Speakers

Rob studied architecture in Perth and upon graduating, jumped straight into the deep end, designing large scale projects in Singapore. Here he became familiar with designing specifically for a humid tropical climate, understanding the importance of building placement, materials to enable longevity in a moist environment and devices to maximise cross ventilation and hence comfort. 

Following his Far East adventure, Rob worked alongside Darko Hizar in Sydney in the years leading up to the Olympics, whereupon he became a registered architect.
In the subsequent years, Rob traversed the world, working in firms on micro to macro-scale projects, before setting up his own practice now based in East Fremantle. He also became a registered builder, enabling him to provide a complete design and construct service on select projects.

In London, Rob worked on highly refined urban projects, influenced by rigorous theory, with one of the key directors also having studied sociology and psychology. Buildings and places were designed to allow adaptation, with an emphasis on reimagining existing urban stock for new uses.
His residential work has included the design of a prefabricated Passivhaus residence in the Italian alps, shaped to fit the steep contours of the land. Additions to a tiny heritage house in Elsternwick, Melbourne enabled a family of four to live comfortably on a small lot, both thermally and with clever planning on the tight site. 
There have been numerous residential and fit-out projects in Perth, with the central idea always starting from a site analysis to respect the neighbourhood and maximise environmental performance. His experience working in Japan led to the extreme efficiency of a dual-key residence on 107 square metres of land at a beach near Fremantle, that connected to the environment with a winter garden and roof deck on the fourth level. 

In more recent years, Rob tutored architecture students, focussing on exploring ideas of how to design and build sustainability in the contemporary world. Students were given the task of designing a micro house, considering the context and appropriate technologies such as the incorporation of Passivhaus principles. He also received a Master of Teaching that led to him consulting for schools throughout Western Australia, with an emphasis on providing fit-for-purpose designs for a variety of climates and that were cost effective and sustainable.
He is currently working hands-on with alterations and additions to existing houses in both the city and country, utilising Passivhaus principles and developing a crafts-based approach including recycled timbers.