Jury
David McCracken
Executive Director, Urban Land Institute
David is an architect by training but has been working across all parts of property development for almost twenty years. David has held leadership roles at major Australian and International corporations working in Australia, Asia, Europe, UK and Nth America.
Through this broad experience, David has developed knowledge and experience in both the up-front conceptual planning of major mixed-use projects, many with a core retail proposition, as well as the delivery of projects through the full development cycle.
David is the Principal of Voda Management – a collaborative advisory network across the property industry working with developers, landowners, consultants and government on strategies to achieve maximum benefit through urban and community outcomes, design leadership, and place creation.
David is the Executive Director of Urban Land Institute as well as holding a number of advisory positions with Government and Industry. David is also the Chair of KU Children’s Services.
Bec McHenry
Founder &Director, The Space Agency
Bec McHenry is an experienced executive and entrepreneur with a passion for activating unique spaces and bringing places to life. Since founding The Space Agency in 2013, she has worked with hundreds of property developers, land owners, Councils, operators and stakeholders, helping them to work together to transform areas, revive their assets and portfolios, commercialise spaces, activate precincts and create new destinations.
Under Bec’s leadership, The Space Agency are pioneering new ways to take places, properties and precincts from where they are now to when they need to be. From transitioning racecourses to neighbourhoods, to turning a paddock into a town centre, we are providing the solutions to transform sites, influence behaviour, drive sales and achieve commercial and community benefit throughout every stage of a project lifecycle.
In July 2018, Bec and her fellow Directors announced the launch of a sister business, The Place Agency – a place management company that specialises in activating precincts with custom, experience-driven programming. It provides a bolt-on service to building management and development teams, focusing on visitors and tenants on the ground floor.
The Space Agency is also a Certified B Corporation and Bec is a firm believer in business as a force for good. She welcomes any opportunity to prove the value in a pursuit of profit and purpose within business, especially in property development, committing her time and expertise to projects such as Nightingale Housing to help affect positive change within her city.
Professor Donald Bates
Chair of Architectural Design, University of Melbourne
Co-founder, Director, LAB Architectural Studio
Professor Donald Bates is the Chair of Architectural Design, University of Melbourne. He is a Founder and Director of LAB Architecture Studio. He graduated with a B.Arch from University of Houston, and has an M.Arch from Cranbrook Academy of Art.
In 1994, Prof Bates and Peter Davidson founded LAB Architecture Studio, and in 1997, LAB won the competition for Federation Square. LAB has designed a range of large-scale commercial, cultural, civic and residential projects, numerous master plans, with built works in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Prof Bates has lectured at more than 220 schools of architecture worldwide, is a member of the Victorian Design Review Panel, has been a jury member or chair of jury for more than 30 international design competitions and has been published extensively in journals and magazines.
Kate Brennan
Deupty Chair, Gold Coast Cultural Precinct and Arts Centre Board
(former CEO Fed Square Pty Ltd.)
Kate Brennan has extensive Executive and Board experience in civic, cultural and community organisations and projects, working both as a team member and client in capital infrastructure projects and the design and management of the public domain. This has included leading Federation Square and the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust and senior roles at Melbourne City Council and a number of arts and community organisations. She has served as Deputy Chair of the Executive Board of the Committee for Melbourne and on numerous national and international cultural bodies. She is currently Deputy Chair of the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct and Arts Centre Board and is a member of the Board of the Canberra City Renewal Authority, the Australia Council for the Arts’ Major Performing Arts Panel and the Project Control Group for the Queen Victoria Market Redevelopment. Kate provides consulting advice to a number of private sector, state and local government, university and arts organisations with an emphasis on making and managing great places.
Peter Holland
Director, Urbis
Trustee, Urban Land Institute
Peter Holland is one of Australia’s foremost property economists and a specialist in the retail and mixed-use sectors.
He is recognised for his meticulous research, perceptive insights and detailed understanding of global property markets. With more than 30 years’ experience, Peter’s expertise is extensive – including new development projects, urban regeneration, asset enhancement and market entry strategies.
A leader in his profession, Peter is a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI), past Australia Chair of ULI and a past Chair of the Property Council of Australia’s National Research Committee. He also holds a Master of City and Regional Planning (Real Estate) from Harvard University and an architecture degree from the University of Melbourne.
Since joining Urbis in 2003, Peter has advised on major projects around the world, particularly in Asia and the Middle East. He has been at the forefront of Urbis’ expanding global footprint and is proud to have led the launch of Cistri, Urbis’ new advisory firm in Singapore.