Parlour POD

Our conversationalists for this episode are architect Katerina Dracopoulos and landscape architect Simone Bliss. Katerina is a director of Brisbane practice Fulton Trotter and Simone is founder and director of Simone Bliss Landscape Architects, based in Launceston and Melbourne.

The lively discussion explores the delights of discovering places, both new and familiar – Simone had recently moved to Launceston at the time of the conversation, while Katerina talks of the pleasure she found in her home town of Brisbane after returning from working overseas for a decade. The conversation is full of humour and serious commitment to quality, professional integrity and the meaningful contributions that can be made through design. We also find out where they would go on a blind date – a small Greek island with delicious food anyone?

This Salon was recorded live on Zoom in Spring 2021. Organised by Ali McFadyen and Emma Healy, it was supported by then Parlour Partner AWS. 

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Lee Syminton and Rachel Tindall. Lee is a Senior Lecturer, and Rachel a Lecturer in Architecture at Curtin University.

Rachel describes her childhood moving around Mount Lawley, growing up amid a long-term house renovation – “I loved it, I love the smell of concrete” – and her extreme shyness as a child. Lee recalls her early years in Zimbabwe, the shock of moving to Perth, and later being encouraged to pursue architecture rather than art.

They discuss practice and the gradual moves into teaching and research. We are treated to an extended discussion of their (very different) PhD topics and findings, the experiences of learning new modes of thinking and disciplinary languages, and how all of this combines with busy personal and professional lives. 

Both emphasise the importance of supporting women, and reflect on the 'legs up' extended to them over the course of their careers.

This episode was recorded live on Whadjuk Nyoongar Country at the Perth Winter Salon on 21 August 2025. Hosted by Curtin University and convened by Suzie Hunt, it was a collaboration with #WorkWomenWisdom. Photos: Dan McBride

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are friends and one-time colleagues Lily Pepper and Angela Chua. At the time of the recording Angela was a graduate of architecture at ARUP, and Lily a graduate of architecture at Wallace Brice. Lily also now hosts the Seasonal Salons in Brisbane, and this conversation helped introduced her to the Parlour community.

Committed to the potential of the profession, Angela and Lily also articulately resist its more problematic mythologies and habits. In this episode they speak of their growing confidence as ‘emerging practitioners’, their will to shape positive professional futures from the grassroots, and where and how graduates can find leverage and impact. Angela talks of digging her heels in to find opportunity, balancing work and study, and having to “grow up quickly”. Lily describes the challenge of finding her way into the profession after the arrival of COVID-19, and the surprising bureaucratic complexities of practice. She highlights her work on the Resilient Homes Flood Program as a formative experience that demonstrated how small, practical interventions can produce meaningful community outcomes.

Together they discuss the changes they want to see – breaking down hierarchies and more collaborative approaches. They canvas the problematic framing of architecture as a ‘passion’ and the unhelpful behaviours that flow from this. They describe environments in which graduates mentor and learn from each other, and the potential of more sustainable and rewarding models of architectural practice.

This is a hopeful conversation with two of our profession’s bright sparks!

This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2024 Brisbane Spring Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 7 November 2024, it was convened by Justine Clark. Photos: Alanna McTiernan. 

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Dani Martin, Director of Projects and Growth at Open Architecture Studio; and Geraldine Dawson, who at the time of the recording was a senior project architect at Plus studio. She is now a senior architect at BSPN Architecture.

Geri starts off by joking that “architecture is a disease in our family”. She grew up with a builder father and architect brother, "and it doesn’t stop there.” In contrast, Dani didn’t know any architects – or even anyone who went to uni. Having been told drafting was “for boys”, she dug her heels in and went into architecture anyway.

Their conversation canvases Dani's peripatetic early life, her 18 years in a single practice in Perth, and the sudden decision to move to Brisbane to continue to learn and grow (and finding she had to prove herself all over again!). Geri's career has involved working in a wide range of Brisbane practices, and she speaks in moving detail about her favourite project, the Hummingbird House children's hospice.

Dani prompts Geri to reflect on how becoming a parent has changed the way she thinks about the built environment, and the impacts of parenting on her working life. They discuss the importance of flexibility, with Dani reflecting on her role as an employer, commenting that “you want the right person for the job. This matters much more than how many hours they can work.”

They chat about their shared experience of a fantastic mentor, the importance of women in leadership roles and their ongoing work to address bias and improve the profession for others.

This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2025 Brisbane Winter Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 30 July 2025, it was convened by Lily Pepper. Photos: Alanna McTiernan. 

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Zoe King, a Director at Cox Architecture, and Miranda Spencer an architect at Design Inc.

They share candid insights into their career journeys, leadership experiences, and the realities of balancing work with parenthood.

They describe learning to manage teams, navigating business development and taking on the financial responsibilities of running a practice.

Parenthood introduced another layer of complexity. Both speakers describe the emotional and logistical challenges of becoming, and being parents – from surrogacy to sleep deprivation, building connection and solidarity through ArchiBubs, parental rights and to returning to work. They emphasise the importance of having supportive partners, flexible workplaces and inclusive parental leave policies. 

This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2024 Adelaide Winter Salon. Held at Brickworks on 30 May 2024, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Lieu.

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Mia Larsen, a architecture student currently studying a Master of Architecture at the University of Tasmania and has hands-on experience in bamboo and earth building. Rosie Shield is a Manager, Project Leader, Engagement + Content Developer across Designful Studio and Homeful by Designful

This conversation offers a thoughtful, grounded look at what’s possible when we build with intention, innovation and with sustainability in mind.

