Two new Principals join the BVN team

Difference defines the two new Principals who have just been appointed by BVN according to CEO James Grose.

“One is merging his practice with BVN, the other is emerging from the BVN milieu and together they bring the types of experiences and thinking that are suited to the purpose of architecture in these challenging and fast changing times,” said Mr Grose.

Kevin O’Brien has established a commendable reputation as an architect seeking to apply his skills across the four areas of the profession, academia, creative practice and community service.

“I was trained to understand that an idea is required in order to pursue genuine architecture. For me, ‘Finding Country’ is that idea and one that has informed my thinking and work as an architect, teacher, arts collaborator and board member,” said Mr O’Brien

Catherine Skinner has been with BVN since 2010 and has spent most of that time working in large teams on complex projects. Over the past few years she has taken a leadership position in BVN's executive architect role with 3XN for the design and delivery of one of Sydney's tallest buildings - Quay Quarter Tower, Circular Quay and the redevelopment of the Sydney Fish Market.

“A large project brings associated complexities that along with working collaboratively with a mixed team of both architects and consultants is not only challenging but highly invigorating,” said Ms Skinner who added “I cannot see working alone as being nearly as fulfilling.”

“The evolution of the Brisbane Studio will continue as Kevin and Catherine’s skills and leadership are added to those of the existing Studio Principals,” said Mr Grose.

“This will ensure that BVN Brisbane is ready to meet the opportunities to offer collaborative creativity to design a better future,” he said.

About Catherine

Catherine comes from Adelaide where she studied architecture at the University of Adelaide. Interestingly there is a view that all the good people leave Adelaide and during a recent stint in the Danish office of 3XN she reports there were six overseas architects in the studio and four of them were from Adelaide.

Before joining BVN in 2010 Catherine worked overseas, and it is interesting to note that one of the first practices she worked for in the UK was Pollard Thomas Edwards that has recently been acknowledged in AJ as being one of the “most female-friendly of practices”.

During her time at BVN Catherine has been engaged on several projects in a diverse range of areas. Amongst them is the Sulman award winning Westmead Millenium Research Institute where she worked with Julian and the team. After which she joined the team on the Sydney Children’s Hospital adolescent mental health unit with Abbie. She has worked with Matthew on Melbourne Girls Grammar School Artemis Centre and then in the BVN/3XN collaboration on the Quay Quarter Tower again with Matthew. She is now working with Ross Seymour and the 3XN team on Sydney Fish Market.

In these most recent and ongoing projects Catherine’s collaborating skills across large and complex projects with mixed teams of architects and consultants have contributed to the successful partnerships. It involved spending time in the 3XN studio in Denmark, where with her attention to detail and tenacious character she managed to overcome the tyranny of distance and ensure the BVN presence and BVN’s contribution were undertaken smoothly and professionally.

Catherine’s skill base is now very broad which together with her measured and insightful nature ensures she will bring a welcome additional viewpoint to the Principal body and significantly contribute to the evolving culture of the Brisbane Studio.

About Kevin

Kevin comes from Brisbane and identifies himself as a descendent of the Kaurareg and Meriam people of north-eastern Australia.

Kevin O’Brien Architects is merging with BVN and with it comes a complex body of work based on his understanding that an idea is required in order to pursue genuine architecture and for him that idea is “Finding Country”.

He developed the idea of “Finding Country” in an exhibition which was shown at the 2012 Venice Architecture Biennale. It addresses the questions of urban settlement and territory, questions that Kevin has pursued through four spheres of action, Profession, Academia, Creative Practice and Community Service.

In his professional sphere he has practiced architecture since 1997 when he worked with the Merrima group in the NSW Government Architects Office. Whilst there he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study contemporary indigenous architecture in the Pacific region. In 2006 he opened Kevin O’Brien Architects and his work has received numerous awards the most recent being for the Cape York Partnership offices.

He started teaching in 2000 in Dublin at the Queens University and Dublin Institute of Technology and since then has held teaching positions at the University of Queensland, University of Auckland and is currently Guest Studio Leader at the University of Sydney.

Kevin’s creative practice includes theatre design, exhibition design and public art collaborations across the world including Los Angeles, Dublin, and Venice. It is in this creative area of his work that Kevin has been able to more fully explore the idea of “Finding Country”. The cross-platform collaborations enable new ideas to emerge, that would not be possible if he were working alone.

He considers community service an important civic action that contributes to developing communities. His focus has been on Indigenous and Arts organisations - the indigenous because he wants a better future for indigenous Australians and the Arts because “as the manifestation of free thought should be highly valued in a democratic society”. Kevin’s position on the Board of the Institute of Modern Art makes him one of the only architects in Australia with a presence in a significant art institution.

In 2011 Kevin was awarded a British Council Accelerate Fellowship that saw him spending time with various artistic and architectural organisations in the UK including the Architectural Association, the Architecture Foundation and the Arts Council England, this experience crystallised his central idea of “Finding Country” and has led to him making stronger connections and form broader networks of influence.