N M B W Architecture Studio is an architectural practice established in Melbourne. Our design methodology is place-based with a strong focus on materiality and cultural experience, delivered across a broad range of scales and categories.

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Practice profile

N M B W Architecture Studio is an architectural practice established in Melbourne. Our design methodology is place-based with a strong focus on materiality and cultural experience. We have delivered successful projects across a broad range of scales and categories, from public to private, large to small, remote to urban, re-used and new. Our focus on the relationships between things allows us to strategically link large and small actions in each environment, with a focus on both buildings and landscapes that create holistic, inclusive and culturally deep design responses. You can see our work in education, housing, adaptive re-use, and urban design here.

ADDRESS  

NMBW Architecture Studio
2 / 70 Kerr St
Fitzroy Vic 3065 Australia

JOB/S  

For applications regarding employment: work@nmbw.com.au (attachments max. 5MB)

TEAM  

Lucinda McLeanDirector

Marika NeustupnyDirector

Nigel BertramDirector

Nina Tory-HendersonSenior Architect

Dan BisettoSenior Architect

Harry BardoelSenior Architect

Lochlan FraserGraduate of Architecture

Media

NMBW Architecture Studio

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Team

Lucinda McLean is a founding Director of NMBW and has taught in design and urban research at RMIT University for the past 20 years. Lucinda has a Masters of Architecture from Staedelschule (Germany) and a PhD from RMIT University. Lucinda has interest and experience working within local landscape ecologies and designing the relationship between architectural, urban and landscape strategies that work to increase landscape specificity and local identity. Lucinda has worked in offices in Berlin and London. She is currently a Design Review Panel member for the Office of the Victorian Government Architect and for Latrobe University.


Marika Neustupny is a founding Director of NMBW. She has taught in design and urban research at RMIT University since 1995 and currently sits on the Course Advisory Panel for the RMIT Architecture Program. Marika has a Masters of Architecture from Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan) and a PhD from University of Queensland. She has authored Curtain Call: Melbourne’s Mid-century Curtain Walls and co-authored By-Product-Tokyo with Nigel Bertram and Shane Murray (RMIT University Press). Through her projects and research, Marika has developed a strong understanding of the social and cultural rituals of urban life. Marika has also worked and studied extensively in Tokyo.


Nigel Bertram is a founding Director of NMBW and Practice Professor in Architecture at Monash University. He has a Masters of Architecture from RMIT University and was awarded his PhD from the same university in 2010. Nigel has taught at Monash and RMIT Universities for over 20 years, and is currently a Design Review Panel member for the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. He has authored a number of research publications, most recently In Time with Water: Design Studies of 3 Australian Cities edited with Catherine Murphy (UWA Publishing) and Suburbia Reimagined: Ageing and Increasing Populations in the Low-Rise City with Leon Van Schaik (Routledge). Nigel has a range of experience working with government and university bodies at different scales on NMBW’s urban and institutional projects.


Nina Tory-Henderson, is a Senior Architect and architectural researcher, adept at working across different scales and contexts with experience in a wide breadth of sectors including landscape, urban, cultural, heritage, residential and educational projects in Melbourne, Sydney and Copenhagen. Since joining NMBW Nina has been project architect for several buildings as part of the University of Melbourne’s Student Precinct as well as a social housing project for Homes Victoria.


Dan Bisetto is a Senior Architect at NMBW with experience working on heritage, educational & commercial buildings across all project stages. Dan appreciates the importance of cultivating collaborative relationships with all stakeholders, consultants & contractors, and has a particular interest in how design intent can be carried through the documentation and construction phases of a project. More recently, Dan was the project architect for Sanders Place, a commercial adaptive re-use project in Richmond.


Harry Bardoel is a Senior Architect who joined NMBW in 2020 after graduating from RMIT University. He has a range of experience working on education, housing, adaptive re-use and urban design projects. In addition, Harry has several years of experience working on building sites and has a keen interest in construction detailing. Since joining NMBW, Harry has played a key role on Cloud 9 and several other alpine projects. He is also adept at working with BIM and point cloud information, ensuring efficiency at every stage of design and documentation.


Lochlan Fraser is a Graduate of Architecture who joined NMBW after graduating from Monash University (MArch) and RMIT University (BEng/BBus). Lochlan brings a range of experiences from his engineering and architectural background working on infrastructure projects in Melbourne and Barcelona. Since being part of the winning collaborative team entry for the Reimagining Where We Live design ideas competition in 2023, Lochlan has been involved in a range of projects at NMBW including a proposed refurbishment of Nelse Lodge in Falls Creek.


