Bates Smart has promoted four new Studio Directors to its leadership team, strengthening expertise across architecture and interior design while setting the practice's direction for its next chapter of growth.

Nicole Coutts, Mary MacKillop, Peter Ohnrich and Lucy Sutton each bring extensive experience spanning workplace, hospitality, transport infrastructure, commercial, education and residential sectors, extending Bates Smart's leadership depth across both its Melbourne and Sydney studios. Together, the appointments consolidate the practice's bench strength across both its architecture and interior design disciplines.

Nicole Coutts, Studio Director

Coutts joins the Studio Director group with more than 15 years' experience and an established portfolio of premium commercial projects. Based in Melbourne, she leads the practice's workplace team, overseeing strategy, design and delivery for a diverse range of clients, from property developers to workplace tenants.

Collaborative and people-focused in her approach, Coutts is widely regarded within the industry for her mentorship and for fostering a culture of design excellence, an influence that supports and strengthens Bates Smart's workplace projects nationally.

Mary MacKillop, Studio Director

MacKillop brings more than 20 years' experience across hospitality, workplace and residential projects in Australia and internationally. Her portfolio reflects impressive cross-sector fluency, navigating diverse briefs with commercial acumen and design sensitivity in equal measure.

She is known for building exceptional client relationships and for guiding teams toward elegantly resolved interiors, drawing on a keen eye for detail and strong conceptual sensibility. Her appointment adds significant depth to the studio's interior design leadership across multiple sectors.

Peter Ohnrich, Studio Director

Ohnrich is an architect with a track record in delivering large-scale, complex projects spanning transport, infrastructure, commercial, masterplanning and mixed-use typologies. Originally from Germany, he brings an international perspective and a holistic approach to project execution, drawing on more than two decades of experience across a wide range of scales and sectors.

While at Bates Smart, Ohnrich has played a key role in winning and delivering major city-shaping projects. His appointment as Studio Director reflects the practice's continued investment in its transport and infrastructure capability, a sector central to its broader citymaking approach.

Lucy Sutton, Studio Director

Sutton brings more than 20 years' experience across workplace, commercial, education and residential projects, with a portfolio defined by strategic thinking, design excellence and strong client relationships. She works across all stages of project design and delivery, focused on creating enduring, high-performing environments that prioritise wellbeing and adaptability.

Sutton has led the interior design portfolio for Iglu student accommodation projects across multiple developments. A recognised sustainability leader, she is committed to shaping better outcomes for clients, communities and the environment.

Together, the four appointments reflect Bates Smart's commitment to sustaining leadership depth across architecture and interior design as the practice moves into its next phase of citymaking work.

Image: Supplied / Bates Smart

Architecture & Design Team

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