HDR’s appointment of Conor Larkins (right) and Zig Peshos (left) to Principal roles in both the Health and Major Projects sector indicates the practice’s plan to “supercharge” its output in social infrastructure throughout Australia.
Conor Larkins, formerly at BVN, will lead HDR’s health team in delivering human-centred precincts across Australia. The new Principal’s expertise lies in precinct master planning, complex acute services buildings and medical research facilities, involved in the completion of the Lang Walker AO Medical Research Building for Western Sydney University, Nepean Hospital Redevelopment Stage 2, Royal North Shore Hospital and Northside Hospital in Canberra.
Larkins’ new role will involve overseeing the design outcomes of future hospital projects, engaging with stakeholders and providing design and technical leadership. She says he looks forward to utilising the global reach of HDR to the Australian public’s advantage.
“With HDR as the No.1 healthcare design practice in the United States, I'm looking forward to leveraging the company’s global impact to expand our local footprint and deliver community-driven healthcare infrastructure across Australia’s eastern seaboard and beyond,” she says.
“We know that good design has a pivotal role to play in improving community wellbeing. By co-designing equitable and regenerative hospitals with deeper connections to both place and the local community, we can elevate healthcare outcomes for future generations.”
Zig Peshos’ three decades in design has seen the new Principal involved in the delivery of a number of major projects in a myriad of sectors, namely Atlassian Headquarters, Central Station Metro, the new Sydney Fish Market, Greenland Tower, Wynyard Walk, Two Melbourne Quarter, and Brisbane Square.
HDR cites Peshos’ project team management, change management, design development, documentation and delivery to embed innovative structures and systems as second to none. He says he looks forward to overseeing the major projects pipeline of one of the world’s foremost practices.
“Today, we have an opportunity to deliver major projects with varying procurement methods, which embody unique sustainability agendas and solve complex problems in even more innovative and integrated ways,” he says.
“By empowering our project teams and ensuring our solutions are underpinned by creative and technical excellence, we can deliver on big projects and programs that meet our clients’ diverse needs.”
HDR Regional Managing Principal, Cate Cowlishaw, says she is delighted to welcome both Larkins and Peshos to the practice’s burgeoning leadership outfit.
“We welcome the addition of Conor and Zig to HDR’s senior leadership team,” she says.
“With their collective experience, we can further innovate across disciplines and design solutions that positively impact the communities we serve.”
