Hello dear readers,

I was asked for an interview with my old school, this got published in the Old Trinity Grammarian The Good News - Winter Edition July 2024. Maybe a few myths dispelled about practising architects.

******

Redmond Hamlett OTG 2000

What is your career and what do you specialise in?

I'm registered practising architect. I've been a Director at WHDA Design & Architecture for the last ten years.

Our office specialises in education and public works, and we offer full architectural services. We also do lots of things in between, including master plans, feasibility studies for developers and public clients and have done small projects for private clients in the past.

What do I do day-to-day? I would describe this as professional management, coordinating with a very talented and organised team within our office, and with our project partners including consultants, clients and end-users in delivering projects. I do a lot of "red pen". When I go along to architectural networking events, in fact any networking event I say "I'm a delivery architect that is client facing".

At the moment our biggest client is the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), and we've been working on a range of specialist and primary school projects around the state and have been really enjoying it. The VSBA is an educated client, no pun intended - they are very clear about their expectations of their consultants and builders. Whilst it is always challenging in trying to deliver architectural services within the budget and timeframe, the work has been incredibly rewarding - it's all about the clients you are serving, and seeing their working and learning lives improve after they move in the spaces that you have helped create.

*What do don’t see most architects doing - lot’s of measuring, observing, taking notes.*

Why did you get involved with this career and what do you enjoy most in your role?

In 2012 I was appointed an Associate to a previous practice, and long story short a few years later became a Director. I've been working in architectural practices in Geelong and Melbourne for the better part of 18 years, including Richard Swansson Architect, 1:1 Architects, PTA Architecture, Doig Architecture (now Baldasso Cortese) and Peter Elliot Architecture & Urbanism - not to mention my own practice. I've worked on all sorts of projects, but had the greatest affinity with those for public clients including schools, universities, early learning and vocational training colleges.

How did I get into architecture? I studied the course at Deakin University in Geelong. I was very moved by buildings like Heide II (McGlashan Everist) in Bulleen, Building 8 RMIT (Edmund & Corrigan) and wait for it...... the Trinity Grammar Chapel (Peter Crone Architects), in Kew. I was deeply moved on how space can change your mood, enliven your existence and offer shelter fundamentally. I love that it rewards good communication (drawings, written and verbal) to express your ideas and realise your architectural ambition - that is to build. It's the melding of technology, art and culture. It's quite a wide type of profession, it tends to favour people who can specialise in an area of practice or of typology - no day or project is ever the same.

What do I enjoy most about my role? Again it's all about helping people with our skills. I really like doing work in regional Victoria and touching in with our clients. They need a good architect, and I'm always happy to show them our passion and commitment. I also like being on site working closely with builders. Sometimes it can be testy with personalities (or when budgets get stretched), but on the whole when everyone is on the same page great things can happen.

*No trace paper in this picture. Lot’s of listening, observing and reflecting on the problems of our clients.*

When you are not working how do you spend your time?

I'm very fortunate to have a family, including my partner Eden and my two daughters Esme and Vera. I try to spend as much time with them as possible helping them grow. I love going on trips with them - even small ones on our bikes around the corner to Maribyrnong River. They all have a lot of chutzpah, and are very good at making me laugh!

I'm quite an active person (well try to be), I practice Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, cycle and do exercise for my health. Practising BJJ is almost religion for me.

*Redmond being awarded his BJJ Purple Belt with Professor Richard Norton - hard belt to get!*

My other interests are a bit all over the place. I like to read Australian literature, war history and graphic novels. I love listening to music (in fact I guest review on the music podcast Fauves are the best people, with a former OTGA Jon Bampton (2000), and wait for it...... play tabletop skirmish games with long-lost friends very occasionally.

Do you have a moment in your TGS journey that you absolutely loved?

Off the top of my head a few including...

- Absolutely running rampant against our opponents in the Summer Hockey League (1998 - 2000)...!! Sorry PEGS and Ivanhoe GS!!

- Making short films with friends - both for class and for fun, including a homage to Dirty Harry (Dirty Larry) and basically anything that was on Des Mangan's SBS Saturday Night Cult films circa 1995 (Yakuza Story).

- Camping Trip to the Grampians in Year 10 (1998), which included days of hiking up Mt Difficult (I think?) and white-water rafting - incredible experience!

- Going on a hockey tour to Tasmania (2000), where we played schools in Launceston and Hobart, it was a bit of a novelty at the time and had a lot of fun with friends on the road and kooky places we stayed at.

- Having the complete run of the art department printroom with Miss Lunley, Mrs Dunkley and "Tim" the technician.

- Playing in the bands, including the Jazz Band and Stage Band (with Miss Stannic). In fact the Stage Band played at a few NBL matches at Rod Laver Arena, which was pretty wild thinking about it with Melbourne Tiger and Canberra Cannons basketball fans standing to huge applause after playing big-band numbers.

What advice would you give to others who may want to start their own business or work in the same industry?

Persist... good things take time!

Don't be disappointed if not every project that you work on is "perfect". Sorry if any of my clients are reading this. What I mean is that sometimes the projects you do get to work on don't always suit your architectural ambition, i.e budget might not be enough, or the client and user group might not always go along with every idea that you have. They are still opportunities to practice, serve the public, help them realise their own architectural ambition - and most importantly learn from. That's why it's called "architectural practice".

Nurture your tribal networks is up there because small businesses can be really tough. They have huge risk of falling over in the first 2 years (and ours almost did). You need a few uncles, aunties, former work-wives and work-husbands who you can lean on when you need help.

*Redmond being Tony Jones currating one of the panel sessions for the ArchiTEAM Trajectories Conference 2021. Was he the best panel host ever that day? Hmm, I’ll take that as a comment.*

Try to work well with others, it's very hard to do anything by yourself. Having other people, and let's face much more talented and skilled than myself, around me, but also supporting each other was the breakthrough moment in creating successes for our practice.

*****

Redmond Hamlett is a Director at WHDA.

OT-GO Feature July 2024