Mia and Rosie discuss the barriers and breakthroughs in introducing natural and regenerative materials, like hempcrete and rammed earth. They reflect on the importance of aligning building practices with ecological principles, and explore how community-driven projects can create  sustainable buildings and more engaged and empowered communities.

This episode was recorded live on Kanamaluka Country at the 2025 Launceston Summer Salon. Held at Brickworks on 13 March 2025, the Salon was held in collaboration with The Finlay Project and convened by Helen Norrie. Photos: Bruce Moyle

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Justine Ebzery, a director at Fulton Trotter Architects and Romina Richardson a senior associate at Architectus Conrad Gargett. 

In this episode, Justine and Romina share practical insights into navigating the profession, stepping into leadership, and balancing ambition, career and parenthood. They reflect on the critical role that communication, empathy and trust play when engaging with stakeholders and leading successful, collaborative teams.

Justine and Romina touch on the future of the industry, including the inevitable impact of AI, and acknowledge that women still face significant barriers in ownership and leadership. They highlight the persistent gender gap in architecture practice ownership, explore its causes, and share advice for architects pursuing the pathway to ownership.

Generous, candid and packed with good advice. Well worth a listen.

This episode was recorded live on Yuggerah and Turrbal Country at the 2024 Brisbane Spring Salon. Held at the Brickworks Design Studio on 7 November 2024, it was convened by Justine Clark. Photos: Alanna McTiernan.

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Jenny Newman and Rebecca Boland. Jenny has over 25 years’ experience in architecture and planning, including 15 years serving on State and Local Government planning panels in South Australia. She is currently a Senior Associate at Swanbury Penglase Architects. 

Rebecca Boland works for Studio Nine Architects and became a registered architect in the same week of the Salon. Rebecca’s interest in the housing affordability crisis specifically for displaced women, led to her receiving the Peter Corrigan Memorial Medal and an honourable mention in the AA Prize for Unbuilt Work for her public housing concept design ‘Lost Property’.

With candour and generosity, Rebecca and Jenny share their circuitous paths to working in architecture in Adelaide and the professional experiences that have enriched their work. Rebecca is grateful for her unconventional path into architecture and says she wouldn’t change a thing. Jenny describes the arduous process of getting registered in Australia again after realising her UK registration was not transferable (at the time). The setback merely increased her drive to progress, take on fresh challenges, and “say yes to everything”. 

Topics range from AI and the rapid pace of technological change to the progress women have made in the industry, the challenges of being the only woman in the room, and the importance of collaboration and mutual support. 

This episode was recorded live on Kaurna Country at the 2025 Adelaide Winter Salon. Held at the Australian Institute of Architect on 19 June 2025, the Salon was organised by Alison McFadyen. Photos: Benjamin Lieu.

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this first ever Newcastle Salon are Natalie Galea and Sam Spurr. Sam is Associate Professor of Architecture at the University of Newcastle. Natalie is an expert in gender justice and human rights in the construction sector and human rights in elite sport. 

Sam and Nat dubbed their wide-ranging, entertaining conversation as speed dating but longer (and with an audience). They discuss their careers, the powerful influences in their lives and the appealing "tempo of Newcastle". Nat explores her shift from construction project management work in the Middle East (where she was always the only woman in the room) to a PhD and focus on social justice. She spoke of the privilege of "holding truth to power" and her research on the effects of the intense male breadwinner model in construction (with its "diabolical" hours and impacts on their health, their families and wider society). Sam critiques the narrow view of excellence in architecture – the super competitive "keep going, do more all-nighters, work harder, bleed on your projects" approach – and calls for more innovation, listening, collaboration and ethical drive. She discusses the need for "muscular hope" in the face of a daunting future  – "hope with the sleeves rolled up". It was a rich, generous conversation. 

This episode was recorded live on Awabakal and Worimi Country at the 2024 Newcastle Winter Salon. Held at the University of Newcastle on 9th August 2024, the Salon was organised by Justine Clark. Photos: Roni Bintang.

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!

Our conversationalists for this episode are Alexandra Lawlor and Felicity Stewart. Alex is an Associate Principal and new Studio Leader for  Architectus Canberra office. Born and raised in Canberra, Felicity leads the Stewart Architecture Sydney studio and manages projects in Canberra, Sydney and broader NSW. 

This rich conversation is full of career reflections, sharp insights and wise-cracking anecdotes. Alex and Felicity share stories and observations about Canberra, from its architectural heritage and vibrant (but often hidden) cultural life to its surplus of sprawling, ambiguous spaces and festering rabbit population (“Watership down” in the city).

They explore the big picture of architecture and urban design, and their shared fascination with scale, density and inclusiveness in cities. Their discussion spans non-linear career paths, travel and global perspectives, the benefits of working alongside government decision-makers, and the critical role of publicly owned public spaces in the centre of our cities.

This episode was recorded live on Ngunnawal Country at the 2025 Canberra Autumn Salon on 6 March. The Salon was hosted by Stewart Architecture with support from Brickworks. Photos: Andrew Campbell.

We hope you  enjoy Parlour POD, live recordings from our much loved Seasonal Salon series.  For more great Parlour content, head to our website, and follow Parlour on Instagram or LinkedIn. To support our ongoing work, join the Parlour Collective!