featuring film  'Broken English' by Richard Bell, courtesy of Milani Gallery, Brisbane   www.milanigallery.com.au

& also the launch of BURNING CITY III - Finding Melbourne      QUT studio

KEVIN O’BRIEN                       www.koarchitects.com.au           
principal architect

Kevin O'Brien Architects

EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS
2013+ Professor of Design, Creative Industries
Faculty, School of Design, Queensland
University of Technology (QUT)
2009-11 Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Built
Environment and Engineering, Queensland
University of Technology (QUT)
2006 Master of Philosophy (architecture),
University of Queensland – 2006
1995 Bachelor of Architecture
University of Queensland – 1995
EDUCATION CONTRIBUTIONS
2013+ University of Sydney, guest studio
leader and tutor
2006 University of Auckland, NZ - Guest
Speaker and Critic 4th year design
2003+ University of Queensland &
Queensland University of Technology –
Design Tutor & Guest Speaker
2000-2001 Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland)
& Queens University (Northern Ireland)
- Design Tutor & Guest Speaker
1996-2000 University of Sydney, University of
Technology Sydney, University of
Newcastle & University of New South
Wales - Design Tutor & Guest Speaker
LECTURES
2013 University of Queensland Lecture Series at
State Library of Queensland: 'Finding
Country and KOA projects'. Aug 2013.
2011 Architecture Association, London: 'Finding
Country'. Nov 2011.
2011 National College of Art and Design, Dublin:
'Finding Country'. Nov 2011.
2008 Eco-edge 2 International Conference,
Melbourne – keynote ‘Finding Country’
2007 What Now RAIA National Indigenous
Housing Conference, Alice Springs –
keynote ‘Finding Dignity’
2006 National Museums of Australia Conference,
Brisbane – keynote ‘Sep Yama’
2005 Exchange RAIA International Conference,
Melbourne – keynote ‘Logistics’
2005 Eco-edge 1 International Conference,
Melbourne – keynote ‘Points of Connection’
2001 Architectural Association of Ireland, Dublin -
Merrima’s current projects
2000 Churchill Fellowship - University of
Auckland (NZ), Unitech (NZ), University of
Hawaii (US) & University of British
Columbia (Canada) –Merrima’s current
projects
1999 Flashpoint Presentation, Sydney on
Merrima and workshop with students –
UNSW International students conference
1998 RAIA National Housing Conference,
Sydney – Architecture and Indigenous
Communities
SELECTED ARCHITECTURAL PROJECTS
2015 Commercial Office Building, Cape York
Partnerships, Cairns FNQ ($3.0M)
2014 Casino Aboriginal Medical Service, Casino,
NSW, (2.5M) Design and Documentation.
Project Architect.
2013 GUMURRII student support, Griffith
University, Gold Coast, QLD ($2.0M).
Design and Documentation. Project
Architect.
2012 GUMURRII staff offices, Griffith University,
Nathan, QLD ($0.2M). Design and
Documentation. Project Architect.
2011 Indigenous Family Hubs and Long Day-
Care Centres, Doomadgee and Mornington
Island, QLD ($4.0M). Design
documentation only. Project Architect.
2010 Indigenous Family Hubs and Short Day-
Care Centres, Mareeba, Mt Isa, Ipswich,
QLD ($4.0M). Feasibility studies to allocate
funding. Project Architect.
2010 Woorabinda State School, Library and
Administration, Woorabinda, QLD ($4.5M).
Project Architect.
2010 AGNEW School Library, Brisbane, QLD
($2.0M). Project Architect.
2010 Art Facilities for Lockhart River, Mornington
Island, QLD ($1.0M). Feasibility studies to
allocate funding. Project Architect.
2010 Retail Store and Offices, Lockhart River,
QLD ($9M). Project Architect.
2009 Cherbourg Retail and Office Hub,
Cherbourg, QLD ($4.0M). Feasibility
studies to allocate funding. Project
Architect.
2009 Centre of Excellence in Indigenous Health
Care, Inala, Brisbane, QLD ($3.0M)
Feasibility studies to allocate funding.
Project Architect.
2008 Wellers Hill, General Learning 8, Brisbane,
QLD ($2.0M). Project Architect.
2008 Remote Indigenous Housing Design
Standards, QLD. Project Architect.
