Innovarchi is an architectural practice based in Sydney, engaged in providing innovative solutions to complex design problems by using higly advanced and multidisciplinary tools.
innovarchi is an International collaboration between unique, enthusiastic, and passionate individuals offering a range of experiences from diverse professional backgrounds. Innovarchi believes the best results are achieved through the rigourous testing of multiple ideas in a studio environment. We see our company as an Idea factory, generating project-specific Ideas to design problems. Innovative solutions are fostered through an environment that values fresh ideas, allowing individual input, and team development.
Innovarchi designs from first principles, approaching each project without pre-conceived ideas, rather, by carefully researching the unique nature of the project to achieve the best possible result. By utilising a higly advanced set of multi-disciplinary animation programmes, physical models, prototypes, and ad-hoc inventions relative to the task at hand, a project can be visualized continuosly from concept to construction. These tools become part of the creative process to help develop more complex ideas that facilitate a simultaneous design and development process, avoiding the restraint typically associated with linear processing in a static 2D environment.
STEPHANIE SMITH
B. Sc. Arch, B Arch, M Arch, RAIA, AAA, NAWIC
Stephanie Smith is a director of innovarchi. She graduated with a degree in architecture from the University of Sydney in 1985. Between 1979 an 1990 Sthephanie partecipated in an Architecture Summer School in Scandinavia, worked in the offices of French architect in St. Brieux, Nantes, Vannes and Bordeaux and in the offices of John Andrews (Sydney), Herman Hertberger (Amsterdam) and Renzo Piano (Italy).
She has been the recipient of an Institute of Aborigenal and Torre Strait Island Studies Research Grant, a Pacific Timber Engineering Grant, a Japanese Monbusho Research Scholarship, a Japanese International Glass Design Prize. Her work with Ken at innovarchi has been awarded an RAIA (QLD) State Merit Award for ESD 1996, three RAIA (QLD) Regional Commendations for Design 1996, 2004, 2006, an RAIA Special Jury Award (House of the Future Exhibition) 2005, an RAIA (QLD) Building of the Year Award 2006, a Design Merit Award 2003 from the National Association of Women in Construction, an Interior Design Institute Award 2003, and an Australian Timber Design Award 2005.
Her Masters of Architecture research resulted in a study of Self-constructed Aborigenal housing and she has taught ‘Design’ and ‘Aborigenal Environments’ at the University of Queensland and QUT. Sthepanie is the contributing author of a book “Settlement: A History of Australian Indigenous Housing” (2000) and she writes articles and reviews for Architecture magazines. Stephanie has been an Aborigenal Housing conference facilitator, partecipates in the Stte Government Women in Business Mentor Program, has been on the RAIA Housing committee and in 2003 was a member of the NSW State Jury for the RAIA Awards.
Between 1997 and 2001 innovarchi were the local resentative architects to Renzo Piano for the Aurora Place Office and Residential Towers in Sydney. Current innovarchi projects include a Gold Coast New Urbanist Development an 80 storey apartment tower and timber canopy in Dubai, 8 luxury villas in China, a Boutique Hotel in NZ, Masterplans in NZ and Sydney, and several private houses in NZ and Australia. All the projects are the result of a collaborative effort between the innovarchi team, the clients and our consultants.
KEN MCBRYDE
B Des St., B Arch, RAIA, AAA
Ken McBryde is a Director of innovarchi. Ken completed his architectural degree with honors at the University of Queensland in 1984. Following his studies he spent four years in Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Paris, Genoa and Osaka working principally on Bercy 2 Hypermarket in Paris, and Kansai International Airport.
He returned to Australia in 1991 and was awarded several scholarships to complete a Master of Architecture by Research at the University of Queensland. During that time he lectured in Design, and Materials Technology at the University of Queensland, QUT and more recently at Sydney University. He and Stephanie Smith estabilished innovarchi in 1996 and their work has been recognized with several national and international awards and prizes for both built and unbuilt works.
From mid 1997 till late 2001 innovarchi was the local representative architects for Renzo Piano Building Workshop in Australia, and Ken was one of the two Sydney based Project Architects on the Aurora Place project. A significant part of Kens role on the project involved presenting and negotiating issues with the central Sydney Planning Committee. This committee included the Lord Major and the NSW Governement Architect. In 2002 Ken was invited to be the Interstate Juror for the Brisbane City Councils new Administration Centre and in 2003 was Chairman of the Gold Coast Urban Design Awards. In 2004 the NSW Government architect selected innovarchi as one of the 6 Australian teams to build a "house of the future" as part of the Year of the Built Environment.
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