Introduction

MWA is an experienced and agile practice led by Matthew Williams. Matthew has over 20 years experience as an architect, leading projects of value up to $220m for major Investor and Government Clients, working on complex Approvals, Tender Packages and Construction Contracts, with significant local Design and Engineering Consultants, significant Building Contractors, and quality Design Renderers. MWA has active collaborations with experts in fields of Sustainability, Landscape, Engineering, Refurbishment and Heritage, Healthy Design and has excellent knowledge of construction materials and systems available.

Key Client Relationships 

Matthew maintains an active client database for domestic and international markets, in both public and private sectors. Key Clients include personal relationships with Dexus, Goodmans, Charter Hall, Crown Group, Lederer, Payce, Stockland, Goodman, Lend Lease, Billbergia, Health Infrastructure, Department of Education, RMS, Urbis, GHM, Starwood, Four Points and John Holland Group. Matthew is also interested to explore design opportunities for masterplan and hospitality design through the SE Asia region. 

Key Skills 

Resource Planning and Control, QA Compliance and Implementation, Strategic Leadership and Design Culture and Reviews, Project Briefs, Statutory Controls, Master Planning, Design Concepts, Hand Sketching (including 3D), Sketchup (Advanced), Revit (Intermediate), Design Drawings, Powerpoint – Design Presentations, Excel – Area Schedules, DA and NCC Authorities Submissions, CC Documentation, Compliance and Compliance Tracking, Consultant Scopes and Co-ordination, Assembly Details (Hand Sketch and CAD), Materials and Systems, Sustainable Design, Interior Design, Project Budgets, Buildability and Safety.

Feasibility

MWA has excellent experience in quickly understanding development controls and site engineering constraints to determine buildable envelopes and development yields for prospective project sites. This advice can assist with due diligence assessments prior to purchase of sites or initiate a project planning phase based on yield assessment and relevant approval pathways. MWA can provide this advice quickly and at a low cost. outputs include, initial site planning sketches, development yield tables showing prospective gross and net characteristics, 3D massing views and if required, high level initial renderings of the architecture concept. Such packages can be useful in assisting developers to gain board approval for development concepts and opportunities.

Design Controls

MWA work quickly and actively to establish and maintain design constraints and controls so that through the design process, there is a good awareness of site development limitations and key development strategies that might attempt to exceed or amend statutory design controls. Such awareness of design controls as part of the process reduces risk as well as encouraging innovation in maximising site yield characteristics.

Massing Concepts

Understanding the plan configuration and site yield characteristic is best understood in three dimensions utilising CAD block models and realistic camera views. Such outputs start to assess and interpret where various development gains might be possible based on surrounding site characteristics.

Strategic Thinking

Throughs its over 20 years experience as Architects, MWA has evolved an understanding of how complex sites may be realised in line with commercial project constraints and objectives. For example, site staging and site utilisation may be considered to achieve higher yields than might be contemplated in one stage of development, or, alternatively, how making strong arguments to local Councils can encourage higher development yield characteristics. Strategic thinking is a key plank of the MWA approach; achieving the highest value gain for the relevant investment is a key target of commercial development.

Reports

MWA provides as part of its service, complete design reports that summarise and track design issues as they are understood, assessed and actioned upon. Such reports are useful in terms of monthly reporting, reporting to Boards and higher level review agencies, providing clear and rational arguments to local authorities, as well as allowing newcomers to a project the chance to understand the project history and key design strategies.

Complex Sites

MWA appreciate the challenge of complex sites; perhaps design work has already been completed but has not achieved the required development target, Authorities are resisting the design proposal, or there is uncertainty as to the buildability or value for money of certain design schemes and approaches. MWA has good experience in design review, in terms of improving and maximising the development gain from a Project as well as ensuring quality architecture is achieved.

Real-time Renderings

MWA can produce live, walk-around fully rendered 3D environments that show landscaping, materials, the building in context, pedestrians, vehicles and include music and / or voiceovers.

Ecology

MWA consider integration of built elements with the extended surrounding ecology to be a key feature of forward thinking design; thermal control, daylight access, linking inside spaces with the outside, sustainable and robust materials, adaptability of the built structure, demolition and reuse are some assets of this challenge for the future.

Referees