Kevin O’Brien is a Brisbane based architect. In 2018 he joined BVN as a Principal, becoming part of one of Australia’s largest and most highly acclaimed architectural practices. In 2020 he was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the School of Architecture, Design and Planning at the University of Sydney, and was previously a Professor of Creative Practice there between 2016-2019. He was a Board member of La Boite Theatre from 2015-2020, and the Institute of Modern Art 2017-2019.
Kevin’s expertise over the past 20 years in cultural, educational, health and commercial projects has generated a reputation for achieving meaningful architecture and authentic outcomes for the communities and clients they serve. Numerous projects have been recognised through the Australian Institute of Architects’ awards in regional, state and national categories.
Of significance is the Finding Country project that began in 2005 and continues to this day as a guide for practice, teaching and thinking about architecture and its fraught relationship with place-making. In 2012 this endeavour took the form of the Finding Country Exhibition as an official collateral event of the 13th Venice Architectural Biennale, enjoying international attention, and was awarded the 2013 AIA Karl Langer Award for Urban Design in Queensland and a 2013 AIA National Award for International Architecture.
This approach to Country informed the QUT Campus to Country Positioning Strategy completed in 2020. The Strategy compliments the QUT long term masterplan vision by articulating a track though the campus that establishes opportunities for urban and architectural moves to connect directly with Country by drawing to the surface the presence of culture. The project was awarded the 2021 AIA Karl Langer Award for Urban Design in Queensland and a 2021 AIA National Commendation for Urban Design.
Featured Work
QUT CAMPUS TO Country
Campus to Country outlines QUT's aspirations to be a university of its place – reflective of culture both past and present, embedded in Country and curated by and for our community. The strategy provides a framework for future engagement, decision making, project delivery, and built environment outcomes including significant public realm works, new facilities, planned upgrades and changes to the campus experience.
Finding Country Exhibition
Finding Country is an ongoing project initiated by Kevin O’Brien in 2006 and continuing as a pluralist contest between the idea of Aboriginal space (Country), and European space (property) in Australia. Aboriginal Country is excluded from the Australian city and even more so in the derivative architecture.
Atlassian Central
BVN SHoP Architects is designing the new Sydney headquarters for Atlassian in the NSW Government’s much anticipated new tech precinct, Tech Central.
Atlassian will be the anchor tenant, and the new commercial and hostel building will be home to thousands of technology workers when complete in 2025. BVN and Shop were selected after an extensive global search and design competition.
Powerhouse Parramatta
– the World’s First Museum of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
BVN was a finalist in the design competition for the new Powerhouse Museum in Parramatta. We envisaged a place that would support human wellbeing, strengthen identity, protect the planet and bind us through place.
