BVN, Sydney: Evolving, Curious, Fun.

We take our work – not ourselves – seriously,” says BVN’s Sydney Studio Director Brian Clohessy. “People enjoy that side of us. We’re committed to excellence in our architecture and we balance the intensity of this with a good dose of humour. There is always fun and laughter in the studio.” 

Although this could seem to be just talk, the ‘fun’ aspect of the office is also being recognised by clients. The team recently won a project for the Australian National University, Canberra, where one of the aspects of the bid was to demonstrate that BVN was an enjoyable team to collaborate with. 

The studio is growing globally and is one of Australia’s largest with hubs in Brisbane and Sydney. BVN works hard to keep its team of 280 collaborating as a single studio in a variety of geographical locations. It’s a friendly place to work, explore, learn and play. 

From weekly staff surveys to being asked how they feel about their work, the people at BVN are constantly engaged with the running of the studio and with creating a pleasant environment and culture. 

It is evident in the practice’s diversity – with more than 30 nationalities working together – and the amazing array of sports and activities from football and basketball to running, yoga, massage and drawing classes, that this is working. 

“It brings a richness to how we approach architecture. People come from different backgrounds and bring different approaches. They feed the process of how we do things,” adds Clohessy.

This collaborative approach follows through to the formation of project teams. The studio’s 13 principals sit physically among the architectural teams. There is no separation or specialisation by sector and teams change and move around depending on the project needs, stage of work, or the learning opportunity it presents a team member. 

Clohessy comments: “We don’t sit in sectors – we want to cross pollinate ideas. We are committed to translational thinking and design. People are encouraged to move between typologies.” He adds: “We pride ourselves on the culture in the studio and are always open to working with people who will evolve and enrich it.”

Photo Credits:  (header) © Shantanu Starrick. - (footer) © Christopher Frederick Jones / © Shantanu Starrick.