Ian Moore spoke to WILLIAMS MEDIA about the most interesting brief he's ever been given, his thoughts on sustainable design and his advice for architecture graduates.

You have won numerous awards, both nationally and internationally and exhibited in Asia, Europe and South America. Which award are you proudest of?

It is hard to single out one in particular but I was particularly proud of winning the Wools of New Zealand Interior Design Award for the Price O’Reilly House, as the local jurors were split 50/50 between two projects and Jean Nouvel (one of my architectural heroes) was the international juror who broke the deadlock in our favour. 

In a multidisciplinary practice, working on individual homes, unit blocks, commercial developments, including the historic ‘Gasworks’ site in Brisbane, an indoor skiing venue in Sydney and an outdoor staircase in Parramatta.

Do you have a favourite?

My projects are all like my children, they all have different personalities but you love them all. Having said that the latest project you are working on is always very exciting and I am just completing a major warehouse conversion in Redfern, which I am very proud of.

Check out this Darlinghurst property, designed by Ian Moore.

With almost 30 years of experience in Australia and overseas, what trend in your opinion has stood the test of time and remains perennially popular?

The most important thing is to avoid trends and produce work that is timeless. All the best architecture remains so, no matter when it was designed. Using long life, low maintenance materials, with no applied finishes is something I am striving for in my projects, so that you do not need to update things every few years.

With today’s focus on sustainability what trends do you see emerging in architecture?

Sustainability has always been central to the majority of great architecture and is certainly not new to the profession. Architects have led the way with sustainability and thankfully Governments and the general population are now catching up. As mentioned above, one of the key issues is long life, low maintenance materials to eliminate the wasteful use of cheap materials. Do it right, do it once!

What advice would you give to new property investors wishing to build or renovate?

First and foremost talk to an architect. Then do not have preconceived ideas about what you want to have and want to spend. There is always a balancing act between what you want and what you can afford, which an architect can assist you with to get what you actually need at an appropriate cost. Flexibility is the key.

What is the most interesting brief you’ve been given by a client?

My client for the Strelein Warehouse simply asked me for a black and white Ian Moore House, with somewhere to display her black and white photographs and a bathroom with a big bath tub and great lighting. Everything else was up to me.

Did you take on the project? 

Yes.

You have taught at Sydney University, University of Technology Sydney, University of New South Wales and Sydney Institute of Technology. What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I have not taught regularly for a number of years but act as a visiting critic, which I like doing as it exposes you to students with great ideas but not necessarily all the skills needed to bring them to fruition. I see my role as being able to pass on some of my experience to these students and enhance their skills.

What advice would you give to a new Architecture graduate or someone thinking about Architecture as a career?

Architecture is a difficult and demanding profession so you must above all else be passionate about architecture. It is unfortunately not as financially rewarding as some professions but it makes up for that in other ways. As a result of being an architect I have been to parts of the world and many parts of Australia to work on projects, give lectures or take part in exhibitions, that I would never otherwise have had the opportunity to visit. This is particularly so of my first major built project, which was located in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I am very fortunate to live in one of my own projects in Surry Hills in Sydney and walk to work a few hundred metres away. If I did not live in Sydney I think I would live in Sao Paulo in Brazil, a city with a great tradition and respect of modern architecture. The climate and lifestyle are also similar to Sydney.

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