About us

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Nick founded Constructive Dialogue in 2000, after working with community-based organisations in Southeast Asia. Nick has been involved in a wide range of strategic projects. Nick is an engaging speaker, skilled at working with many stakeholders, running design workshops and helping to support change throughout the life of the project. Nick also leads the Environments Team at Dementia Training Australia.

ASSOCIATE

Liz is a UK-registered architect who prior to moving to Sydney worked for ten years for dementia design specialists BPA Architecture. Her design of CareUK’s Edinburgh home was nominated in the 2014 Pinder’s awards for ‘Best Large Dementia Home’. As an Associate with Stirling University’s DSDC she conducted audits and delivered design training to architects and care providers. Liz spent six years at HammondCare, designing and delivering buildings and delivering design training dementia specialists through their Dementia Centre. She has been recently involved in writing the National Aged Care Design Principles and Guidelines for the University of Wollongong.

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Jana has over 20 years professional experience in the architecture and design industry, with a focus on a wide range of residential architecture in Australia and Europe, whilst also exploring retail, exhibition and urban design. As a founding member of the Paul Pholeros Foundation, Jana is involved in developing, assessing and interviewing and mentoring for the Paul Pholeros Scholarship, which is awarded to recently graduated Architects in Australia to enable them to explore an issue or topic related to the social purpose of Architecture.

ARCHITECT

Phyllis is a NSW-registered architect and is passionate about creating inclusive and sustainable living environments. Phyllis has worked in companies in both Sydney and Hong Kong on projects ranging from small-scale residential buildings to university and transport hubs. Phyllis has had a focus in her career on creating high-performance, sustainable buildings and finding innovative ways to limit the environmental impact of construction.

ARCHITECT

NSW-registered architect Jocelyn joined Constructive Dialogue in 2018 and has contributed to projects such as the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, and alterations and additions to various aged care facilities across NSW. As a student, she participated in community-oriented initiatives in villages in Kenya, as well as forest conservation in the surrounding landscape. She spent two semesters studying in Europe and was involved in the installation of an exhibition at the Venice Biennale.

EXPERIENCED ARCHITECTURAL GRADUATE

Johann graduated from the University of NSW in 2018. Since then, he has worked on a range of commercial and residential projects with a focus on university campus design. He has sought to embed sustainability as the philosophical cornerstone of his designs, leading him to become a fully accredited Passive House designer. As the recipient of the UNSW International Travel Scholarship and Urban Planning Award in 2018, Johann was given the opportunity to study social housing in Venice and Vienna. Johann believes that good design comes from place, context and the user experience, with an emphasis on simple form and careful selection of materials.

ARCHITECTURAL GRADUATE

Sahil joined Constructive Dialogue upon completion of his Masters in Architecture at the University of New South Wales in 2022. He completed his Bachelor of Architecture at the Chandigarh College of Architecture in India. During his studies, Sahil travelled to Munich to expand his understanding and collaborative process of the stages of design. His time spent working internationally helped him fortify his skills and knowledge in creating responsible architecture in a meaningful way. Sahil enjoys graphic design and architectural photography.

ARCHITECTURAL GRADUATE

Jade completed her Masters of Architecture at the University of Sydney in 2023 and is a recent addition to Constructive Dialogue Architects. Originally from Mtunzini in South Africa, she moved to Sydney in 2022. While living in South Africa, Jade completed her Bachelor of Architecture at The University of the Free State and spent extensive time within the rural coastal areas of Southern Africa. During this time she developed a unique understanding of development within isolated/off-grid environments. Her interests include sustainable design, vernacular architecture, energy analysis and passive systems.

ARCHITECTURAL GRADUATE

Edit joined Constructive Dialogue Architects after completing her Masters in Architecture at the University of Sydney in 2023. She moved to Australia two years ago after earning her undergraduate degree in architectural engineering at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics in Hungary. Edit has a strong interest in disaster architecture research and projects, gaining insights into the needs of those with diverse cultural backgrounds and other specialist needs. Her passion is for shaping responsible and impactful architectural solutions specifically in the areas of sustainability, heritage conservation, and user-centric design.

INTERIOR DESIGN GRADUATE

Charlie joined Constructive Dialogue upon completion of her Bachelor of Interior Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney. She is passionate about thoughtful design that goes beyond aesthetics, believing in the transformative power of spaces to positively impact individual lives. Throughout her studies Charlie worked on a project for the Hobart Women's Shelter in Tasmania which deepened her commitment to designing spaces that foster safety, empowerment and healing.

SENIOR CONSULTANT

Kate has a broad training in architecture and the arts and is committed to design that enhances quality of life and community wellbeing. After completing her Masters at the Melbourne School of Design in 2016, Kate worked on a range of residential, educational and ecclesiastical projects. Prior to this, Kate had eight years in the aged care sector developing an extensive knowledge of design for dementia and new service planning and commissioning. She is an experienced project manager, design consultant and writer. As a student, Kate worked with Bower Studio in designing and building in regional and remote Aboriginal communities and her past research explored the possibilities of NDIS-funded accomodation for these contexts.

CONSULTANT

David brings over 40 years of experience in architecture and infrastructure for social development to Constructive Dialogue, both in Australia and internationally. Since 2000, David has worked as an adviser to large international development projects that engage local communities and local enterprises in the development of their own built and natural environments, using a systematic integration of expert and local knowledge.

CONSULTANT

As well as a talented artist, Sam collaborates with Constructive Dialogue on the design of women’s accommodation services. Sam is a Scholarly Teaching Fellow, University of Technology Sydney. She is a PhD candidate at the Monash University XYX Lab. Her research focuses on the importance of safe, affordable accommodation for women and children leaving domestic violence. As part of an emerging design guide for women’s refuge accommodation, this research explores the benefits of bespoke architectural design in an Australian context as well as tailored design for women over 45. As a lecturer in the school of Architecture at University of Technology Sydney, her teaching focuses on social impact and sustainable projects.

See more at https://archiparlour.org/safe-as-houses.

For Sam’s university work see https://profiles.uts.edu.au/Samantha.Donnelly/about