Talking Architecture & Design

Michael Rayner is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects, co-founder of Blight Rayner Architecture and the 2025 recipient of the Brisbane Lord Mayor’s Business Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.

This prestigious honour — presented only six times in the Awards’ two-decade history — recognises Michael’s remarkable four decades of design leadership, a career that has shaped Brisbane’s skyline, enriched Australia’s civic identity, and taken Australian design to international audiences.

From the  Australian National Maritime Museum, Sydney Exhibition Centre, Sydney Football Stadium, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, QPAC’s new Glasshouse Theatre to Sydney’s Barker College and a veritable smorgasbord of global high profile projects such as the National Maritime Museum of China, — Michael’s work has continually asked the same question: “What else?”

In this episode, we’ll explore his philosophy, the evolution of Brisbane’s architectural identity, and what true city-shaping leadership looks like in an era of rapid growth and change.  

An experienced architect and leader within COX’s sustainability team in Melbourne,  David Henderson is one of the creators of Product Aware, and in this final episode for 2025, David takes us on a deep dive into the sustainable materials maze and how architects can make smarter, lower-carbon decisions without needing to compromise on design embeds as well as explaining how regenerative design can be designed into all phases of projects from inception to delivery.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Autex Acoustics, proud sponsors of our 2025 Sustainability series of podcasts.

Over a career spanning more than 28 years, Hames Sharley's Nic Hughan has gained extensive local and international experience in the planning, design, documentation, and delivery of large and complex projects, with a focus on hospitals, education, and community buildings.

Having assumed the leadership role for several high-profile hospital and social infrastructure projects, as well as owning and running his own practice for 10 years, Hughan developed a strong focus toward project delivery and team management, as well as broader strategic and business development areas.

In this episode, Hughan shares his thoughts, ideas, skills and experience he learned during his career that spanned not just Australia, but a number of countries around the world.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Moddex, proud sponsors of our 2025 Commercial series of podcasts.

In this episode, we head to the warm waters of the southern coast of Athens in Greece to talk about one of Europe’s most ambitious urban regeneration projects — The Ellinikon.

Once home to the city’s former international airport, this 6.2-million-square-meter development is being transformed into a “15-minute smart city” — a place where everything from housing and workplaces to parks and cultural spaces are within a short walk or bike ride.

To discuss this incredible transformation are two key figures behind The Ellinikon’s residential vision, we spoke with Alexandros Moulas, Lamda's Chief Commercial Officer for Residential, and Andreas Kambanellas, Commercial Director for Residential, also from Lamda, the developer of this unique project.

In this episode, we’re joined by Jerome Frost, the Global CEO of Arup and former Head of Design and Regeneration for the London 2012 Olympic Delivery Authority—a role that helped transform East London and redefine how major sporting events can deliver long-term urban and social value.

As Brisbane accelerates preparations for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’ll discuss what lessons can be drawn from London 2012 and other global events, how design thinking can shape Brisbane’s legacy, and how thoughtful planning can ensure Olympic investment benefits communities for decades to come.

In this podcast, Sarah Butler, a partner with Holding Redlich, specialising in intellectual property (IP), commercial and technology law, and media and advertising regulation across a range of industries explains why intellectual property still often overlooked in construction contracts, despite the sector becoming more design-led and digitally enabled?

Foolscap Sydney Studio Director Ellen Rosengren-Johnson brings a unique international perspective to Australian design, having spent a decade in Norway delivering award-winning hospitality and residential projects before returning home. 

Her work is defined by a deep commitment to collaboration with local makers, craftspeople, and suppliers – a skill she’s currently bringing to life in the boutique retail fit-out for Alpha60 in Sydney (due to be completed in spring 2025).

In this interview, Ellen explains the sheer importance and enduring legacy of hospitality design done well.

The latest episode of Talking Architecture & Design features John Czechowski, Senior Associtae at Gray Puksand, whose career spans more than three decades of shaping public and multi-use precincts across Australia. 

Born in Canada and trained at the University of Toronto, with formative studies in Florence and Paris, his practice has stretched from infrastructure and stadia to high-rise living and large-scale master planning.

In this conversation, Czechowski reflects on how precincts have evolved from purely functional places into community-defining spaces. He explains the delicate balance between commercial viability, accessibility and cultural identity, stressing the importance of listening to community voices rather than treating consultation as an afterthought. 

The discussion also explores the unseen decisions that shape the built environment, from long-term material performance and compliance to the role of pathways and in-between spaces that guide how people experience a precinct.

Technology, climate resilience and cultural diversity are all pressing forces in design, and Czechowski offers insight into how these will influence the next generation of projects. 

This podcast is brought to you in association with Moddex, proud sponsors of our 2025 Commercial series of podcasts.

Dr Caroline Noller is a qualified quantity surveyor, Climate Active Product assessor, and past, MECLA benchmarking working group Chair, ALCAS board member and EPD Australia board member and holds a phD in the Built Environment.

These days Dr Noller provides independent oversight and technical assurance for the Rebuilt Product Carbon Footprint methodology and governance platform. 

Drawing on her career in life cycle assessment, carbon science, and software innovation, she verifies data integrity and ensures Rebuilt’s outputs align with international standards.

In this episode, Dr Noller explains the Brave New World of fully declared and verified clean, green building products.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Autex Acoustics, proud sponsors of our 2025 Sustainability series of podcasts.

Damien Crough from prefabAus, a recognised leader and advocate for Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) in Australia. 

As Co-founder and Executive Chairman of prefabAUS, Damien has been instrumental in positioning the organisation as the national peak body for offsite construction. 

Under his leadership, prefabAUS has grown from a grassroots initiative into a respected and influential voice shaping policy, driving research, and fostering collaboration across government, industry, and academia.

We also have Martin Fenn, Chief Delivery Officer at PT Blink, a construction technology company transforming the delivery of multi-storey buildings. 

He leads the strategic rollout of its rapid-assembly kit-of-parts platform, partnering with developers to accelerate projects, mitigate delivery risk, and generate measurable commercial advantage through innovation.

He also serves as the MMC Lead for Oceania with the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), the world’s largest professional body for construction management.

In this interview, they explain how  Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) is the future of a sustainable house building sector in Australia.

This podcast is brought to you in association with Moddex, proud sponsors of our 2025 Commercial series of podcasts.