KTA

Fittingly, this edition, themed ‘Peace of mind,’ explores calming homes for a slower pace of living. Otway Beach House is a unique expression of this slower pace, situated at the edge of a national park – between sea and forest.

You can find Houses Magazine issue 167 on newsstands now.

Caleb passed his final Architectural Practice Exam earlier this month, but has been with KTA as an Architectural Graduate since 2023. It has been a pleasure watching and supporting his professional development throughout his time with us.

Congratulations, Caleb – we look forward to your continued growth with the practice and celebrating his achievement.

The jury citation noted:
“The new Eva and Marc Besen Centre is yet another exceptional addition to the Tarrawarra Museum, continuing a refined and distinctive character while also referencing the campus’s rich architectural legacy.
The complex and dynamic spatial composition expertly sculpts volume, texture, space and light with a brilliant programmatic interplay of hierarchy that amplifies existing and new architectural interventions on the site. The refined outdoor and indoor circulation serves to guide but also builds anticipation and immersion through shifting layers of translucency and texture.”

Thank you to all our collaborators who made this possible, and to the national jury for this recognition.

Link to full citation: https://architectureau.com/articles/2025-National-Award-for-Public-Architecture/

The commission of the STEM + Library building followed KTA’s successful delivery of the Northcote High School Performing Arts + VCE Centre in 2019. The completed building accommodates student services, learning spaces and breakout areas, all designed to support and enrich the school’s diverse curriculum.

Thank you to everyone who made this project possible.

She will be joined by fellow panellists Kim Singline, Founder of Inner Growth Psychology & Consulting, Adrian Doohan, Principal, DesignInc Melbourne, Richard Bryant, Director, Bryant Alsop Architects and Sam Matheson, CEO, Built Environment Channel.

Come along to join the conversation on how to build more engaged, productive, high-performing and happy practices and teams. Learn how to measure culture, the role leaders play in shaping it, and practical strategies for supporting people, business and culture.

The session will be held in South Melbourne on Thursday 30th of October from 6pm.

KTA representatives will include Lynn Chew (Associate Principal), Andy Ferguson (Associate), Hannah Wilson (Project Lead), Nathan Brandrick (Graduate of Architecture | First Nations Lead) and KTA Graduate Representatives, Darcie Vella (Graduate of Architecture) and Blake Hillebrand (Graduate of Architecture).

The session will take place on the 29th of October from 6pm.

Published and designed in Buenos Aires, the publication is split into three sections: Magazine, Practice and Theory. This Practice issue focuses on bridges – a section dedicated to works that intersect architecture and infrastructure. The Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge is featured alongside OMA’s Simone-Veil Bridge and Junya.Ishigami + Associates Zaishui Art Museum.

The commission of the STEM + Library building followed KTA’s successful delivery of the Northcote High School Performing Arts + VCE Centre in 2019. The completed building accommodates student services, learning spaces and breakout areas, all designed to support and enrich the school’s diverse curriculum.

The 2025 Victorian School Design Awards winners will be announced on 23rd October.

The Australian Housing Atlas is a body of work by Monash Urban Lab and Kerstin Thompson Architects that will document outstanding Australian multi-residential housing from the past 100 years through an online nationwide portal. This funding will help support the first 30 exemplary cases, providing an instructive guide for housing design excellence.

Thank you to Lee-Anne Khor, Maryam Gusheh, Louise Wright and Kerstin Thompson for their ongoing contributions towards this project.

We are very grateful for the funding that will allow us to continue this great work alongside our collaborators.

The Brick Award is an independent award run every two years by Wienerberger AG. Although Weinerberger AG hosts the award, nominations as well as winners are selected from projects using a wide range of brick manufacturers and brick types. Through exemplary projects and applications, the award aims to strengthen the public perception of brick as a building material.

Winners announced June 2026.

Nathan is a proud Gureng Gureng man with roughly 5 years of experience working within and leading Designing with Country processes across Architecture, and a wealth of experience working directly with First Peoples’ communities in order to celebrate and educate people about their rich and resourceful history through design. His appointment demonstrates our commitment to meaningful collaboration with First Peoples’ communities, moving beyond consultation toward authentic partnerships with Traditional Owners.

In this key role, Nathan will guide us in embedding First Peoples’ knowledges into our projects and practice, honouring the relationship between people and Country. He will help guide our design approach, stewarding our work to acknowledge and respond to the environmental, cultural, and social needs of the lands we practice on. We look forward to learning and growing alongside Nathan.

KTA Mission Statement
KTA recognises the need to embed the perspectives of First Nations peoples and cultures into our projects and thinking. We work in a space centred around improving the lives and spatial experiences of the user but lacks an emphasis on a genuine appreciation for the natural system that it exists within. Understanding this, KTA is committed to developing and enhancing our capacity in this space by incorporating Country centred processes and design strategies that work to elevate the voices of Traditional Owners and uncover the environmental, cultural, and social needs of the land. We recognise the importance of using our voice and platform to assist the evolution of decolonial frameworks within our industry that look to meaningfully celebrate the rich and resourceful history of First Peoples through the built environment.

