Bates Smart

We’re delighted to recognise the Bates Smart individuals who have celebrated their 20- and 10-year anniversaries with us in 2025! Thank you for being part of our citymaking team, for contributing to the growth of our studio and the work that we do. Celebrating their 20-year anniversaries are Grant Filipoff, Claudia Fleuter, BRIAN MASON, Nikolay Pechovski and Bobby Wei. Celebrating their 10-year anniversaries are Lauren Burns, John Culshaw, Namrata Durgai, Michelle Foo, Justin Gallagher, Frank K Lau, Jefferson Protomartir, Imogen Ratcliffe and Winston Wu. Congratulations!

2025 Victorian Honours Student Ideas Prize Winner Congratulations Mandisa Sarker "Weaving Heritage by Mandisa Sarker is a bold and visionary exploration of how housing can become a generator of social and cultural life, rather than merely a container for dwellings. The project addresses the pressing challenges of housing density and gentrification with imagination and a deep sensitivity to the cultural fabric of Footscray” – Johan Hermijanto, Studio Director, Bates Smart ArchitectureAu

Congratulations to Nico Andiko, who received the Excellence Award for Bachelor of Design, Architecture at this year’s Swinburne University of Technology GradX awards night. Bates Smart are proud sponsors of the awards.

The next wave of office buildings is nearing completion in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra, delivering flexible, efficient workplaces with advanced technology, hospitality-driven amenities and sustainability-led design that elevates employee wellbeing.

42 Honeysuckle Drive has been shortlisted in the 2026 Regional Architecture Awards, recognised by the Australian Institute of Architects NSW in the Commercial Architecture category! The project combines a Little National Hotel with a commercial office building constructed in CLT, helping to activate Newcastle’s waterfront precinct. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gQHwgfWm Photography by Felix Mooneeram Build by Built.

Our portfolio is diversifying, with even more large-scale, complex projects underway. We’re recruiting architects, projects leads, technicians and grads who understand the scale and impact of infrastructure and major project delivery. To apply, visit the careers link: https://lnkd.in/gV-bdHBt

We’re excited to close out the year with two more Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) events next week. In Brisbane, we’re showcasing our high-density, mixed-use project Melbourne + Manning, alongside Ingrid Richards (Richards & Spence), in the ‘From the Ground Up’ series. In Sydney, we’ll be presenting our OSD projects at Pitt Street South and Victoria Cross Metro Stations, as part of the ‘Design Excellence’ series focused on Sydney Metro City Overstation Developments. We’re looking forward to hearing from Mathieu le Sueur in Brisbane and Philip Vivian + Matilda Leake in Sydney.   Register for South Brisbane's Tallest Addition event, Tuesday 25 November: https://lnkd.in/geSgzPwE Register for the Sydney Metro City OSD event, Wednesday 26 November: https://lnkd.in/ggXgwPju Pictured: Melbourne + Manning, South Brisbane; Victoria Cross OSD, North Sydney; Indi Sydney/Pitt Street South OSD, Sydney.   #CTBUH #citymaking #designexcellence #transformativethinking

This year, Bates Smart continued to invest in the growth of emerging and established leaders across our studios. Our new Associates took part in a bespoke Leadership Program that recognises leadership is about more than technical skill — it’s also about connection, collaboration and emotional intelligence.   Thank you to Anita Tesoriero, Mindspire Consulting, who tailored the program to support our team to build confidence, strengthen relationships and recognise their own leadership potential.

Prefecture 48 received the Silver Award for Hospitality Interiors – Restaurants & Cafés at the World Architecture News | World Interiors News awards. The Japanese-inspired dining precinct features layers six food and beverage venues, each offering a unique culinary narrative. Judges praised the “beautiful balance between historic building and Japanese aesthetic”, the judicious restraint of the insertions, and the courtyard's anchoring role. We are truly honoured and thank our clients and collaborators for bringing this project to life! Explore the project here: https://lnkd.in/ggmq8RQv Azabu Group Buildcorp NBRS Studio Ongarato Photography by Smart Anson

We are honoured to welcome a new Director and two Studio Directors to our leadership team. These appointments strengthen Bates Smart’s expertise across architecture and urban design, and will help guide our next chapter of citymaking design. Widely respected in the industry, these leaders bring the talent and insight to support our commitment to creating some of Australia’s most enduring buildings and places. Matt Davis, Director | Matt is a highly regarded expert in architecture, urban design and planning, with experience across private practice, academia and government. A trusted advisor and strategic thinker, he has played an influential role in shaping urban policy and delivering complex projects nationwide. Since re-joining Bates Smart in 2019, Matt has brought clarity and direction to projects at every scale, connecting strategy with design to achieve meaningful outcomes for clients and communities. Matt is committed to fostering an inclusive studio culture and leads Bates Smart’s Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan. Jill Woodley, Studio Director | Jill brings over 20 years of experience delivering city-shaping architecture across residential, commercial and civic projects. Collaborative and people-focused, she excels at leading teams and building strong relationships with clients and consultants to achieve the best outcomes. Since joining Bates Smart in 2021, Jill has strengthened our design culture and helped shape architecture that connects meaningfully with communities. Naigel Carusi, Studio Director | Naigel is a dedicated architect and generous leader who inspires his teams through design excellence. Originally from Italy, he brings valuable international perspective, technical rigour and a strong commitment to design integrity. At Bates Smart he has helped elevate some of our most complex and award-winning work. Highly regarded for his collaboration and mentorship, Naigel fosters a culture of innovation that strengthens our work across Sydney. See the news here: https://lnkd.in/g4Cr_fMs #BatesSmartLeadership #batessmart #leadershipteam #citymaking