A global studio model, use of the latest technology to support collaborative work, and a new structured pathway and elevation plan are being credited to Woods Bagot’s international expansion and growth.

Most recently, the firm’s New York base was named 16th on Architectural Record’s “Top 300 Architecture Firms” in the United States, which is based on architectural revenue from the previous year.

In May, Woods Bagot was ranked sixth on the World Architecture 100 list for 2016 which surveyed 1,350 architecture practices across the globe and ranked them based on the number of fee-earning architects they employed in the previous year.

These rankings put the firm within the vicinity of big-names like Gensler, Aecom, Nikken Sekkei and HDR on a global scale, a position, it has previously suggested, can be credited to its incessant rejection of merger offers, increasing its large-scale residential projects, and being aggressive in the Chinese, Singaporean and now American markets.

A GLOBAL STUDIO

More recently however, Woods Bagot shed new light on its internal operations, giving new insight into it’s the successes of its business model in the process.

The firm called attention to its global studio model as a significant reason for its success, suggesting that new file sharing and communication technology has allowed the firm to share design intelligence and collaborate across time zones and borders in unprecedented fashion.

For example, Woods Bagot Director and Global Workplace Interiors sector Sarah Kay will relocate to New York in August but will continue to work close with Principal Amanda Stanaway across time zones and borders who will lead the Workplace Interiors sector for the Australian region.

Kay’s move, says the firm, is expected to lead to tighter synergies between the global cities of Sydney and New York, and is testament to the agility of the global studio.

NEW PATHWAYS FOR EMPLOYEES

Simultaneously, says Woods Bagot, the new structured pathway and elevation across the company will also provide greater relevance to the firm’s branding of associate and senior associates.

Based on years of experience both within and outside the firm, the pathway allows for an identifiable career trajectory within the Woods Bagot ecosystem, says the firm, providing greater relevance to the current Associate status with the Associate Principal title now being on the threshold of shareholding.

Woods Bagot has initiated a number of promotions in their Sydney studio as part of their global elevations.

Domenic Alvaro has been appointed Director and will also be leading design intelligence in Australia following his appointment as Australian Design Director. Specialising in large scale and bespoke cross-disciplinary developments in Australia and abroad, Alvaro has worked on several award-winning projects: He was a principal designer of ivy, Sydney, which won the National AIA Harry Seidler Award for Commercial Architecture and NSW AIA Lloyd Rees Medal for Outstanding Urban Design, as well as Sydney’s pedestrian link Wynyard Walk, a ground-breaking urban development currently under construction.

One of his recent accomplishments, an entirely bespoke, luxury co-working space in Sydney, Paramount by the Office space recently won the Commercial Interiors Category at the Belle Coco Republic awards and has been shortlisted for numerous awards including the 2016 Inside World Festival of Interiors Awards.

John Prentice, Sydney’s Studio Chair has been elevated to Principal. Responsible for leading a number of significant projects for the Sydney studio including the soon-to-be-completed Wynard Walk and Nan Tien, which was shortlisted in the 2015 World Architecture Festival Awards (WAF) and received a commendation in the IDEA awards, Prentice has also worked on the MLC Centre Retail Redevelopment in Sydney.

Additionally, Christian Derix, Director of Superspace was announced as a Principal and Global Retail Leader Frank Alvarez was elevated to Associate Principal.

Chief Executive Officer Nik Karalis said the elevations not only recognise the Associate Principals’ contributions to Woods Bagot’s collective success, but also reinforce the firm’s commitment to global growth and focus on recognising exceptional talent within the business as future visionary leaders.

Architecture & Design Team

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