The proposal for the German Embassy in Canberra is grounded in a strategy of valuing and retaining – honouring both the existing building and its surrounding park landscape. The Ambassador’s Residence, graciously positioned and deeply embedded in the site’s natural and diplomatic history, embodies a unique relationship between architecture and garden. Preserving it avoids unnecessary demolition, and safeguards cultural memory. Most importantly, it reduces carbon impact and embodies a contemporary approach to sustainability, guided by the principle that the most sustainable building is the one that already exists. This act of maintenance and thoughtful transformation not only alludes to a contemporary ethos of adaptive reuse – it is also a continuation of the German diplomatic mission on Australian soil, Ngambri Country.

At the same time, we propose a more visible, secure, and distinguished Chancellery. Positioned to take advantage of the site’s dual frontages, its slender north–south volume establishes a strong civic presence, while the Residence remains more discreetly placed. A generous garden buffer separates the two, reinforcing their distinct identities—official and domestic—while a covered walkway provides a secure, direct connection.

The full list of placed entries can be found here

We will be taking part in the following events:

Queen and Collins | Saturday 26 July
Join Grant Dixon, Senior Architect at KTA, and Suzanne Zahra, Associate Principal at Lovell Chen for a guided tour showcasing the transformation of the iconic Gothic Bank Complex in Melbourne’s CBD.

Readings Chadstone | Saturday 26 July
Sarah Cooper, associate at KTA and the project lead, will give a series of short talks focused on the design concepts steering the new Readings bookstore; including principles of re-use and modular flexibility to support different modes of use/display.

Abbotsford Convent | Saturday 26 July
Lynn Chew, Associate Principal at KTA, will be taking tours of the Sacred Heart building at Abbotsford Convent and following will be partaking in a panel discussion on the topic ‘ Living Heritage: Innovative Design Approaches’

Melbourne Holocaust Museum | Friday 25 July + Sunday 27 July
Anne-Claire Deville, Associate at KTA, and Hilary Sleigh, Architect on the project, will be running tours of the award-winning building to view and discuss the building’s structure.

Link to more information on the sessions, ticketing and program

Michaela has 20 years of experience in successfully delivering large-scale projects in commercial, retail, and multi-residential sectors across Australia, the Middle East, and Europe, Michaela demonstrates an admirable commitment to her work. Her design-focused approach and keen attention to detail empower her to navigate complex architectural challenges with creativity and insight. Currently overseeing one of our largest multi-residential developments, Michaela brings a wealth of experience and fresh perspectives to our leadership team.

Darcy joined us in 2018, and over the last few years has developed considerable expertise in environmental and sustainable design through his contributions to projects such as the Bundanon Art Museum & Bridge and, numerous school developments. His strong technical knowledge and passion for sustainable practice make him a natural fit to lead our ESD initiatives. In this role, Darcy will lead our internal ESD working group, support project teams with sustainability input, and help establish improved practices across all project types. His guidance will be integral in strengthening our sustainable design capabilities and meeting the evolving challenges.

We look forward to their contributions and thoughtful leadership that will inspire and mentor our team.

We thank the jury members for their consideration of our nominations. These achievements reflect the collaborative effort between our clients and project teams.
Congratulations to all the winners and everyone who contributed to these projects.

Awards media coverage
The Guardian
The Age
The Sydney Morning Herald
ArchitectureAU

Hearing from a diverse range of speakers, from Architects and Designers to Chefs and Restaurateurs, the conference is sure to host some interesting discourse surrounding contemporary architectural issues.

Kerstin will touch on the below KTA projects, listed in picture order.
Eva and Marc Besen Centre, TarraWarra
Melbourne Holocaust Museum
Bundanon Art Museum & Bridge
The Stables, VCA, University of Melbourne

Kerstin’s keynote speech will be followed by Riken Yamamoto from Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop on the evening of the 25th of June.

Link to conference speakers

“An incredibly diverse range of buildings, spaces, objects and people were submitted for the 2025 INDE.Awards. Each shortlisted entry reflects the bold, visionary and innovative nature of architecture and design in the Indo-Pacific. The work of our esteemed jury in analysing the entries, which totalled over 500, was not easy. They have collectively praised architects’ and designers’ creativity, ingenuity and commitment to quality across practice, process and final outcome.”

Winners will be announced on July 31, 2025.

Link to shortlist

Excerpt by Katelin Butler
“Even though the new Eva and Marc Besen Centre at the Tarrawarra Museum of Art (page 20) is a standalone building, it has been designed as a response to the layered history of landscape and significant architectural works on site. Kerstin Thompson Architects’ addition supports the function of the original museum building and offers a new perspective on what exists – including the retained poplar trees that line the new sculpture walk. A respect for what has come before allows for a richer and more layered architectural outcome.”

