Katherine is a Principal at MGS Architects, an architecture and urbanism consultancy that exists to create places with longevity and adaptability that deliver daily value to the people who use them. Drawing on her experience as an architect and urban designer in Australia, Germany and the Netherlands, she leads significant urban transformation projects, with a focus on university campuses, creative employment neighbourhoods and housing precincts. Katherine is also a sessional teacher at Monash University, inspiring the next generation of public interest urbanists.

Heinz is an urban design leader and strategic thinker with a focus on the 21st century city as a proving ground for urban adaptation, community resilience and social equity. He leads the Urban Design at Woods Bagot in Australia and is an Adjunct Professor and lecturer at Swinburne University of Technology and the University of Melbourne. Graduating with a Masters of Science in Architecture and Urban Design (MSAUD) from the Columbia University GSAPP in New York, he is based in Melbourne working on both Australian and global projects. Heinz has been an Adjunct Professor and lecturer at Swineburne University of Technology and The University of Melbourne MSD as well as a guest critic for architectural and urban design studios at Columbia GSAPP Melbourne MSD, RMIT, Monash, Miami and IIT.

Ella enjoys tackling social and environmental issues throughout her design process. With her skills in engagement, she helps to bridge the gap between communities and authorities to reach mutually beneficial outcomes. Above all, she is passionate in strengthening supportive, sustainable and active communities to improve people’s daily lives and has worked across project scales in both Australia and New Zealand. She is currently an associate urban designer and project lead at MGS Architects, and throughout her career has worked in growth areas, regional towns and most urban areas of Melbourne. As a practical and strategic thinker, she specialises in urban renewal, social housing, transit-oriented design, master planning, open space/public realm planning, walking/cycling improvements and engagement work, enjoying when she can unite these elements through visioning early on.

Will is an urban designer and Senior Associate at Mesh with a background in architecture, planning and landscape architecture. He specialises in established area precinct masterplanning and innovation precincts drawing on his multidisciplinary experience working in Australia, Netherlands, US and UK. Will has co-led a design studio at Monash University as well as been a guest critic for design studios at Melbourne MSD, Monash and TU Delft. Will also has two dogs and he will talk to you about them at any opportunity.

Dr. Brendan Baxter is an urban designer and architect. A senior government practitioner with extensive private sector experience, he is passionate about supporting public interest outcomes in our cities. Brendan’s 2019 thesis The New Berlin: Urban design models for a more compact and sustainable city identified lessons relevant to major challenges facing Australian cities. Brendan enjoys sharing his expertise through guest-teaching roles at universities and leading community architectural tours.