• Brooke Aitken director

    B Sc (Arch) B Arch (Hons)
    University of Sydney
    Nominated Architect NSW 7393 / Nominated Architect QLD 6032 / NSW D+BP Act Registration 00000911 /AIA A+ Member 

    Brooke Aitken is both a Registered Architect and Interior Designer and her firm is based on the combination of these practices to create beautiful rooms. She has had extensive design and construction experience in many areas including Residential, Retail, Hospitality, Medical, and Institutional projects. Her ethos is one that asserts the potency of architectural design concepts through to the expression of detail in interior design and she has established herself as one of the few architects in the country who executes this approach. Her attentiveness to creating beauty in form, function, and finish of built spaces from the external-in and from the internal-out has seen Brooke’s work garner awards and a highly published career in journals such as Belle, Australian House & Garden, Inside Out, and Grand Designs Australia.

    Brooke founded the firm in late 2004, upon her return from London where she worked as Project Architect for Anouska Hempel Design on a diverse range of retail, residential, hospitality and luxury hotel projects. Her experience encompassed projects such as the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique on Bond St, a Grade II listed heritage residence renovation on the banks of the Thames in Chelsea, and a luxury hotel in the Brazilian rainforest.

    Prior to her time in London, Brooke worked for leading Australian architecture practice Denton Corker Marshall Sydney (now JPW) where she was Project Architect for the Primary Exhibition Interiors of the landmark Melbourne Museum project along with experience in schools, hospitals, and award-winning hotel projects. She also worked with DCMI (now Carr Design) on corporate workplace design and was a director of Pivot Design in partnership with architect Sharon Fraser; specialising in restaurant and residential design.

    Having lived and worked in Japan, Brooke derives inspiration from a depth of knowledge and experience of contemporary and traditional Asian art and architecture. Combined with the balancing influences of soft modernism, this is evidenced in the evolution of signature design elements produced as both architect and interior designer.

    Building client relations is a natural strength, and this is extended in Brooke’s expertise as an art buyer, where selection and placement of original artworks are entrusted and a key part of her design equation.

    Brooke has active involvement in the arts as a former board member and subsequent patron of the Asian Australian Artists Association (Gallery 4a), and was the arts journalist and photographer for Culture Magazine in the early 90s. She is committed to the design education process and has tutored for the UNSW Interior Architecture course. 

    Brooke leads the practice as it expands its scope and is involved in every project it undertakes. She also is the Director of the Homewares brand Rill + Stone which creates and curates products for the home.

     

  • REN ASTONO

    B Des Arch M Arch
    University of Sydney

    Ren is a talented and driven Graduate of Architecture and interior designer who brings a unique perspective and dimension to the BA Design team. She joined the firm in 2021 after completing her Masters of Architecture.

    Ren brings a global lens to her work, having studied in Taipei at the National Taiwan Normal University and participating in a design studio in Bandung. Her seven years of living in Indonesia and the Philippines have given her a deep appreciation for diverse culture and way of life, which she draws upon in her design choices and practice.

    Before joining BA Design, Ren had extensive experience in designing for large high-rise residential and medical architecture projects. She was drawn to BA Design for its detail-oriented methodology and the creative freedom offered through the scope and clientele. Ren has embraced the firm's philosophy and energy, which has broadened her interior architecture language and elevated her work.

    Ren is involved in a range of tasks, including site documentation, material specification, client and consultant correspondence, architectural design, and interior design. She also excels in visual presentations, including feasibility mood-boards, 3D modeling, and image photo editing. Ren has also recently taken on the role of contract administration and execution for specific projects and is interested in learning more about sustainable design and the challenges in approaching a circular economy in architectural practice and construction. 

    LISA DROGA

    B Sc (Arch) B Arch
    University of Sydney

    Lisa joined the firm in 2005 after having worked for MGT Architects (now FJMT), Smart Design Studio, and Denton Corker Marshall Hong Kong where she lived for two years.

    Lisa’s strong design aesthetic and extensive experience working in both in an architectural and interior design capacity, is evidenced in the creation of stylish, innovative yet functional interiors, resulting in many published works including her own house in Belle.

    Lisa was the Project Architect on the Canberra fitout to Blake Dawson Waldron, which won MGT the RAIA ACT Gold Medal for this design. Lisa has tutored the UNSW Interior Architecture course and is actively committed to the Visual Arts in NSW as patron of a number of significant art institutions.

    Her current work for BA Design is wholly interiors focused - embracing interior decoration and joinery design within broader architectural design agendas.

  • SAMANTHA HAYEN

    B Sc (Arch) B Arch 
    University of Sydney + University of Technology Sydney

    Samantha Hayen joined the practice in 2008 after spending seven years in London working with Studio E Architects, a leading environmental practice. At Studio E she was involved in many sports and education projects which culminated in her role as Project Architect on Larmenier and Sacred Heart Primary School, a ground breaking sustainable design which won a number of design and sustainability awards.

    She has also worked with Denton Corker Marshall and Smart Design Studio in Sydney, and Anouska Hempel Design in London, all practices which have informed her rational, clean approach to design. Samantha has led a wide range of projects at Brooke Aitken Design, from small highly detailed boutique fit outs to large new-build residential refurbishments.

    She brings a strong environmental agenda to all her projects and endeavours to produce simple and beautiful designs which harness light and stand the test of time.

    MELISA JOHNSON

    Melisa joined the firm in 2012 after leaving The Incubator, a Graphic Design, Event Management & Photography company she managed after returning from London.

    Melisa has a strong visual arts background that led her to work as both a photographer and fashion stylist, and as manager of a large London-based photographic studio in London for several years. 

    With a lifetime of high design references and diverse project coordination experience informing her passion for all things beautiful, Melisa combines an instinct for client care, communications and a distinctive aesthetic in residential furnishing and home & property styling. This translates into stylish interior design tailored to our clients’ personal vision and budget.

    Living in both Japan and the UK for 20 years has richly influenced Melisa’s design vision and flair for integrating client considerations into interiors configuration.

    Her work for BA Design combines the provision of interior decoration services and practice management.

  • VIVIAN MA

    B Arch M Arch 
    University of Technology Sydney 
    Registered Architect NSW 12517

    Vivian joined the firm mid-way through 2015 after completing her Master degree in Architecture. She had also studied abroad at Arkitektskolen Aarhus (Aarhus School of Architecture) in Denmark in 2012 and participated in a Design Studio in Berlin in 2013.

    Vivian's interest in the integration of interior design into the detailed architectural design process parallels the firm's design practice and philosophy.

    Since joining the company she has gained significant construction site experience and developed enhanced design presentation skills and design capacity on a wide range of projects. Her skills now include site documentation, client liaison, contract administration, and material specifications as well as architectural and interior design. Vivian possesses a solid knowledge of the construction process and carries this through into the practical design of interiors and selection of materials.

    Vivian’s Asian Australian background plays a key role in her design language, work ethic and broad mindset, while her interests in various other disciplines including visual arts, technology, culture and language are evident in her broad skill set. An ongoing exploration of diverse cultures and history through travel continues to inform her design language and provide inspiration from other parts of the world.

    Her language background in Chiuchow, Mandarin,  Cantonese, as well as a depth of exposure to Korean culture, enrich this cross-cultural capacity.