Published on: 7 April 2015

Nic BrunsdonNic Brunsdon (1997) had twin successes at the recent Australian Institute of Architects’ Awards in Melbourne where he was presented with the 2015 National Emerging Architect Prize for Australia. At the Awards, Nic was also selected for the Dulux Study Tour, a funded world tour visiting famous architectural landmarks and leading architectural studios. Nic has established award-winning architecture practice Post and philanthropic organisation Spacemarket, in addition to previously teaching at the University of Western Australia and Curtin University. Spacemarket is an urban program that pairs empty urban spaces with potential tenants. Since its establishment in 2011, the innovative program has identified, reimagined and reinvigorated otherwise forgotten spaces in key urban locations across WA. In the process, Spacemarket has engaged the community in a dialogue about the future of the city and has encouraged the public to explore and appreciate the attributes of our existing spaces, buildings and urban settings. Spacemarket’s interventions, often sponsored directly by Nic, demonstrate how design-led thinking can create opportunity and value where conventional thought did not. This is a powerful message that has captured the imagination of city leaders, politicians, property owners and the public.