More
Clare Cousins | |
|---|---|
| Born | Melbourne, Australia |
| Alma mater | RMIT University, Technical University of Berlin |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Notable work | Nightingale Village, Stable & Cart House, Camberwell House, Long House, Baffle House, St Kilda East House |
| Spouse | Ben Pederson |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | clarecousins.com.au/people/clare-cousins |
Clare Cousins is an Australian architect, interior designer, and director of Melbourne-based Clare Cousins Architects,[1] established in 2005.[1] Cousins served as the national president of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA).[2] She was awarded the Chapter Presidential Medal by the Institute for her advocacy to protect Anzac Hall.[3] She has also received the Presidential Medal of the American Institute of Architects.[4]
Born in Melbourne, at age 8 Cousins moved to London, and then later to Berlin as her father who practised as a surgeon pursued further medical education.[5]
Cousins lives with her husband Ben Pederson and her two children. The couple purchased their brick Edwardian home in 2007, and three years later did a major renovation designed by Cousins, and built by Pederson and his company Maben.[6]
Cousins attended RMIT University (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) from 1994 to 2001 receiving her Bachelor of Architecture.[5] Her first year coincided with a Sand Helsel's first year as Head of Architecture at RMIT. Cousins has stated "an exciting time to have a female head of architecture."[7] During her degree Cousins went back to Berlin to do an exchange with Technical University of Berlin.
During her degree at RMIT, Cousins began working in the construction arm of Van Haandel Group. While working on the Aurora Spa Retreat on the roof of St Kilda's iconic Prince of Wales Hotel she met Wood Marsh.[8] After more than two years on the job, and the completion of her schooling Cousins petitioned Marsh for a six-month role at Wood Marsh Architecture. The six-month role became a three year stint.[8]
Cousins opened her studio Claire Cousins Architects in 2005, in 'The Blackwood Street Bunker', a semi-brutalist space adjoining her husband's building practice.[8]
During Cousins' tenure as National President of AIA she fought to increase the role of architects in national policy debates, fighting for issues of sustainability, affordable housing and urban density.[9] Cousins has also served as the Victorian chapter councillor,[10] an active member of the Victorian Small and Medium Practice Forums, chair of the Member Services Committee (Victoria), chair of the Architecture Australia Editorial Committee, Constructive Mentoring Program mentor (Victoria) a juror at both state and national levels of the Australian Institute of Architects' National Architecture Awards program.[11]
In 2014, Cousins and Pederson invested $100,000 in Nightingale 1.0, a not-for-profit replicable, triple bottom line housing model with an overarching priority towards social, economic, and environmental sustainability.[12]
Completed in 2022, Cousins lead the design of Nightingale Evergreen. Located along five other Nightingale projects within Nightingale Village, Nightingale Evergreen contains 27 apartments designed for diverse individuals and families.[13] Through a collaboration with Housing Choices Australia and Women's Property Initiatives, Nightingale Evergreen has pre-allocated 20% of their apartments to community housing providers.[14]
