Woods Bagot principal Ian Png has returned home to join the practice’s Perth studio, following 12 years as principal for the company’s Shanghai-based office.
Born in Malaysia before migrating to Australia, Png was drawn to Woods Bagot for the international opportunities presented by the global studio’s model. His transitory lifestyle has informed his design philosophy, marked by a commitment to inclusivity and the cultivation of a sense of belonging.
“Constantly being ‘not at home’ distilled my ideas of architecture’s purpose – that when you come to a space, you should feel like you belong there, that you belong to the space and the space belongs to you,” said Png.
Png is lauded by his colleagues for his technical precision in hand-drawing and his ability to resolve complex issues with the tip of a Copic marker. A self-described veteran of the “old-school” methods, he matches this with a typology-breaking design vision that has seen him at the helm of some of China’s most forward-thinking, mixed-use urban precincts.
Png now joins fellow principals Kukame McPierzie and Eva Sue in Woods Bagot’s Perth studio, bringing with him his experience in large-scale projects to facilitate the practice’s growth through its transformational period.
“Perth is an incredibly thrilling place to be an architect at the moment – the challenge of closely studying the Western Australian context to create projects that are deeply rooted in a local disposition is exciting to me,” said Png.
“With my experience in large scale projects across Asia, I am looking forward to condensing this into better quality, more creative and innovative buildings to suit the scale of Perth.”
