To mark a full year of Bradhly Le's young studio, the team at RIZEN Atelier share their impressions and inspirations so far.

What was your biggest achievement this year at RIZEN? 

Bradhly Le: When I made the decision to start a design studio 12 months ago, I had no idea what to expect and what the future was going to look like for us. But I knew we had the experience, dedication, connections and drive to steer this studio where it needed to go, and we have been doing just that.

Founding RIZEN Atelier has been my greatest achievement and opening a studio in Sydney has allowed our small but mighty team to grow as designers and grow in their careers, so this has been humbling to witness. The RIZEN team are working on projects right across the country and we have since opened a studio in Brisbane to strengthen our position in that market.

What was your favourite project? 

There are so many favourite projects, but one that really stands out – and that is Tour De Cure in South Eveleigh. It was so humbling to receive a call from a client who asked us whether we could help them validate, design and deliver their new headquarters. Naturally the answer was yes, and this was the confidence boost we needed after only a few weeks of operating. It kickstarted something special for us.

This project has a special place in my heart as it is a Not-For-Profit business whose mission is to raise money to cure cancer, and I knew that their new workplace is going to be the catalyst for Tour De Cure to reach their goal even sooner. The other standout reason why I love this project is that nearly all the design elements and infrastructure was reused, re-composed or donated from other sites and this represents an exemplary benchmark in relation to adaptive reuse, circularity and just care for the environment.

What do you look forward to in the year ahead? 

With over two decades of experience working with clients, solving their challenges and building our industry brand, I feel like the RIZEN story has just begun. I am immensely proud of our team and what we have created so far. Our ambitions are high, and our strategic planning, sector targets and team dynamic is well considered. The last 12 months was about setting the scaffold for growth and now that the structure and connections are emplaced, it can only go up and outwards from here.

What does your elevation to Associate mean for you and RIZEN in Brisbane? 

Carolina Velosa: Following a decade of working across acclaimed global interior practices, it has been an incredibly rewarding journey leading and growing RIZEN Atelier’s Brisbane studio. Within 12 months our small but mighty team have collectively grown to six talented designers who bring decades of industry experience which we can offer to all our clients.

What’s your design approach? 

My workplace expertise and commitment to design excellence aligns nicely with RIZEN’s strategic goals for the Brisbane studio, a city buzzing with design opportunities. My extensive sector-diverse experiences also enable me to draw from various typologies, and deliver high-quality and considered design solutions for our clients. 

My approach to design has always been for longevity – to add value through the commitment to quality outcomes and highly considered spaces. Creating memorable and functional interiors that elevate our daily experience, I am focused on designing spaces that minimise waste and unnecessary changes to the existing built environment where I can. 

What was your biggest achievement or most memorable moment this year at RIZEN? 

Alison Gibb: One of my biggest achievements was joining RIZEN as an Associate and working alongside Brad to fuel the growth of the studio. This is something I don’t take for granted, and meeting new clients and working within a studio built upon integrity and collaboration is really special.

The first week was quite eventful. We did a team photoshoot, a project photoshoot and I dived straight into a project tender submission – there simply wasn’t any idling and I knew that the team at RIZEN was high-performing and unique.

What was your favourite project? 

My favourite project is 10 Shelley St Barangaroo End of Trip as we were able to transform a subterranean space – which was dark, claustrophobic and functionally convoluted – into an elevated wellness sanctuary. We made some monumental shifts on this project and were able to test new thinking and design moves to really project new experiences for end-of-trip spaces. We were able to amplify the design by increasing the apertures and thresholds from one space to the next to create a much more frictionless, inviting and intuitive environment for our client and their tenants.

What do you look forward to in the year ahead? 

Growing and leading the team with Brad in Sydney, but also alongside Carolina in Brisbane and with active projects in Melbourne, across diverse typologies of sectors, I feel like the sky is the limit and I’m excited to see what we can achieve together as a team.

What was your most memorable moment this year at RIZEN? 

Audrey Marquant: My first business trip to Melbourne – it was go-go-go and at times felt chaotic but exciting at the same time. Brad and I dragged a suitcase full of finishes halfway across Melbourne and presented our detailed design to our client after being in transit for a few hours. It really felt like one of those ‘welcome to the real design world’ moments and I can’t wait to do this all again.

What was your favourite project? 

I love working on all facets of design, from outdoor spaces and workplaces right through to that fine-grained detail of how a material feels and responds to human senses. One of my favourite projects was rethinking the two courtyards for our National Science Agency client. We were able to show that design is not limited to spaces behind walls, and that interiors, landscape and architecture are all intertwined and connected.

Creating outdoor spaces that are functionally considered but beautifully executed – in what is a quintessential Australian bush setting for one courtyard and curated garden for the other – pushed me to think creatively. The most rewarding part of this project was seeing our client’s smile as we progressively revealed the design. This also put a huge grin on my face too and that moment has really stuck with me.

What do you look forward to in the year ahead? 

I love being challenged and it definitely feels like I’m part of studio that is restless, curious and wants to continue to challenge the status quo which is truly amazing. I’m excited to keep growing with the team and add a few more wild chapters to my career at RIZEN. 

Related: Four Sydney architects on the NSW Pattern Book

What was your biggest achievement or most memorable moment this year? 

Angel Miu: My biggest achievement has definitely been the quantity of projects I’ve completed within such a short timeframe at RIZEN. It’s been a real hustle but also the greatest opportunity to learn and develop my technical skills. I have seen, experienced, grown and learnt more than I ever have in my career so far, and I can’t wait to for more challenges like these to come.

The most memorable moments – honestly there’s never a dull moment at RIZEN. It’s the people that make it exciting to come to work every day. We’ve become such a close family. We care for each other; we banter like a house on fire, and we encourage each other every day. At RIZEN we work hard, play hard and laugh hard.

What do you look forward to in the year ahead? 

I’m looking forward to all our upcoming projects completed. As a team we are ambitious to grow as individuals and as a company. One of our goals is to continually expand our portfolio, stretch our creative juices and be part of all sorts of projects. 

What was your biggest achievement or most memorable moment this year at RIZEN? 

Paris Dickins: Having the team come together to photograph the completion of Tour de Cure was quite surreal. Even though this wasn’t my main project, this was the first project in my career where I have seen it develop from concept design right through to post-construction. 

My first ever design project at RIZEN was a Japanese-inspired bar for a high-end residence, and I will never forget the moment when we presented our design to our client. It was amazing to see how clients responded to my ideas and to be able to discuss these concepts with them in person.

What was your favourite project? 

My favourite project is 9 Barracks St. Because of its heritage context, I have seen the project unfold and the design evolve as our client slowly revealed all the historic wonders that has been hidden underneath all the layers of fit-out. The existing heritage materials on site have now been integrated into the design to create a much deeper and richer outcome and I am eager to see how it all looks when finished! 

RIZEN Atelier
rizenatelier.com

Photography
Josie Lancaster
Portrait imagery by RIZEN Atelier

Next up: Fanuli by RIZEN Atelier