Our office (and the architecture programme in which we teach at @notredamearchitecture.freo ) are both becoming known for having a great love for learning about where we are, its deep origins and how we work with greater respect for all things - people, animals, plants, soil, water etc. As such we find ourselves working with four incredible clients - a landscape architect, a forester / nurseryman, a botanist and keen gardeners (not all our clients need to be like this of course!).
So we dedicate this post to them. Here are some seedlings propagated from local street trees which has become a passion:
1. Eucalyptus stoatei, Scarlet Pear Gum from the Ravensthorpe area.
2. Corymbia calophylla, Marri, from across the South West of WA.
3. Eucalyptus gomphocephala, Tuart, from that coastal ribbon of limestone country of the Swan Coastal Plain.
4. Eucalyptus macrocarpa, Rose of the West, from the weatbelt region.
Since being part of the team who started the new architecture school at @notredamearchitecture.freo I have been working with University Librarian Stephen McVey on an archive of Western Australian architects.
Current progress of what our archive now holds:
All hand drawings of:
Bernard Seeber Architects
Wallace Greenham
Final Year Thesis of:
Bernard Seeber
Wallace Greenham
Leonie Matthews
All remaining teaching materials, essays and catalogues by the late Duncan Richards.
Items from Ian Molyneux, Michael Lewi, and others.
We are working with Cox Architects on acquiring the work of Howlett and Bailey.
More to come!
Yesterday we were so lucky to take possession of this artwork ‘clueless’ by my favourite Australian artist - Jurek Wybraniec @jurekwyb - who is a friend and long-term valued client.
There is one other of these which lives in Sydney, 3500km away. A lovely continental entanglement.
Jurek, forgive me, it’s sitting on a bowl from our kitchen. This can be improved.
Work continues on an apartment fitout in Cottesloe where we have previously completed a lobby, services and landscape upgrade (landscape by @capa_studio ).
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Announced earlier this week…
2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work,
National Winner: Whadjuk Balardong Elder Robyn Collard with Simon Pendal Architect
Fremantle What If?
See our website for full text description
Project Team:
Robyn Collard
Simon Pendal
Janine Moroney
Matthew Gagen
Commissioned by the @cityoffremantle@architecture_au #AAUnbuilt
In our first episode of 2026, Design Speaks Weekly invites Simon Pendal of @simonpendal_architect to discuss the value of smaller projects and how their collective contribution to city-making shapes the way we live.
Simon’s work has been widely recognised in publications and awards, most recently winning the 2026 AA Prize for Unbuilt Work in collaboration with Whadjuk Balardong Elder Robyn Collard. The winning project, Walyalup/Fremantle – What If, introduces town-planning incentives to open up Country through a network of green archipelagos. It highlights the need to think at both micro and macro scales when designing to restore environment and culture in cities, showing that big ideas require thousands of smaller acts.
Episode 21 is out now on all major podcast platforms (link in bio).
Design Speaks Weekly is presented in partnership with @institute_architects_aus .
#DesignSpeaksWeekly #DesignSpeaksAu #AustralianArchitecture
