People
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Branch studio architects is led by directors Brad Wray & Nicholas Russo

Brad & Nick work closely together on all projects in the studio - as a creative and collective team with over 20 years of industry working experience across a broad range of local and international award-winning projects.

”We pride ourselves on our hands on approach during the extent of the architectural process and are able to tackle projects at a more intimate level focusing on detail"

"The people you meet at the founding meetings are the people you deal with right through the duration of the project".

”Fundamentally as directors we need to be able to assist, nurture and manage people, but at the end of the day
- We are creative people, always designers at heart”.

[Scroll down to view Branch team profiles]

Nicholas Russo & Brad Wray

NICHOLAS RUSSO

[Founding Director]
[Director of Project Realisation]

[Architect ARBV]

Bachelor of Architecture
RMIT University 2007

Nick’s role in the studio is director of project realisation
- ‘the guy who works closely with builders & related teams to get the projects built on site’

Nick’s brings his meticulous attention to detail & vast experience in contact administration processes to all projects in the studio.

Nicholas Russo was born in 1983 in Melbourne, Australia and educated at the Royal Melbourne institute of Technology [RMIT] in Melbourne.

After completing University, Nick worked for his father in his multi-disciplinary design and sculpture studio. This led Nick to gain valuable experience and understanding in the disciplines of making and detailing across a diverse range of materials and scales. Exposure to the work of sculptors Anthony Pryor and Inge King was also influential at this time.

Nick continues to experiment with materiality through the design and making of furniture and other objects through ancillary studio LTNK.

BRAD WRAY

[Founding Director]
[Design & Creative Director]

[Architect ARBV]

Bachelor of Architecture [First Class Honours]
RMIT University 2007

Brad’s role in the studio is the design & creative director - working across all projects.

Brad Wray was born in 1983 in Melbourne, Australia and educated between the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology [RMIT] in Melbourne and the Accademia Di Architettura in Mendrisio, Switzerland/ Italy.

Brad`s international studies at the Accademia Di Mendrisio with Portuguese Architects - Aires Mateus, Goncarlo Byrne and exposure to the Swiss masters Peter Zumthor & Valerio Olgiati was integral to Brad`s foundational years prior to returning and working in Melbourne for John Wardle Architects.

Brad also founded furniture design workshop - Brad Wray Workshop in 2013 and has been widely published for a series of crafted concrete and timber pieces.

Brad has been guest design critic at a variety of Melbourne Architecture Institutions.

Brad has more recently been invited to be on the judging panel for the 2020 Dezeen awards in London.

ELLIE FARRELL

[Senior Project Architect]
[Architect ARBV]

Master of Architecture
RMIT University 2007

Ellie has over 20 years experience working on large scale
tertiary educational and large scale multi-residential projects
in Melbourne and wider Australia.

Before coming onboard at Branch, Ellie previously worked
for two of Melbourne’s best multi-award winning practices.
Ellie brings her wealth of knowledge across all projects in the office.

Ellie’s analytical skills, meticulous eye for detail, organisational skills
and critique of projects through various stages of the design process have
played a significant role in shaping the direction of some of the
practice’s best works.

ARUN LAKSHMANAN

[Graduate of Architecture]

Master of Architecture
Melbourne University 2018

Arun is a hardworking, dedicated and integral member of the studio
with a speciality, and passion for 3D Modelling and Visualisations.

Arun’s position in the studio, sees him contribute to projects in many
ways and at various stages of projects, primarily assisting with architectural
documentation from the schematic design stage all the way through to
contract documentation.