Link to article

Kerstin will be joined by Patrick Kennedy, Principal at Kennedy Nolan, and Dr James Lesh, Founding Director of Heritage Workshop in conversation with Jo Cannington, Director City Strategy at the City of Melbourne.

Thursday 5 June 6.30pm—8pm at Solidarity Hall, Trades Hall

More information and tickets available on Open House Melbourne’s website

KTA is an equal opportunities employer. We believe in a studio culture that reflects the richness and diversity of our communities. We’re committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, and we encourage First Nations people and individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Link to position description

We will take the opportunity to lay down the required policy to transform the city into self-sufficiency by 2030. Expect guided tours, fresh talks, long lush lunches by the legends at Hope St Radio with Long Prawn, all combined as an experiential exhibition to feel the future. Limited to only 50 tickets available each day, get in while you still can. We are all very excited about this unique partnership with Robin Boyd Foundation, Hope St Radio with Long Prawn, NGV Melbourne and many more.

Don’t miss out – get your tickets here

In collaboration with: Public Realm Lab, baracco+wright, Kosloff Architecture, MUIR Architecture, NMBW Architecture Studio, Esther Stewart, NH Architecture, Openwork, KTA, Josh Riesel, OCULUS, WinsorKerr, SBLA Studio, Breathe, Architect BrewKoch

Stay tuned for more information about the launch event at Melbourne Design Week 2025.

Eva and Marc Besen Centre has been shortlisted in:
_ Public Architecture
_ Interior Architecture
_ Regional Architecture

And, Otway Beach House has been shortlisted in
_Residential Architecture – Houses (New)

Thank you to the jury members for nominating the Centre and our coastal house.

Winners will be announced in June.

Link to review all winners

Excerpt
“In rural Victoria, West Coast House (1998) is an important early project, formative to Thompson’s ideals of weaving a house across its site, around trees and slopes without having to clear and flatten everything ‘just for architecture to begin’. The house responds topographically, drawing landscape in, with a concertinaed concrete block wall and cedar box that together establish ‘protected territories’ inside the building envelope.
More recent projects explore the relationship between architecture, ecology and environmental systems for flood and fire management integrated in their design, including the Bundanon Project… “

Link to magazine

Honorary Fellows being elevated this year:

_ Tatiana Bilbao, Mexico City, Mexico
_ Alison Brooks, London, England
_ Kain Bon Albert Chan, Shanghai, China
_ Jun’ya Ishigami, Tokyo, Japan
_ Hu Li, Beijing, China
_ Lyndon Uykim Neri, Shanghai, China
_ Michel Rojkind, Mexico City, Mexico
_ Masaharu Rokushika, Tokyo, Japan
_ Brinda Somaya, Mumbai, India
_ Kerstin Thompson, Melbourne, Australia

‘Each year when candidates apply to be Fellows, the jury considers how they have shown distinction in the context of their object, in relation to AIA’s values, and whether their work has had a ripple effect. The objects of nomination are essentially the award categories candidates apply under, and each object has specific criteria and requirements associated with it.’

Link to AIA announcement

Excerpt
“It’s an elegant space beneath an overpass, merging infrastructure with experience,” Thompson says.
“The landscape isn’t just a backdrop – it’s an active participant in the experience of the building interior. The transparency of the primary floor level forms an expanded ground plane linking art storage, learning areas, Sculpture Walk, Cellar Door and TarraWarra Museum of Art courtyard.” says Claire Humphreys, Associate Principal.

Link to article

The Lecture focused on the topic of architecture as social infrastructure, as well as the principles of collaborative practice. Max presented a series of recently completed as well as works in progress, illustrating the role of architecture in shaping new social and collective dynamics. Through a focus on changeability and flexibility, architecture is understood as a process rather than an object.

Also thanks to Rory Hyde, Associate Professor in Architecture, Curatorial Design and Practice, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning for facilitating.

Lecture was held on Monday 17 February, 11.30am – 12.30pm at Melbourne School of Design

Image: Study Pavilion by Max Hacke in collaboration with Gustav Düsing

‘This Lean In will showcase four of the projects recognised in the 2024 RAIA Victoria Sustainable Architecture category, including:

_ Wilam Ngarrang Retrofit by Kennedy Nolan with Finding Infinity (Commendation)
_ Preston South Primary School by Kerstin Thompson Architects (Commendation)
_ Northcote House by LLDS (Award)
_ Powerhouse Place by Public Realm Lab (The Allan and Beth Coldicutt Award for Sustainable Architecture).

Each practice will share and expand upon their jury presentation from last year, including strategies for pursuing best practice ESD in a wide range of typologies, and valuable lessons learnt.’

Lean-In Session: Thursday, January 30, 2025

Link to event details