Creative thinkers, proven doers
Creative thinkers, proven doers – we’re good at working with builders and getting jobs done. It takes respectful, frank team communication and complementary skill sets. And don’t just take it from us. We canvassed our contractors on some key projects in construction: Is ARM good to work with, or a serious pain in the posterior? Their feedback was frank, and flattering. We call it No Bullsh*t Collaboration, cutting through formality and egos to work side by side.
- Lot 51 Bowden, SA // What gets much-needed housing built
- Gold Coast Music Hall, Qld // What gets great cultural projects built
- Griffith & Wade High Schools, NSW // Reliable, accurate, consistently well coordinated
- Waurn Ponds Sporting Complex, Vic // What produces the best architecture
What gets much-needed housing built
Piling rigs are turning, and the foundations are going in at Lot 51 Bowden, in inner Adelaide. Eighty of the 84 apartments will be delivered as affordable rentals for eligible households, with the remaining four terrace style apartments available for market sale. The housing can’t come fast enough, and collaboration with the builder and trade partners is in full swing.
“ARM design has responded to the client’s architectural needs and intent and provides a unique building that reflects the surrounding environment and community needs,” said Ben Tolley, state manager SA at Hindmarsh. “There’s great communication between the architect and the builder in testing value from both design and construction perspectives. ARM is a solid project partner in this project.”
“ARM is a solid project partner in this project.”
– Ben Tolley, Hindmarsh
Early collaboration like this helps refine buildability, programme and overall value as the project moves into delivery. ARM principal and project director Philippe Naudin says the project has been set up to make real use of that delivery expertise.
“We set a clear design intent and scope early, then create a framework that deliberately builds in the right kind of flexibility for delivery. Working with Hindmarsh and their trade partners from the outset, we tested buildability and value, refining materials and construction methods to improve outcomes. The design is robust enough to take that input on board while still delivering homes that work from day one and stand up over time.”
When complete, Lot 51 will be a destination and gateway into Bowden, with new retail and commercial space, a precinct carpark, and a revitalised pedestrian laneway.
What gets great cultural projects built
On Queensland’s Gold Coast, a former bus transit site will soon bring live music and local life back to Surfers Paradise. With architecture to meet regional needs using local resources, ARM’s design for the new Gold Coast Music Hall reflects local climate, lifestyle and culture, deeply connecting the project its place. It’s a sound and simple guiding principle in making good architecture, reckons ARM principal Aaron Poupard, who is rated for applying good sense in the handling of practical problems.
Luke Driscoll, senior project manager at Kane Constructions, the project’s appointed builder, respects ARM’s adaptable, flexible approach.
“ARM’s approach is a standout.”
– Luke Driscoll, Kane Constructions
“We’re here to deliver a project that we’re proud to have our name behind and which meets the needs of the community it’s built for,” Driscoll tells our newsletter editor. “Because it’s not our building; we’re building for Gold Coasters and visitors. “It’s helpful when there’s no predetermined solution presented to us, and there’s space for possibilities, without dithering. This is what gets great projects built.”
ARM’s team is led by our new Queensland studio lead, Katherine Rickard.
Reliable, accurate, consistently well coordinated
Under construction at Griffith High School. Credit: Zauner Construction
We like working on schools because we see them as serving an important civic role as well as educational function. As part of the NSW Government’s plan to rebuild public education, the new multipurpose halls we have designed for Griffith and Wade High Schools in NSW will serve both school and community as central hubs of activity and engagement. Due for completion in mid-2026, the halls are being built by Zauner Construction, and reprise a previous collaboration in delivering a state-of-the-art dormitory for SINSW at nearby Yanco Agricultural High School.
“ARM has become an essential partner in our ongoing success. The team demonstrates professionalism, responsiveness, and a willingness to exceed expectations in all aspects of project delivery. Their documentation is reliably accurate from the outset and consistently well-coordinated with other disciplines,” said Marc Cifali, Zauner Construction.
Our team is led by director Mark Raggatt and principal Joshua Morrin.
What produces the best architecture
Construction of ARM’s design for the Waurn Ponds Sporting Complex (Vic) is well underway. The head contractor is ADCO Constructions, whose state design manager Glen Blamey also delivered ARM’s design of a 600-seat performing arts venue at St Leonard’s College. Glen believes an architect should be both great to work with and a pain in the posterior when the time is right. This, he says, is what produces the best architecture.
“An architect should be both great to work with and a pain in the posterior when the time is right.”
– Glen Blamey, ADCO Constructions
“ARM finds this equilibrium very well. Projects are grounded by a strong design ethos which allows all involved to clearly understand why ‘it is the way it is’. ARM understands that head contractors and trade partners are integral to a design’s development and resolution but at the same time are confident to ‘dig their heels in’ when required.
“ARM had already developed a strong and trusted relationship with Development Victoria and project stakeholders, and their willingness to integrate the ARM and ADCO teams highlights a shared commitment that enables design refinement, coordinated problem solving and a highly successful outcome.”
Our team is led by director Andrew Hayne and principal Rhonda Mitchell.