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.
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 | Architect
Annie Sagala
Practice Manager
Anthony Hemingway
Principal: Heritage
Phillipa Hall
Principal: Architecture + Conservation
Katrina Place Dernelley
Principal Regional Heritage | Specialist Historic Interiors
Patrick Wilson
Senior Heritage Consultant | Professional Historian
Deirdre Heffernan
Project Lead: Architecture + Conservation
Jeremy De Vos
Senior Architect
Margaret Nicoll
Senior Conservation Specialist |
Practice Mentor
Lachlan McMullin
Bid Manager | Architectural Graduate and Visualiser
Erin Williams
Senior Heritage Consultant
Paula Yanez
Conservation Specialist | Architectural Graduate
Ashleigh Ngan
Conservation Specialist |
Architectural Graduate
Kristianna Scheffel
Professional Historian | Heritage Consultant
Sophie Tuck
Architectural Graduate
Nicci Foster
Heritage Planner | Student Archaeologist
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.