Spatial awareness

Kit Ku was a fresh-faced graduate when a design competition for a highly sought-after project altered the course of her career. 

After seeing a callout for a project at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney, and reading that it was a blind competition, she decided to try her luck.

To her amazement, she won the project with a five-minute concept sketch she submitted just moments before the competition closed.

Within months of graduating from the University of Sydney with a Masters in Design and Architecture, Ku earned the opportunity to lead the design of a major project from concept to construction.

“It could easily have been led by any experienced architect,” she told FW. 

“But the Deputy Government Architect at the time said, ‘Let’s do a design competition. It’s going to be a blind one. We don’t know who’s entering, we won’t know whose drawings they are, and whoever wins it will lead the project from beginning to end’.”

The win triggered a domino-like effect of victories that have peppered her career path.

“[It] led to a NSW Architecture Award from the Australian Institute of Architects early in my career. From there, because of a single opportunity that held no bias, I was able to build the rest of my career,” she said.

Ku designed the Cahill Park Cafe Pavilion to be a gateway to the park and beyond. (Photography by Michael Nicholson)

In the decades since the Botanic Garden project, Ku has worked her way up the architecture industry, taking on a variety of roles. 

After starting out as an Urban Design Assistant, she spent five years with the Government Architect NSW, leaving her post as Project Leader in 2015. 

“The building and design doesn’t exist on its own. It’s actually part of a larger ecosystem.”

She also found herself sitting on the other side of the university aisle as a design tutor and guest lecturer at her alma mater, The University of Sydney. From there, she joined architecture practice Hayball, followed by a string of promotions.

Over the years, she’s witnessed the design industry transform.

“It’s changing very quickly in terms of design,” she said. “As an industry, we’re a lot more conscious of delivering climate-resilient developments and restoring Country by co-designing and consulting with First Nations Peoples.

“We also understand that the design outcome doesn’t just impact us as end users, but it also impacts our non-human kin – think all things living: plants, insects, small animals, waterways and so on. The building and design doesn’t exist on its own. It’s actually part of a larger ecosystem.”

She said another positive change in the sector has been the increase in women in leadership. 

“Back in 2020, the leadership cohort in the architectural industry as a whole was made up of 70% men. In the past few years, we have started to see a lot more female directors and a more balanced leadership tier. It’s been really great to see so much positive change, but there’s still a lot more to be done.” 

These days, Ku is a Principal and one of the owners of Hayball, a large architectural practice with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane. 

“It’s easy to achieve diversity in the team, but much harder to achieve it in leadership and ownership. Yet, we’ve managed to do that.”

Hayball projects span across sectors where people live, work, learn and play, as well as strategic advisory for clients including government agencies.

All projects are underpinned by the practice’s strong belief in delivering social value.

“When you look at our team, you can genuinely see diversity at all levels including leadership. We have women and people of colour amongst the leadership team. This is really important for a diverse workforce,” she said. 

“Research has shown role models are especially important for women and people of colour as this makes visible what is achievable for those who have had to contend with bias.”

The other piece Hayball has pioneered in the architecture industry is ownership, having introduced an employee share scheme back in 2013. 

“33% of our staff hold shares in the business and, of that 33%, over 40% are women. It’s easy to achieve diversity in the team, but much harder to achieve it in leadership and ownership. Yet, we’ve managed to do that.”

In each role, she carried the ethos learned from her first path into the industry – that everyone deserves an opportunity without bias.

“The more we understand how privilege works, the more positive change we can make in response to inequity,” she said. “We are naturally drawn to people that are like us or come from similar backgrounds. This is where unconscious bias comes in.

“Think about leadership and promotion, for example: if the leadership team is not diverse and all come from a similar background, they will continue to promote others like themselves with a narrow pool of experience. It’s self-perpetuating.”

Ku said it’s important to understand everyone has a different path and will come across opportunities and obstacles at different points in their career journey.

She used the metaphor of a “green-light corridor” to explain her point.

Hayball balances advanced learning technologies with respect for historic sites in their work across education. Pictured: Hilltops Young High School Library [L] and Monte St Angelo Scientia Terrace [R]. Photography by Martin Mischkulnig

“Some people go through their career with green lights all the way. It’s a bit like a traffic light. You have a clear run to get home, while others have constant red lights, obstacles, along their way throughout their career,” she said.

“It could be having to care for family, which has traditionally meant a career break for women, taking time away from career growth. Or having to financially support yourself while studying, which might mean you take longer to finish the degree compared to those who have financial support from their families. This takes time from your career before its even started.”

She said the idea of the “green-light corridor” has given her moments of pause, enabling her to reflect on her career and growth.

“When faced with red lights, it’s not just about finding the green light on your own, but also about having champions around you, people that can actually guide you. Not just mentors, but active sponsors that can take you through your journey.” 

Ku also is open about bringing a “pastoral approach” to her work.

“You can’t really design something with social value without actively practicing that internally as an organisation.”

“It’s definitely not something talked about often, but is really important within Hayball,” she said.

“I started at Hayball eight years ago as a Team Leader, a role that inherently comes with pastoral care for the team. Beyond resource planning, a crucial part is constantly checking in to see if the team is okay.”

She said that level of professional care is something deeply ingrained in the company.

“We take this approach at all levels of the organisation. It’s everywhere,” she said.

“You can’t really design something with social value without actively practicing that internally as an organisation. I’m very proud this is the ethos we live and breathe every day with our clients, projects and within our own team.”

Image credit: Gosia Sum