{"id":18397,"date":"2021-10-26T15:13:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-26T07:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=18397"},"modified":"2025-07-25T10:09:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T02:09:00","slug":"designing-homes-that-make-people-happier-qa-with-architect-nic-brunsdon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/designing-homes-that-make-people-happier-qa-with-architect-nic-brunsdon\/","title":{"rendered":"Designing homes that make people happier: Q&A with architect Nic Brunsdon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nic Brunsdon\u2019s North Perth House, featured on Grand Designs Australia.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Luisa Mitchell<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In September this year, soon-to-be graduates from the Curtin University Schools of Education, Design and the Built Environment, and Media, Creative Arts and Social Inquiry milled around with excitement at the Perth Convention Centre. Before stepping onto the stage to receive their long-awaited degrees and diplomas, they were left with some inspiring words from the evening\u2019s speaker, Nic Brunsdon, an award-winning architect and Curtin architecture (2003) graduate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His advice to the next generation of creative and innovative gamechangers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake your time to pause and reflect before you leap into the unknown. Use this time to consider what truly drives you. And when you do take that leap, make sure you give it your absolute all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spoke to Nic about his architecture firm<\/a>, what drives his success, and the considered and people-centred approach he takes before leaping into his designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does beautiful architecture look like to you?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Great architecture is responsive, emotive and inclusive.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Architecture should respond to both place and people. Our objective is to remain empathetic and sensitive to the societies, cultures and natural environments that our projects impact. We create places to be people-centric and benefit communities beyond our involvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our goal is that the clients arrive to a place that is new, special, inviting and meaningful, and leave with a warm, lasting impression. From the initial ideas to the final delivery, unique projects are born from collaborations between clients, communities, specialist consultants and trades, where everyone involved has their voice heard and the end users are always front of mind.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The North Perth House. Photo by Ben Hosking.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Where did your interest in architecture begin and how does it spark joy for you today?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Apparently, I always enjoyed making things look neat and ordered when I was playing Lego with my brothers as a kid. I would take all the white blocks and make clean and intricate houses with skylights, internal gardens and secret passages. I think this interest lay dormant until I got to the point of having to pick a university course, and somehow – though luck, risk, or subconscious direction – I picked architecture. To my family it felt out of the blue but I couldn\u2019t be happier sitting here today, 25 years later.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The East Fremantle House. Photos by Nic Brunsdon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Your vision is to create environments that are socially impactful. What does that mean?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We want to enrich people\u2019s lives through thoughtfully designed architecture. Evidence of our commitment to global ethics can be seen with our B Corporation<\/a> certification (expected later this year) and the preparation of our ‘Reflect’ Reconciliation Action Plan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The B Corp certification is particularly powerful. It means that our business meets the highest standard of social and environmental performance, public transparency and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps are part of a global cultural shift where people are redefining success in business and trying to build more inclusive and sustainable economies. I think all businesses as a matter of social responsibility should be striving for the sort of outcomes and processes that B Corps aspire to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\t\t

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The Arrabida Retreat. Photos by Nic Brunsdon.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was your Curtin architecture course like and how has it informed your career?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The course was fantastic. I made some wonderful friends and had amazing teachers. It was a formative time for me in terms of developing personal and emotional maturity, and being in a broad and inclusive environment was a great way to start understanding the world through a wider lens. The people I studied with and were taught by are now my dear friends whom I still I lean on and go to for advice today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You were a speaker at one of this year’s ceremonies and you spoke about a passion for space and time. How does this impact the way you work?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In a sense it helps me to not take anything too seriously. We are all just miniscule blips passing through. When you put yourself in the context of human, biological and cosmic history, it\u2019s all a bit daunting, isn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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