A competition for Chifley Square brought me into Neil and Camilla’s orbit. Their submission: a sculptural gathering of Mimis within this public space, recognising First Nations sovereignty.
Shortly after, with Barbara Schaffer, we settled into the Kent Street studio, working together on a series of masterplans and competitions. Each project realised with beautiful, hand-rendered drawings. Neil teaching me the atmospherics of colour. Camilla introducing me to the work of Asplund and Lewerentz. Or was it the other way?
Collaborations revolved around coffee, sweeties, hilarity and gossip, music, books, miles of yellow trace scribbled with diagrams, sketches, partis of much-loved projects and doodlings. As if to keep the mind at work, the hand couldn’t stop. Quotes, aphorisms, provocations, marking vivid conversations.
The office expanded. David arrived. Luck came with our winning competition for Commonwealth Place, Canberra. The Brickpit Ring at Sydney Olympic Park followed. The most memorable of meetings was sitting with Camilla as she invoked the cruciform structure of the ring and its connections, leaving Arup wide-eyed. The fine balsa model by Lisa Le Van, an exquisite talisman.
There were many gardens, more competitions, public commissions. Landscape inflected, expanded, privileged. Landscape and architecture as complementary companions – sculpted and performative. Some designs evolving iteratively, others tussled into existence with endless loops of drawings, even pleas – can’t we have BAMBOO?
With abundant curiosity, associative thought and an incredible capacity for attention, the work of Durbach Block Jaggers is suffused with meaning and vitality. Their opus – site responsive, charged, reverberating at a quiet but arresting pitch.
— Sue Barnsley, landscape architect and urban designer
The Australian Institute of Architects’ 2026 Gold Medal has been awarded to Neil Durbach, Camilla Block and David Jaggers, directors of Durbach Block Jaggers Architects. In this collection of articles, their colleagues and peers share insight into their practice and work. Read Kate Goodwin’s essay here and Nick Bryant’s here, and Glenn Murcutt’s testimonial here, Sue Barnsley’s here, Andrew Mackenzie’s here, Marcus Zusak’s here, Elizabeth Farrelly’s here and John Wardle’s here.