The unstoppable
Suzie Hunt
inTerview BrAnko mileticAustralia by Design host
Suzie Hunt specialises in
architecture and interior
design across a range
of sectors and provides
strategic advice on design
and heritage issues.
She talks exclusively
to Architecture & Design
about her take on
regional design, fame
and gender equality.
A&D: What is the biggest difference between
west coast and east coast architecture? How
does the concept of a ‘sense of place’ translate
to the buildings you design and how does this
differ across the country?Suzie HunT: I don’t believe there is a big
difference in relation to architecture on the
west and east coast. While WA is a third of
Australia or the total area of Queensland,
NSW, ACT and Victoria, its population of
only 2.6m population (2m in Perth) hugs
the coast like most of Australia.
The different climatic zones are like the
east coast even though our time zones are
not! There are different state and local design
policies throughout the state and Australia,
and we, like all design professionals, have clients
with unique briefs and budgets.
I believe a sense of place underpins all
good architecture and as trained professionals,
architects should consider all these elements
along with financial sustainability for the
future occupants of our buildings – including
budget and on-going costs – as well as
environmental sustainability for the good of
our community and the planet.
But the real difference now is how easy it is to
be inspired in real time by fellow architects with
the many design sites on the internet – further
breaking down the barriers within Australia and
the world.
When I was young I watched my dad (also
an architect) be inspired by the great masters- Le Corbusier, Alvar Aalto and Frank Lloyd
Wright through books and magazines and
then in the 1960s after trips to Sydney, follow
a group of architects in Australia who reacted
against international modernism with a
regionalist style of architecture often referred
to as the Sydney School.
My childhood home was a rustic mix of
clinker bricks – inside and out, raked tiled roofs,
low gutter lines, and exposed rafters. What
always struck me about my home was the total
lack of consideration for our West Australian
climate – windy, hot summers, cool winters and
loads of sunny days. The best place to sit in our
garden to capture the views, the sun on a cold
winter day and be protected from the wind any
time of the year, was under the clothesline in the
back corner, hidden from the living areas.A&D: Do shows like Australia by Design help
put architects on the same public pedestal as
was done with chefs with shows like MasterChef
and is this a good or bad thing?SH: I think architects should be respected for
their skills, commitment and passion but ABDA
is not about creating starchitects! According to
my foodie daughter ABDA is more like Chef’s
Table and Masterchef is more like The Block.
Masterchef is a competition for amateurs;
ABDA is architects having a chinwag with other
architects celebrating the diversity of great
Australian design. ABDA is positive and upbeat- showing our audience what is good design in a
fun contemporary way appropriate for TV.
I really respect our audience and their interest
in design, and I try to ensure that the architects
I interview talk in a language that everyone
understands – not archispeak – and discuss
things that the public are really interested in, not
some obscure construction detail.
A&D: What would be your dream project
and why?SH: In over 30 years of practice I have had
many. In fact, I would say 95 percent of our
projects ranging from small projects with
construction budgets of only $300,000 to
projects over $8m are dream projects. But
most importantly you can’t have a dream
project without dream clients first!
These are clients that are enthusiastic, willing
to listen to advice, engaged in the design process,
and have a realistic budget – understanding the
beer budget champagne brief phenomenon.Architecture & design /PeoPle/ jul-sep 201914ADQ3_014_015_Suzie_V3.indd 14 29/7/19 2:54 pm