NEWS: Celebrating New Elevations in our Sydney Studio
[Above: L-R – Caleb Niethe, Jacek Banasiewicz, Hannah Clifton, Gillian Hatch, Georgina Nefiodova, Konrad Grabczuk, Karin Ke, Sylvia Vasak, John Ferguson; Missing – Carol Yang, Jake Boydell]
We’re thrilled to announce 11 well-deserved elevations across our Sydney studio. Joining the leadership team are three new Senior Associates and eight new Associates who have helped shape the way our studio works, designs, and grows together.
COX Director, Brooke Lloyd
The era of the auteur architect has given way to the power of the collective. At COX, collaboration is our cornerstone. We are incredibly proud to recognise and promote our latest cohort of talent—designers who prove every day that our greatest work happens together.
[Above: L-R – Konrad Grabczuk, Gillian Hatch, Karin Ke]
Gillian Hatch – Senior Associate
Gillian is a Senior Associate with over a decade of experience across large-scale infrastructure, commercial, and cultural projects in Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. She recently joined COX as the Station Lead for Westmead Station, part of the Sydney Metro West five-station package. Prior to COX, Gillian was the Project Architect for Maungawhau Station, one of three stations delivered under Auckland’s City Rail Link project. She led the station’s development from tender design through to design development and construction.
Karin has developed a career over a decade focused on the design and delivery of significant cultural, civic and educational projects. Now she works across design leadership, complex project delivery and multidisciplinary coordination, with a particular interest in how architecture can strengthen cultural identity, belonging and public life. A registered architect and emerging urbanist, Karin is interested in architecture beyond the boundaries of the individual building — as cultural infrastructure capable of connecting people, place and memory while contributing meaningfully to the life of the city.
Konrad Grabczuk – Senior Associate
Konrad Grabczuk is a Senior Architect with experience in multiple sectors across the world, with a focus in complex transport and infrastructure projects. Konrad has recently been engaged as station technical lead of Metro station in Sydney CPB. In this role he has been responsible for the design, multidisciplinary coordination, documentation, and project delivery.
[Above: L-R – Caleb Niethe, Hannah Clifton, Jacek Banasiewicz, Georgina Nefiodova, John Ferguson, Sylvia Vasak]
Caleb’s work is focussed on the effects of construction on the character of spaces. In his work, considered details and material conditions carry design intent through all stages of building design. This is a process that he has applied across multiple typologies, including multi-residential, commercial and retail. Caleb specialises in the delivery of residential and complex mixed-use projects. Over the past few years, he has been the project lead of 169 Herring Road, a significant purpose-built student accommodation project.
Carol Yang is a registered architect with 8 years of postgraduate work experience. Her diverse portfolio encompasses multi-residential architecture, mixed-use developments, transport and infrastructure, commercial architecture, as well as interior fit-outs. She has been involved in various stages of projects, from early concept design to construction delivery. Her commitment to sustainable and innovative design solutions has consistently earned accolades from both clients and peers alike.
Georgina Nefiodovas – Associate
Georgina is a focused, driven, and deeply passionate design professional who actively engages with the design community to broaden her understanding of the built environment and enhance her contributions to the field. With a diverse portfolio spanning education, sports, commercial, residential and community projects, she has developed a unique versatility and adaptability in her approach to design.
Hannah is an experienced designer working across both architecture and interior teams, from conceptual inception through to project completion. Since joining COX in 2016, she has worked across a diverse range of typologies, including workplace, commercial, hospitality, sport, cultural and residential projects; with a particular interest in adaptive reuse. Her Master of Architecture graduating project was awarded the 2022 AIA NSW Chapter Graduate Medal, and in 2023 she was named a finalist in Australian Design Review’s 30 UNDER 30.
Jacek is a highly organized and versatile professional with over 20 years of experience in Australia and Europe. He brings extensive expertise in design, architectural management, and documentation, guiding large-scale projects from inception to completion across diverse sectors. Jacek excels at leading multidisciplinary teams with skill and confidence and brings extensive experience in the design and delivery of large, complex developments across sectors including residential, mixed use, transport, culture and community, sports, and education.
Jake is a registered architect with a passion for contextually responsive design and the transformative power of spatial curation in shaping how people experience place. While his foundation lies in a strong design sensibility, he has also cultivated a deep appreciation for the precision of detailing required to successfully realise architectural intent.
John is experienced in all phases of the design process, from concept development, design documentation through to construction administration and project completion. Since joining COX, he has worked in a variety of sectors including, heritage, education, residential, hospitality, master planning and commercial workplace. Key projects include Canva Headquarters and the Midtown Centre Workplace, both, exceptional exemplars of adaptable reuse within major cities, where he was instrumental in coordinating a complex services strategies and delivery lead.
Sylvia is an experienced and registered architect with over 18 years of professional experience across Australia and Europe. Since joining COX, she has contributed her strong design expertise across a range of project sectors, bringing a comprehensive understanding of architectural design from concept through to design development and delivery. Sylvia brings a collaborative and considered approach to her work, with strong communication skills, attention to detail, and a focus on achieving well-resolved design outcomes.
Please join us in celebrating their achievements as we look forward to their continued success in their new roles.