2007 Gallang Place ATSI Counselling Services,
Brisbane, QLD. Refurbishment ($0.1M).
Project Architect.
2007 Krurungal ATSI Welfare and Health
Services, Gold Coast, QLD. Refurbishment
($0.1M). Project Architect.
2007 Carbal Aboriginal Medical Centre,
Toowoomba, QLD. Feasibility studies and
Refurbishment ($1.2M).
2006 Torres Strait Gallery, ‘Dhari a Krar’
Exhibition, National Museum of Australia,
Canberra ($0.1M). Exhibition Designer.
2005 2nd Chance Residential Facility, Northern
Rivers NSW ($6.6M). Design
documentation only. Project Architect
w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch Office..
2005 ‘Dandiri Maiwar’ Aboriginal Gallery,
Queenland Museum, Brisbane, QLD
($0.7M). Exhibition Designer.
2004 Cape York Institute, Cairns, QLD.
Refurbishment ($0.5M) Project Architect.
2004 Aboriginal Housing Company Redfern,
Sydney, NSW ($28M). Feasibility studies
and Masterplanning for 62 New
Apartments. Design Architect w/Merrima
NSW Govt Arch Office.
2004 Aboriginal Health and Medical Research
Council Little Bay, NSW ($6.3M). Design
Architect w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch
Office..
2003 Mental Health Clinic Thursday Island, QLD
($0.3M). Project Architect.
2001 Wilcannia Multi-Purpose Service
Wilcannia, NSW, ($2M). Design Architect
w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch Office.
2001 Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service
Sydney, NSW, ($2M). Design Architect
w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch Office.
2001 TAFE, Indigenous Arts and Craft Centre
Moree, NSW ($1.2 M) Redevelopment of
existing facility. Design Architect w/Merrima
NSW Govt Arch Office.
1999 ‘Ngalawa Architecture’ Exhibition and
installation, City Exhibition Space, Customs
House, Sydney, NSW ($20K). Exhibition
Designer w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch Office.
1999 NAISDA Dance Studios Sydney, NSW,
($0.7 M). Project Architect w/Merrima NSW
Govt Arch Office.
1997 Cummeragunja Health Centre
Cummeragunja, NSW, ($0.3M). Project
Architect w/Merrima NSW Govt Arch Office.
CREATIVE WORKS
2014 Burning City II Exhibition,' Mediated City
Conference, Woodbury University, Los
Angeles, USA. Director. Oct 2014.
2014 'The Button Event' Queensland Theatre
Company, Brisbane Festival. Set designer.
Sept 2014.
2013 'Black Bones' in The Everyday Things
Exhibition, Irish Museum of Modern Art,
Dublin, Ireland. Artist. Nov 2013 - Jan 2014.
2012 'Finding Country Exhibition,' Official
Collateral Event of the 13th Venice
Architecture Biennale, Italy. Aug-Nov 2012.
2011 'Finding Country,' QUT Lecture Series at
Tribal Theatre, Brisbane. Curator. Aug-Oct
2011.
2011 'Family Tree' in Land, Sea, Sky:
Contemporary Art of the Torres Strait,
Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane. Artist.
July-Oct 2011.
2009 'Sep Yama/Finding Country (a primer)' self
funded exhibition, DON'T COME
GALLERY, Melbourne. Director and artist.
July 2009.
2009 'Sep Yama/Finding Country (a projection)'
self funded exhibition, SLING
RESTAURANT & LOUNGE, Brisbane.
Director and photographer. June 2009.
2007 'Sep Yama/Finding Country' competition
shortlisted Creative Director for the
Australian Institute of Architects', Australian
Pavilion for the 2008 Venice Architecture
Biennale, Italy. Director. July 2007.
2005 'Sep Yama/Finding Country' competition
shortlisted Creative Director for the
Australian Institute of Architects', Australian
Pavilion for the 2006 Venice Architecture
Biennale, Italy. Director. July 2005.
AWARDS
2015 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Brisbane regional commendation: General
Learning, Wellers Hill State School
2015 QLD Australian Institute of Architects, State
Commendation for Educational
ArchitEducational Architectureecture:
Woorabinda State School
2015 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Brisbane state commendation for
Residential building: Jule House w/Claire
Humphreys
2015 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Brisbane regional commendation for
