Our Practice
Connecting people to place.
The energy of our practice is focused on recognising connections between the past, contemporary culture, and the future in bold and meaningful ways.
Truly understanding distinctive places drives us. The imperatives of our time demand the recognition of the voices, struggles, and artistry of our past – the full sweep of Australia's history. Our work fosters community engagement with our diverse and complex pasts.
We are dedicated to sustainable development - creating social, economic and environmental value by celebrating what is distinctive, cherished and sometimes forgotten. We embrace our built heritage, its natural lifecycle and the regenerative potential of informed change.
Our aim is to help you to recognise heritage significance as an asset you can leverage.
We bring to your project:
Effective
problem-solving
Deep rooted
knowledge
Innovative
place-based design
A holistic
perspective
We take pride in producing the highest quality outcomes, driven by our practice management systems including:
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Quality Assurance guided by ISO9001
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Environmental Management
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Occupational Health and Safety
RBA acknowledge the Yalukt-ut Weelam clan of the Bunurong people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Euro-Yroke | St Kilda, where our office is based. We recognise their continuing connection to Country and pay our respects to their Elders, past and present. We extend that respect to all First Nations people throughout Australasia and recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded.
Our Reconciliation Action Plan
We remain unwavering in our support of the Uluru Statement from the Heart's deeply profound invitation and its call for Voice, Truth and Treaty. As heritage practitioners and sojourners of Australia's historical and cultural landscapes, our awareness of the presence and experience of First Nation Peoples is ever-evolving. As is our recognition of the complexities embedded within seeking to conserve a significant historic environment that occupies — without accord — Aboriginal Country.
The convergence between built heritage, where we predominantly practice, and First Nation's voices and views is nuanced and challenging. These are tensions we acknowledge and seek to unpack.
Our Reflect RAP (Reconciliation Action Plan) is an important first step in challenging the status quo without the built heritage sector. We encourage you to read about our commitments on this front here.Image Details — The Ngaree (‘ceremony’) Tree
A giant red gum located in Albert Park Reserve, near our offices — is popularly considered the oldest surviving lifeform in the City of Port Phillip, with an estimated age of up to 800 years old. It holds a deep history as a meeting place for the Yaluk-ut Weelan clan of the Boonwurrung peoples and endures as a powerful symbol of their connection to Country. Local community activism over the 20th century ensured the conservation of this ancient tree, pointing to its emergence as a place of shared cultural value.
Roger Beeston
Director +
Registered Architect
Annie Sagala
Practice Manager +
Architectural Graduate
Anthony Hemingway
Principal: Heritage Consulting
Phillipa Hall
Principal: Architecture + Conservation
Patrick Wilson
Senior Heritage Consultant
Deirdre Heffernan
Senior Conservation Specialist +
Architectural Graduate
Jeremy De Vos
Senior Architect
Margaret Nicoll
Senior Conservation Specialist +
Practice Mentor
Lachlan McMullin
Bid Manager +
Architectural Graduate
Erin Williams
Senior Heritage Consultant
Paula Yanez
Architectural Graduate +
Conservation Specialist
Ashleigh Ngan
Senior Heritage Consultant +
Architectural Graduate
Kristianna Scheffel
Heritage Consultant
Chamathya Gunawardena
Heritage Consultant
Sophie Tuck
Architectural Graduate
Nicci Foster
Heritage Consultant
Our close-knit and personable team comprises a mixture of old and new hands, including registered architects, heritage consultants, professional and architectural historians, and specialist building conservators. Our independence, rigorous approach, and collective expertise drive the firm—empowering the insights, lateral thinking, and consensus building that keep projects on track and ensure successful outcomes.
2018
City of Port Phillip Design Development Awards | Commendation - Heritage conservation
'Waimea' Page Street
2013
UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation | Award of Merit
Maryborough Railway Station
While it's our business to engage with the past, we strive for engagement with current dialogue and continuous improvement in our way of thinking, this forms an essential part of our ability to provide our clients with the highest quality outcome.
