Staff Profile: Ms Esther Sugihto
Lead Designer & Planning Consultant
She is a key influencer in holistic design – understanding the role architecture plays in the context of the Australian lifestyle.
Esther also brings a wealth of Design + Build experience from internationally reknowned European and Australian architects.
In her own words
“What makes us special is that we’re about service and local training – Melbourne architects are process driven. We don’t aim to arrive at a prescribed outcome, but rather to engage with you to provide the most appropriate design driven solution that is multi-layered. It has to SPECIFICALLY be tailored to fit you, your site, council’s requirements, your brief, your budget, but also be globally aware. Each project has the opportunity to be something special and something amazing if you let it”.
Favourite Residential Project
Staughton Architect’s Park Orchards, Melbourne project: “This is my favourite residential project because the clients gave us full design breadth to arrive at a unique design solution that was inspiring yet sensitive to the original Alistair Knox house. I particularly loved it also because I had the opportunity early in my architectural training to see the construction develop weekly“.
Favourite Commercial Project
Denton Corker Marshall’s Carlisle St Hotel, SOHO London: “This is another design driven project that I helped develop. It was in a fantastic central London site with deliberate vistas to Soho square and a multi-layered approach with strict town planning requirements. Our team were given gentle design direction from the Australian directors, but free reign to work on the details of how to realise this hotel project“.
Experience
Trained at the University of Melbourne and possessing over 7 years experience, Esther has worked for several architectural practices and has been involved in many award winning projects, including:
- Denton Corker Marshall, London.
- Staughton Architects (now Workshop Architecture), Melbourne
- Etak Design, Melbourne
- Tim Williams and Associates, Sydney
Her most recent stint working in London included several international projects in the UK, Caribbean, Europe and the Middle East.
The scope of projects she has worked on covers a breadth of residential, commercial, industrial and retail design – from conceptual designs all the way through to contract administration.
Motivations
Esther’s background extends from a love of the local to the teachings of the global. Whilst born and bred in her hometown of Melbourne, she has extensively traveled the world to learn how the developed and developing nations have evolved with the goal of applying lessons back home.
Her passion for sustainable residential design in her home city combined with a fervent belief that everyone is entitled to a roof over their heads and the recognition for urban consolidation in this ever-sprawling city means that she will strive to see your project meet your needs threefold – environmentally, socially and economically.
Esther is an avid student of other designers, keeping abreast of architectural news both locally and abroad. She believes that being a good architect is more than just good design – its about giving a client something tangible that they didn’t even realise they wanted – to go above and beyond their expectations!
In her spare time, she loves to go running, go camping in the great outdoors, dine out, cook up a storm and be a part of her local church community.
Education
Bachelor of Planning and Design (Architecture) – University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Architecture (hons.) – University of Melbourne
CONTACT US
Contact us to find out how your project can benefit
from Esther’s international Design + Build experience!
Subscribe via RSS
Follow us on Twitter