ClarkeHopkinsClarke (CHC) has opened its first Sydney office in Surry Hills.

The company already has a range of local projects underway, including mixed use village centres in western Sydney, Wollongong and near Byron Bay, retail developments in inner Sydney and the central coast, masterplanning of an integrated retail, residential and aged care community with heritage buildings in Campbelltown, and a proposed major Education and Innovation Hub in southern Sydney.

The NSW office is spearheaded by Sydneysider Jordan Curran, CHC’s partner leading retail and mixed use. Over the past 10 years he has been instrumental in masterplanning and delivering complex mixed use precincts, shopping centres, town centres and new smart cities across Australia.

"This is a big moment for us," says Curran.

"We’ve worked nationally and internationally for years but resisted opening a Sydney office until the time felt right. We’ve got a strong team of locals to drive it and established our own distinctive approach to designing and activating really diverse, mixed use communities – not just in inner cities but in outer suburbs and regions. Some practices see those areas as less glamourous than urban in-fill but we’re genuinely passionate about creating healthier, better connected, less car dependent, more sustainable communities everywhere we can.

"Developers and communities are really embracing the kind of walkable urbanism we specialise in because they can see the challenges of climate change, population growth and social isolation and they want a fresh response. Developers recognise the social and commercial benefits of creating places that attract a broader mix of people and encourage them to linger. This has an obvious benefit to retail spending and property values.

"We feel like we’re in a position to offer NSW clients something new. There’s also our QMS ISO:9001 certification, which allows us to take on major health and education projects, and our cross-sector expertise. That’s built our design capabilities and kept us buoyant as a business even when residential housing takes a hit. It’s led to very solid growth, in projects and staff, over the past three years.”

Pictured: CHC architect Jake Le Lievre (left) with John Curran. Image credit: CHC

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

ClarkeHopkinsClarke-opens-Sydney-office-1732011876.png

Let’s connect!