Selected Bibliography

2024

David Neustein, 'Box Office Hit' (Sanders Place), in The Monthly, May 2024, pp.52-55.

2023

Rachel Hurst, ‘University of Melbourne Student Precinct Project by Lyons et al’, in Architecture Australia, June 2023.

2022

Rachel Hurst, ‘St Albans Housing’, in Architecture Australia, March-April 2022.

2021

Place Value – Ashfield in Future West Issue #8

2020

NMBW: Observation Matters, Robin Boyd Keynote Lecture, National Gallery of Victoria / Robin Boyd Foundation

London, G., Bertram, N., Sainsbury., O. and Todorovic, T (2020). Infill Typologies Catalogue. Melbourne, Australia: Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities

2019

Andy Fergus, ‘North Melbourne House’, in Houses, December 2019.

Nigel Bertram and Catherine Murphy (eds.), In Time With Water: Design Studies of 3 Australian Cities, UWA Publishing, Crawley, 2019.

Leon van Schaik and Nigel Bertram, Suburbia Reimagined: Ageing and Increasing Populations in the Low-Rise City, Routledge, New York, 2019

2018

Andrew Nimmo, ‘New Academic Street’, in Architecture Australia, September-October 2018.

Mauro Baracco and Louise Wright, Repair (Kullurk/Coolart: Somers Farm and Wetlands), Actar, New York, 2018

Anna Johnson and Richard Black, Urban Sanctuary (North Melbourne House, Thames & Hudson, Melbourne, 2018

2016

Anna Johnson and Richard Black, Living in the Landscape (Point Lonsdale House), Thames & Hudson, Melbourne, 2016

Andrew Nimmo, ‘The City Campus and Urban Agency’ (RMIT New Academic Street), in Architecture Australia, July-August 2016

Paul Walker, ‘Squared Up: Point Lonsdale House’, in Architecture Australia, May 2016.

2015

Tobias Horrocks, ‘From little things: South Yarra Warehouse’, in Houses, February 2015.

2014

Bonnie Grant, ‘Box Hill Gardens Multipurpose Area’, in Landscape Architecture Australia, February 2014.

2013

Nigel Bertram, Furniture, Structure, Infrastructure: Making and Using the Urban Environment, Ashgate, Surrey, 2013.

Stuart Harrison, New Suburban: Reinventing the Family Home Australia & New Zealand (Aranda House), Thames & Hudson, Melbourne, 2013.

Tim Reeves and Alan Roberts, 100 Canberra Houses: A Century of Capital Architecture (Aranda House), Halstead Press, Ultimo, 2013.

2012

Anna Johnson, ‘Case Studies: NMBW Architecture Studio’, in The Office of the Victorian Government Architect, Momentum: New Victorian Architecture, The Miegunyah Press, Melbourne, 2012.

2011

Philip Goad & Julie Willis (eds.), Encyclopedia of Australian Architecture, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2011.

Stuart Harrison, Forty-Six Square Metres of Land Doesn’t Normally Become a House (Fitzroy Apartments), Thames & Hudson, Melbourne, 2011.

Leigh Woolley, ‘Ground Rules’ (Curlewis House), in Architectural Review Australia, Residential 11, October/November 2011.

2010

Andrew Mackenzie, ‘About Face 2010’ (Core House), in Architectural Review Australia, Residential 10, October/November 2010.

Petra Stephan, ‘Lyons Office’, in AIT Magazine (Architecture, Interior, Technology) (Germany), November 2010.

Simon Anderson, ‘Kerr Street Apartments’, in Architecture Australia, JulyAugust 2010.

Marcus Baumgart, ‘Lyons’ (Lyons Office), in Artichoke, June-August 2010.

2009

Stuart Harrison, ‘Teaching Architecture’ (RMIT Building 45), in Architecture Australia, March-April 2009.

2008

Geoffrey London & Simon Anderson (eds.), ‘Small Groups’ (NMBW Architecture Studio), in Take 7: Housing Australia: How Architects Can Make a Difference, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Manuka, 2008.

Delia Teschendorff, ‘Pioneer Museum Plaza’, in Landscape Architecture Australia, No.120, November 2008, pp56-58.

Paul Walker, ‘Elwood House’, in Architecture Australia, July-August 2008.

2006

Marika Neustupny, Curtain Call: Melbourne’s Mid-century Curtain Walls, RMIT University Press, Melbourne, 2006.

