Ha is a Melbourne-based architecture practice, led by principal Nick Harding.

Nick founded the inner Melbourne practice in 2012, endeavouring to design projects diverse in scale and typology that are embraced by its inhabitants with a common thread of being community focused. 

Ha’s primary directive in approaching each new project is awareness and intuition, aiming to understand each client’s geographical, historical, social and political parameters.

Image:The Ha Team, Nick Harding, Alice McColl and Madeleine Hodge   Source: Nicholas Wilkins 

Beyond the practice’s work in architecture and design, a flexible and creative environment allows Ha to offer professional services in sustainability strategies such as energy neutral office building 121 Hoddle Street, and event design, including Shimmerlands music festival for the University of Melbourne. 

WILLIAMS MEDIA spoke to Nick about his influences and career.

Image: Rosa's Canteen - "Elegant lunchtime dining amongst the plane trees".  Source: Kristoffer Paulsen

Why architecture?

It always felt right... my father was a passionate engineer, my mother loved decorative arts and together they exposed me to experiences in significant buildings from a young age. 

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

Realising a vision precisely that honours the original concept. Being able to propose an idea to a client and then delivering that concept exactly as it was intended is a very satisfying experience. We love collaborating with our clients, interpreting their brief and taking the project to a place we did not initially imagine. 

Image: Little O'Grady Street Interior, "Views from the study mezzanine to the submerged living area clad in birch ply."   Source: Dan Hocking

Visiting some of Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic creations, mentored by Timothy Hill as a student and working with John Wardle after graduating, who has been your greatest inspiration/influencer?

There are too many to single out one. All of the outstanding practices we are surrounded by in Australia that are doing international standard projects are motivating us to do the same. 

Other than this, probably my father, professionally. He was a frustrated architect in an engineer's body. In his career he was innovative in his endeavour to deliver amazingly well coordinated buildings between the trades, builders and the project consultant team. This philosophy of true collaboration between all involved has stayed with me. This philosophy seems to be lost in the modern day. 

Image: Savoy Tavern   Source: Ben McGee

You have said that "Architecture is a social investigation into how people interact with and embrace a space…and both Timothy Hill and John Wardle taught you that [architects] design spaces for people to experience." How would you describe your architectural aesthetic?

Experiential, yet functional. Earnest design that is distilled down to the key essentials. 

Image: Little Leveson   Source: Tom Blachford

Do you have a favourite project?

121 Hoddle Street was a landmark project for the practice. It is a purpose designed robust office building for construction company McCorkell Construction. The building was designed driven by honest passive design principles. The building was designed with a large north facing roof at optimum solar angle, designated for an extensive solar array. The project is due to have a 32kW solar array installed in the next fortnight, which will allow the three-storey, 1,500 sqm GFA commercial office building to operate energy neutral. 

Image: Hoddle Street - "Bespoke commercial office designed to integrate into a residential zoning."    Source: Dan Hocking & Beck Simon

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

Have an opinion. Do your research and make sure you are choosing an architect that reflects your values. Meet with the architect and make sure you get along with them. You are intimately involved for a number of years, so trust in the relationship is extremely important to the outcome of the project. 

Image: Little O'Grady Street    Source: Dan Hocking

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

Designing a temporary structure for a summer season of a music and film festival at the University of Melbourne campus. 

Did you take on the project?

Yes, it was a particularly quick design and construction period of 8 weeks, while innovating the construction methodology and addressing all of the obvious constraints. The project was called Shimmerlands. 

Image: Image: "Temporary festival hub structure in night mode for the Shimmerlands festival."   Source: Hayley Benoit

Since beginning your own practice in 2012 and working largely on high density, small inner city projects with obvious constraints, you have said that your philosophy of designing from the inside-out is essential to good architecture. What do you mean by this?

We plan our designs generally from the inside, out. We develop the brief and spatial relationships, which evolves into a floorplan, based on site constraints etc. This process derives a considered design that is tailored to respond to the brief. We do not draw an outline to a building and then cram a brief within.

Image: The Ridgeway, "Kitchen is adjacent to the deck and bleacher seats, so has immediate connection with the backyard"     Source: Derek Swalwell & Beck Simon

How do you feel the events of 2020 will influence architecture and design? 

Home has become the focus, and the workplace has become secondary. Everyone will be investing in their homes, and establishing a workplace within their home. With this in mind, people are already starting to move to regional centres and focusing on the big picture; quality of life. 

Image: 40 Dalgety Street St Kilda, renovated terrace designed by Ha. Source: Tom Blachford 

What advice would you give to a newly graduated Architect or someone thinking about Architecture as a career?

Bring specialist knowledge to your profession. For instance, if you want to actually build architecture, learn how to build first. Get experience with a primary trade or craft for a period that you are passionate about that you can see is crucial to the design and construction process. It will shape your approach towards design and the sort of buildings you want to produce. It will also give you unique knowledge that will make you very employable. This approach is relevant to any area of knowledge that you see is relevant to the profession.  

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Image: The Kensington Cathedral    Source: Dan Hocking                  

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

Abbotsford, VIC, across the road from the old convent and Yarra River. It’s a unique spot bookended by nature and industrial inner Melbourne. I am very content in my little world in Abbotsford. 

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