Warren and Mahoney has moved into the new year with a renewed sense of excitement, with the practice adding four new leadership roles to its Sydney and Melbourne operations in order to capitalise on new project opportunities.

Andrew Barclay (middle right) has moved into the role of Principal in Sydney, while Barrington Gohns (far right) also heads to the harbour city to become the Studio Head of Design. Chris Tillman (middle left) has become the practice’s new Group Clients and Market Director and is now based in Melbourne, while Denisa Syrova (far left) has been announced as the new Studio Head of Design for W + M’s Melbourne office.

Warren and Mahoney Managing Director, John Coop, says the practice’s recent success in Australia and beyond has achieved a significant diversification in revenue from both sides of the Tasman, and provided an opportunity for W+M to flex its truly agile work practices.

“From executive leadership and business development through to design ethos and craft, we’re investing to develop further in Australia. Many of our recent successful business wins have involved personnel from across the globe, and the local market is showing signs it appreciates our unique approach.

Barclay has moved from New Zealand to become a Principal within the Sydney studio. Still holding a level of influence within the practice’s NZ operations, Barclay has been with W+M for more than two decades and has played a fundamental role in keeping the practice at the forefront of performance and design innovation.

Gohns has been with W+M since completing his architecture studies, and is recognised as the youngest executive appointment ever made within the group. His role as Studio Head of Design will see him bolster the practice’s leadership. W+M utilises a ‘one studio’ approach across the board, which has led to the design and delivery of a number of projects. Gohns’ appointment will help further the approach that has seen the practice create the new Mona Vale Surf Lifesaving Club, the Northcote Aquatic Centre, and the La Trobe Sports Park in Melbourne.

Chris Tillman’s appointment will shore up the practice’s entire international portfolio of business development and marketing. Tillman has most recently spent five years driving expansion and business optimisation at Hassell and has extensive experience in local and global markets.

Having been educated and gained her formative experience in Germany, Denisa Syrova has led the design for multiple award-winning projects for regional, civic and educational projects across Germany, Austria, and Italy. Spending a decade with Bates Smart upon arriving in Australia in 2009, she was most recently at Studio Kristen Whittle.

Australian-based Principal Architect, Daryl Maguire, says despite restrictions of movement created by the pandemic, the firm has been focused on bringing established talent closer to clients and hiring like-minded individuals in Australia.

“Working with leading public and private sector clients on quality projects has enabled W+M to gain swift and significant traction in this market with its unique offer of contextual-based design underpinned by an agile and responsive delivery model that is talent-led,” he says.

“We pride ourselves on designing at the absolute intersection of sustainability, innovation, and Indigenous engagement. Clients continue to benefit from interacting with us in this progressive process and it’s been so thrilling to be at the helm of this expansion in Australia.”

Confidence in Warren and Mahoney’s investment is bolstered by its existing strong credentials across multiple key growth sectors and leading sustainability practices. W+M’s well-established Indigenous consultation practice in New Zealand – Te Matakīrea – has positively impacted the firm’s approach to engagement with First Nations people in Australia with some significant Indigenous-led design projects in the pipeline.

“We are very proud and humbled by the work and clients we are working with. Market predictions and our recent new business success has only reinforced our belief we need to continue to invest in top talent and be poised to meet Australia’s growing design needs,” says Coop.

“The demand for responsive architecture and agile delivery is clear. Our influence is steadily expanding and we look forward to sharing further significant project announcements.”

Jarrod Reedie

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