australian office, the main stadium for the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea, has just been awarded an international architecture design award from The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. It was the only stadium to be recognised amongst projects from 38 nations.
