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About

CityLab is a professional consultancy with a singular focus on making better cities through design expertise, strategic thinking and effective delivery.

CityLab is committed to fair and equitable procurement processes, ensuring the best ideas rise to the top. We work with both public and private clients to ensure each project is built on a strong foundation, with a rich brief, a rigorous procurement process and a collaborative network of advisors and jury members.

CityLab is Australia’s number one design procurement consultancy, with experience working at all scales, from large to small, and in every state across the country. We pride ourselves on delivering systems and processes that both clients and design professionals trust. We are laser-focussed on delivering the highest design standards while meeting all technical and legislative project requirements.

The Team

CityLab is a small team of design professionals with deep roots in Australia’s built environment. We have extensive experience in assembling the best teams of people to deliver the best project solutions.

Director

Andrew Mackenzie

Andrew Mackenzie is the Founding Director of CityLab. He has advised on competitions in every state in Australia, assisting both local and state government, as well as universities, cultural institutions, corporations and development authorities.

With over two decades of skill and experience working in the architectural sector Andrew is well placed to assist in the management and delivery of architectural procurement processes, with particular experience in complex design briefs. Andrew is also an architectural writer with a strong industry profile as a strategic design thinker and communicator. He hosts numerous design events, was a Creative Director of the 2015 AIA National Conference and is the Creative Director of Living Cities.

Senior Architectural Project Manager

David Struik

David is CityLab's Senior Architectural Project Manager. He has a background in both architecture and real estate and has extensive experience in the sector as an inhouse consultant for public and private clients. David's focus is on managing the complexity of procurement processes for a broad spectrum of CityLab's clients.

Project Manager

Zoe Shinnick

Zoe brings experience in processes specific to architectural practice. Having spent time in London working at David Chipperfield Architects, she gained exposure to numerous international projects, honing her skills in design management. Now based in Melbourne, her experience within the architectural sector includes project management, stakeholder management, and process administration.

Program Manager

Marita Kaji-O’Grady

Marita is an arts administrator who has worked at CityLab since 2018 and is now the Program Manager across a range of projects including the Living Cities Forum and the Living Cities Landscape Lab. Marita oversees the efficiency of CityLab's processes while also completing industry research, running and administrating industry events and providing project support to the CityLab team.

Wellbeing Officer

Wilbur Mackenzie

Wilbur is an integral team member at CityLab, ensuring that the team maintains a healthy work life balance. Wilbur’s roles include monitoring productivity levels and managing tea breaks.

Design expertise

CityLab has longstanding connections with numerous design experts who are vital in the procurement process of high-quality architecture and design. Some of our recent design experts include:

Abbie Galvin

NSW Government Architect

Corbett Lyon

Founding Director, Lyons

Francine Houben

Founding Director, Mecanoo

Geoffrey London

Emeritus Professor of Architecture, University of Western Australia

Jeremy McLeod

Founding Director, Breathe Architecture and Founder, Nightingale Housing

Jill Garner

Victorian Government Architect and Principal, Garner Davis Architects

Jocelyn Chiew

Director of City Design, City of Melbourne

John Choi

Director, CHROFI

Kirsteen Mackay

South Australian Government Architect

Sadie Morgan

Director, dRMM and Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission UK

Sarah Lynn Rees

Associate and Lead Indigenous Advisor, Jackson Clements Burrows Architects

Xu Tiantian

Founding Principal, DnA Design and Architecture

COLLABORATORS

CityLab also works with a range of consultants whose expertise is tailored to each project every step of the way. The suite of consultants that we can either directly engage, or engage through the client, includes buildability consultants, sustainability experts, planners, First Nations design consultants, writers and proof editors, graphic designers, legal and probity advisors, quantity surveyors, and other technical specialists.

In the media

Awards

CityLab would like to congratulate all competition winners whose designs have won many state and national architecture awards over the years.

Award for Interior Architecture, 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards
Monash University Learning and Teaching Building

National Award for Public Architecture, 2019 National Architecture Awards
Gold Coast Cultural Precinct

The William Wardell Award for Public Architecture, 2022 Victorian Architecture Awards
Victorian Pride Centre

Finalist, 2020 Victoria Premier's Design Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2019

Award for Educational Architecture, 2018 Victorian Architecture Awards
Monash University Learning and Teaching Building

Shortlist, The Social Space, 2020 INDE Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2019

Finalist, 2020 Victorian Premier's Design Awards
Arts Centre Melbourne Cafe

Award for Architecture, Public and Institutional, 2021 Melbourne Design Awards
Victorian Pride Centre

Commendation for Urban Design, 2016 South Australian Architecture Awards
Henley Square

Honourable Mention, Cultural and Urban Landscape, 2021 International Federation of Landscape Architects Asia-Pacific Awards
Henley Square

Commendation for Sustainable Architecture, 2022 City of Port Phillip Design and Development Awards
Victorian Pride Centre

Award for Public and Institutional Architecture, 2022 City of Port Phillip Design and Development Awards
Victorian Pride Centre

Architeam Medal, 2021 Architeam Awards
Victorian Pride Centre

Award for Health and Education Landscape, 2021 AILA Victorian Landscape Architecture Awards
Monash University Central Precinct Revitalisation

Kevin Borland Award for Small Project Architecture, 2020 Victorian Architecture Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2019

Small Building of the Year, 2019 Dezeen Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2019

Commendation, Small Project Architecture, 2020 National Architecture Awards
Arts Centre Melbourne Cafe

National Award for Small Project Architecture, 2019 National Architecture Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2018

Bruce Mackenzie Landscape Award, 2019 Think Brick Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2018

Award for Great Plan Category, 2017 Greater Sydney Planning Awards
K2K Urban Design

Kevin Borland Award for Small Project Architecture, 2019 Victorian Architecture Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2018

Award of Excellence, Small Projects, 2019 AILA Victorian Landscape Architecture Awards
NGV Architecture Commission 2018

Architectural Design Award, Educational Buildings, 2018 Architecture MasterPrize (AMP)
Monash University Learning and Teaching Building

Landscape Architecture Award for Tourism, 2018 National Landscape Architecture Awards
Gold Coast Cultural Precinct

National Award for Interior Architecture, 2018 National Architecture Awards
Monash University Learning and Teaching Building

National Award for Educational and Architecture, 2018 National Architecture Awards
Monash University Learning and Teaching Building

Award for Tourism, 2018 International Festival of Landscape Architecture
Gold Coast Cultural Precinct

Award of Excellence, Parks and Open Space, 2016 South Australian Landscape Architecture Awards
Henley Square