MATTHEW WOODWARD

Principal
 

“I believe architecture needs to listen to nature first. It needs to be responsive and reflective of place. I want architecture to have a positive impact on the world around us.” — Matthew Woodward.

Matthew has a real knack for seeing things others don’t. Keen to experiment, yet meticulous, he sees spaces in a different lens. He can quickly draw out details and see possibilities that most of us overlook.

Matthew’s patient, down-to-earth demeanour combined with his ability to really listen to what you want — means you can feel confident that your space will suit the way you want to live.

Ecologically sensitive, Matthew finds it humbling to work with materials that were once part of nature. He is proactive in his approach to tackling climate change.

Matthew has big firm experience. He has previously worked at BVN Architecture on many private residences, large scale residential, and mixed use developments. His time at BVN taught him the importance of providing an exceptional service and having regimented processes in place — he applies these learnings to his own practice.

Matthew is a member of the Australian Institute of Architects. He graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Masters of Architecture with Honours. His pavilion project was acknowledged with a Commendation Award at the 2014 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Awards, and more recently gained further recognition with another Commendation Award for the Wallis Lake House at the 2020 Australian Institute of Architects NSW Awards.

CHILDHOOD DAYS

Matthew’s love of nature and the Australian landscape runs deep — it’s part of who he is.

A stone and citrus fruit orchard on the NSW Central Coast was the backdrop to his childhood. Growing up, his days were filled with picking (and eating!) fruit off the trees, fishing for Australian silver perch, and building cubby houses in the bamboo forests.

Today, Matthew expresses his fascination for nature’s changing patterns, complex colours and untamed beauty through creating architecture that honours the earth, lifeforms and landscapes that sustain us all. He views his architecture as an extension of nature.

As he brainstorms concepts or proposes materials, Matthew taps into his childhood memories and experiences — the result: compassionate, flexible spaces that adapt to reveal nature’s always changing beauty.