Hassell has announced a number of hires and project wins for its health sector across their Australian operations, from Principals and Senior Associates to Associates and Senior Designers.

The practice has strengthened its health capabilities in the wake of the last 12 months, after successfully bidding and winning a number of healthcare projects. The winning of the projects strengthens Hassel’s reputation as a force in the sector, and furthers its capability to deliver creative design and strategic intelligence.

Hassell has appointed Catherine Loker as Principal in the Sydney studio. An Architect with over 20 years’ experience in large, complex projects for both public and private clients, Catherine brings with her an impressive depth of health industry knowledge. In her previous role as Director at HDR in Sydney, Loker had a strong focus on stakeholder consultation, clinical and interior design within integrated health settings.

The practice recently completed the 15-storey new wing and revitalised ward for Sydney’s historic St Vincent’s Private Hospital, with two stages of redevelopment resulting in a five year design and construction program. Hassell has looked to strengthen its health capabilities in the harbour city, announcing Rashi Prashar as Senior Associate. Prashar has acted as Senior Clinical Lead across projects like the Westmead Precinct Hospital Redevelopment and the Dunedin Hospital – the largest health project in New Zealand to date.

Heading west, the senior leadership team of Jeff Menkens and Morag Lee have won the commission to deliver the Business Case for a major women’s and newborn services relocation hospital project in Perth. The news comes as Romina Triboli Pisi makes a return to Hassell in an Associate position. With a career that has spanned across Argentina, Chile and Australia, Romina has been delivering bespoke healthcare spaces for over 10 years. Alexandra Smith, from Bryden Wood in London, will be working alongside Romina in the Perth studio. Smith led the Biological Sciences’ Project at the University of NSW as well as working on Lismore Base Hospital, the University of Canberra Public Hospital, Wagga Wagga Mental Health Unit, and Maitland Hospital.

Three new leaders in Health have joined the Melbourne team, working closely with the Hassell Health Sector Leader Leanne Guy to support the recent significant project wins in the studio. Allison Hopper, Senior Associate, moves from Thomson Adsett, where she delivered the Lyndoch Living Medical Centre in Warrnambool and the Kwong Wah Hospital in Hong Kong. 

The Melbourne studio has also welcomed Megan Hendy as Associate. Hendy’s previous role as Project Architect and Health Planner at DesignInc Melbourne saw her working across a number of complex and technical clinical settings and health-specific environments, like designing spaces for medical imaging and operating theatres, and most recently the award winning Gandel Wing at Cabrini Malvern.

Kaye Santos also joined the Melbourne team as Senior Designer. Kaye helped deliver the Northern Beaches Hospital in NSW with BVN and has extensive experience in detailed departmental clinical planning and user group consultation.

Some of Hassell’s most significant healthcare work has recently come out of Queensland, with the team currently lead designers for Herston Quarter’s precinct master plan. Hassell’s Queensland team are also working on other projects including the West Moreton Health Service Master Plan, the Redland and Redcliffe Hospital Expansions – both Detailed Business Cases adding significant health service capacity for the state in South East Queensland.

The team in Brisbane has been bolstered with Stephen Watson elevated to Senior Associate - recognition for his outstanding contribution to the portfolio, together with our newly appointed Associate Ben Doolan. Ben is coming from a Senior Architect role at COX Architecture where he was a core member of the health team. He has been involved in the delivery of many health and research facilities and more recently has completed a number of NDIS Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) projects.