Two New Associate Directors Appointed in Adelaide

DesignInc Adelaide is pleased to share the news that two of our studio leaders, Ben Luppino and Sonya Montgomerie, have been promoted to Associate Director. The move strengthens the executive team with two Directors and two Associate Directors now overseeing the Adelaide-based design studio together with the Executive Leadership Team.

The current Directors and custodians of the Adelaide studio, Richard Stafford and Ben Zoontjens, are excited to have Sonya and Ben step up to the Associate Director role and they value the commitment they are making to the DesignInc organisation.

Ben Luppino joined DesignInc Adelaide as a graduate of architecture in 2006 with a passion for designing and delivering sporting facilities and large gathering spaces for the community. Ben brings his community and recreation expertise to overseeing projects such as the Wulanda Recreation + Convention Centre. Part of the enjoyment of working on community and recreation projects is that we have access to the spaces we design in our day-to-day lives. To see the results of our design process and the benefits these spaces provide to a diverse range of people in our community gives me a great sense of fulfilment and joy.

Ben leads the pillar of Business Development, incorporating brand management and communications. Talking with him about his role and career progression, he said, ‘I’m excited to be supporting the directors with managing the challenges within the studio as it progresses through its fifth decade. We are collaborating together to develop our Adelaide team, enabling them to develop their skills while building on our existing relationships within the industry.’

Sonya Montgomerie joined DesignInc Adelaide at the beginning of 2020 following 12 years at DesignInc Melbourne. As a leader in the education sector, Sonya is committed to creating high-quality outcomes for her clients and enjoys the technical challenges of complex buildings, sites and design briefs. ‘The built environment has changed in the education sector in the last ten years. There is a shift to a learning ecosystem rather than the traditional delivery methodology of learning. This ecosystem is where students and educators work with a diverse range of media, physical environments, industry connections and research on a global scale. As designers, we aim to design new spaces and improve existing spaces that support these new learning modes.’ said Sonya.

Sonya leads Service Delivery through strategic workforce planning, resourcing, project planning and reporting, and the Design Excellence working group. ‘Our Design Excellence working group works across our business to support design thinking in every aspect of what we do as architects and interior designers. We run workshops where we invite our subject matter experts to review and provide their expertise to our projects teams as they progress through the early design phases of projects.’ explains Sonya.