Residential building: Jule House w/Claire
Humphreys
2015 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Brisbane Region House of the Year: Jule
House w/Claire Humphreys
2013 Australian Institute of Architects, National
Award for International Architecture:
Finding Country Exhibition
2013 QLD Australian Institute of Architects, Karl
Langer Award for Urban Design: Finding
Country Exhibition
2013 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Commercial Award: Lockhart River Retail
Store and Offices
2013 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Central QLD regional commendation for
Public Buildings: Woorabinda State School
2013 QLD Australian Institute of Architects,
Brisbane regional commendation for
Residential building: Archibald Street
House
2012-14 Wesfarmers Fellow, National Gallery of
Australia
2011 British Council Arts Accelerate Recipient
2008 Queensland Premier’s Reconciliation
Awards, emerging business finalist
2006 Design Institute of Australia, Exhibition
Commendation: Dandiiri Maiwar at
Queensland Museum
2003 NSW Timber Awards, Environmental
Commitment: Wilcannia Health Service
(Merrima)
2002 National Trust Heritage, Energy Australia
Award: Wilcannia Health Service (Merrima)
2002 NSW Royal Australian Institute of
Architects, NSW, Ceril Blackett Award for
Rural Building: Wilcannia Hospital
(Merrima)
2000 Churchill Fellowship: to study contemporary
indigenous architecture in the Pacific region
COMMISSIONED WRITINGS
2015 Courting Blackness, Recalibrating
Knowledge in the Sandstone University, Ed.
Foley, Martin-Chew and Nicoll, UQ Press:
‘Finding Country’
2015 Green Magazine (Issue 42): ‘Final Chapter’
2015 Houses (Issue 103): ‘Elemental Living:
Taringa Pavilion’
2014 Green Magazine (Issue 40): 'White
Avenue'
2013 Architectural Review (AR133 - Contrasts):
'The Radical Centre'
2012 Artlink (Indigenous Vol32, no2): 'For
architecture and country'
2012 Venice Architecture Biennale Catalogue:
'Finding Country Exhibition'
2011 Monument (101): 'Absorption Method'
2009 Colliding Islands Exhibition (foreword to
exhibition catalogue): ‘What is Land?’
2009 Monument (unpublished): ‘Against the
Grain’
2008 Inside (issue 50): ‘Learning from Eames:
Six Lessons’
2007 Architectural Review (issue 103): ‘Sep
Yama/Finding Country 5 Ways’
2007 RAIA National Indigenous Housing
Conference (proceedings): ‘Debe
Yama/Finding Dignity: 7 Prompts’
2006 Architectural Review (issue 098): ‘Hole in
the Grid’
2004 SAHANZ 2004: Conference Proceedings ‘
Meriam Space’
2003 SAHANZ 2003: Conference Proceedings
‘Architecture and Aboriginality’
CITATIONS
2014 Architecture Australia (July-Aug 2014):
'Kevin O'Brien Architects' in Platform written
by Sandra Kaji-O'Grady
2013 Green Magazine (Issue 30): 'Push & Pull'
on the ARC House by Jenna Reed Burns
2013 Architecture Australia (Nov-Dec 2013):
'Finding Country Exhibition' review written
by Robert Grace
2005 10x10x2: Merrima nominated in
International Publication
2004 Architectural Review Australia 094: Merrima
nominated in Next Edition
2003 Architectural Record (USA): Merrima
nominated in Vanguard Edition
2000 ABC television: ‘In the Minds of Architects’,
documentary on Australian architecture
featuring Merrima, directed by Jan Ryan
AFFILIATIONS
2014+ Director, Cape York Aboriginal Australian
Academy
2015+ Qld Chapter Councillor, Australian Institute
of Architects
2013+ A+ Member, Australian Institute of
Architects
2010-12 Member, Art + Place Panel, Arts
Queensland, Qld Government
2010-11 Director, Cape York Partnerships
2008-10 Member, Queensland Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Advisory Council, Qld
Government
2008-13 Director, Gallang Place, Aboriginal & Torres
Strait Islander Corporation Counselling
Services
2006+ Registered Architect, Board of Architects,
Queensland, no. 3866

Kevin O'Brien Architects
3/33 Vulture St, West End, Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
PO Box 3067, South Brisbane, QLD 4101, Australia
T: (07) 3846 6425 E: info@koarchitects.com.au