Nigel Bertram and Shane Murray, Micro Macro City: Australian Pavilion. 10th International Architecture Exhibition. La Biennale Di Venezia 2006, Royal Australian Institute of Architects, Barton ACT, September 2006.

2004

Louise Wright & Mauro Baracco, ‘Somers 'shed'’, in Architecture Australia, January 2004.

2003

Nigel Bertram, Shane Murray, Marika Neustupny, By-Product-Tokyo, RMIT University Press, Melbourne, 2003.

Maria Sol Kliczkowski & Cristina Montes, ‘EQ’ (EQ Project), in Open-Air Restaurants, LOFT Publications, Barcelona, 2003.

2002

Nigel Bertram & Kim Halik, Division and Multiplication: building and inhabitation in inner Melbourne, RMIT University Press, Melbourne, 2002.

2001

Alex Selenitsch, ‘EQuilibrium’ (EQ Project), in Architectural Review Australia, June 2001.

Mauro Baracco, For a “resisting” architecture, beyond the relation local/ global. Four Projects in Melbourne (Garden City House), in Casabella (Milan), April 2001.

1998

NMBW Architecture Studio, ‘Nudel Bar, McPherson Street House’, in Doug Evans (ed.), Aardvark: Guide to Melbourne Architecture, RMIT School of Architecture & Design, 1998.

1997

Julie Irving, ‘Nudel Bar’, in Architecture Australia March/ April 1997, pp38-43.

Selected Awards

Sanders Place

With Finding Infinity

2024

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
The Sir Osborn McCutcheon Award for Commercial Architecture (VIC)


University of Melbourne Student Precinct

With Lyons, Koning Eizenberg, Greenaway Architects, Architects EAT, Aspect Studios and Glas Urban

2023

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Walter Burley Griffen Award for Urban Design (National)

Heritage Architecture Award (National)

Victorian Architecture Medal (VIC)

Joseph Reed Award, Urban Design (VIC)

Henry Bastow Award, Educational Architecture (VIC)

Heritage Award – Creative Adaptation (VIC)


St Albans Housing

With Monash University Art Design & Architecture

2022

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Multi-Residential Architecture Award (VIC)

Commendation, Multi-Residential (National)


North Melbourne House

2019

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture (VIC)


RMIT University New Academic Street

With Lyons Architects, Harrison and White, MvS Architects and Maddison Architects

2018

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Daryl Jackson Award Educational Architecture (National)

Urban Design Architecture Award (National)

Victorian Architecture Medal (VIC)


Point Lonsdale House

2016

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Award for Residential Architecture, New Houses (National)

Architecture Award, Residential Architecture, New Houses (VIC)


Box Hill Gardens Multi-Purpose Area

2014

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Urban Design Award (VIC)

2013

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Awards:
Design Award (VIC)


South Yarra Warehouse

2014

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
John and Phyllis Murphy Award, Residential Architecture, Alterations and Additions (VIC)


Furniture, Structure, Infrastructure: Making and Using the Urban Environment

2014

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Bates Smart Award, Architecture in the Media (VIC)


Family Apartment Fitzroy

2014

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Commendation, Residential Architecture, Alterations and Additions (VIC)


Fitzroy Apartments

2012

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Commendation, Residential Architecture, Multiple Housing (VIC)

Commendation, Colorbond award for steel in Architecture (VIC)


Aranda House, Canberra

2012

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Architecture Award, Residential Architecture, New Houses (ACT)


Sorrento House

2011

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for Residential Architecture (VIC)


Lyons Office, Melbourne

2010

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Interior Architecture Award (National)

Commendation, Sustainable Architecture (National)


Elwood House

2009

Shortlisted, House Category, World Architecture Festival, Barcelona

2008

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Residential Architecture Award - Alterations and Additions (VIC)


RMIT Building 45, Carlton

2009

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Public Architecture Award - Alterations and Additions (VIC)


Pioneer Museum Plaza, Jeparit

2008

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
The Regional Prize, for contribution to rural & regional Victoria (VIC)

Architecture Award, Small Project Architecture (VIC)


North Fitzroy House

2005

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Architecture Award, Residential Architecture, Alterations and Additions (VIC)


Division and Multiplication

With Kim Halik

2003

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Bates Smart Award for Architecture in the Media (VIC)


EQ Project, Victorian Arts Centre

2001

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
The Melbourne Prize, for outstanding contribution to the public realm (VIC)


Nudel Bar

1996

Australian Institute of Architects Awards:
Commendation, Interior Architecture (VIC)


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