As one of Australia’s most celebrated architects, former AIA president Bob Nation AM has now joined integrated design practice GHDWoodhead as its National Design Director.
An award-winning architect with more than 40-years’ experience in all facets of architecture both nationally and internationally, Nation’s projects include the Victoria Park residential complex in Sydney, the 701-apartment World Tower in Sydney, the award-winning Nation House and Studio in Melbourne and Boyes House in Hobart.
As the current Design Advisor to the Barangaroo Delivery Authority in Sydney, Nation was pivotal to the redevelopment of this former industrial waterfront site into a globally acclaimed precinct.
“I joined GHDWoodhead because of the opportunity to make a new mark on the culture and the design outcomes, especially on large-scale projects. The practice has achieved spectacular growth and my focus will be on further lifting its reputation for high-quality design, the nature of the business, our range of disciplines and our global reach enables GHDWoodhead to truly shape cities, and that is exciting,” he says.
According to Nation, design excellence can be elusive to describe in words, but it is evident in the way “buildings manifest themselves and define the broader urban environment.
“Good design,” he says, “enriches the public domain, gives people joy, and is environmentally responsible.”
“I have always been motivated by how architecture and urban design can enrich people’s lives.”
“My experience has grown from single houses in Hobart, to high-rise projects in Hong Kong and new cities in Asia."
"An exposure to a broad range of projects types has enabled me to develop a considered position that focuses on the urban consequences of a building: how it affects the broader public domain,” he says.
Nations says that, “GHDWoodhead is distinctive in Australia for its practice, which combines architecture and other design disciplines with the broader skillset of GHD in the pursuit of design excellence.”
“I think it’s fundamental to grow our skill base in architecture to take advantage of the breadth of project opportunities.”
“Being able to provide high-quality architectural design, supported by teams from other disciplines, is a unique offering for clients in the Australian environment,” he says.
