Meet the SA Committee

Catherine Startari has stepped into the role of SA President, with Richard Stafford being elevated to Vice-President. The SA Committee has several new members who have joined the talented team of enthusiastic volunteers in South Australia.

From advocacy and events to networking and learning, the committee is focused on supporting the profession and strengthening the local architecture community. Read on to meet the team and discover their roles, goals and vision for the year ahead.

Catherine Startari, SA President
GHD Design

Catherine is a Principal at GHD Design and the new ACA SA President. GHD Design has been a member of the ACA in South Australia for over six years and nationally for five years. Catherine was encouraged to join the ACA Committee in 2019 to provide continuity in GHD Design’s involvement in the ACA. She has witnessed firsthand the significant positive impact that the ACA has had on its members and the broader industry. It helps that the SA committee is a lively group, encompassing diverse practices that offer a spectrum of perspectives.

Catherine is driven to advocate for fairness and progression within the industry. This involves engaging in dialogues with government, clients and fellow architects to address pertinent issues. She is particularly passionate about nurturing the next generation of architects and leveraging our collective influence to enact positive change. By actively involving architects of all experience levels in ACA initiatives, we can foster a sustainable and thriving architecture industry.

Richard Stafford, SA Vice-President
DesignInc

Richard is a Managing Director at DesignInc. DesignInc Adelaide have been members since 2015 and came on board nationally in July 2023. Richard has always believed in ‘giving back’ as a life philosophy. In the first part of his career he was actively involved in AIA committees and awards juries. When he merged his practice into DesignInc, his professional life became completely focused on the DesignInc business at both a SA and national level. Over that period, Richard missed the opportunities for peer-to-peer interaction that occur in organisations such as the ACA.  He is now at a point in his life – both personally and professionally – where he has the time and experience to ‘give back’ again and contribute to the important work that the ACA does.

Over the course of Richard’s 30+ year career, the challenges that confront our industry – technology, HR, compliance, and contractual changes – have increased exponentially and are occurring at an ever-accelerating rate. The ACA provides support to its members as they navigate these challenges, and he feels the importance of the ACA’s role will continue to grow. Richard wants to be able to ‘lean in’ and help. He feels that it is vital that the architectural profession remains relevant and viable, because we provide significant value to the wellbeing and functionality of society.

Justin Cucchiarelli, SA Treasurer
Studio Nine Architects

Justin is a Director at Studio Nine Architects and the new Treasurer for the ACA SA Committee. Justin joined the committee in 2021 and Studio Nine have been members of the ACA since 2018. Justin joined the committee to advocate for and give back to the profession, to understand the broader landscape, and to address current issues relevant to architects. His goal is to maintain the profession’s relevance and ensure its sustainability for future generations.

Justin’s main focus has been advocating for more equitable working arrangements for architects with the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT). He sits on the DIT Commercial Construction Industry Forum (DCCIF) and is a part of the DCCIF Subconsultant Working Group, which provides industry input on operational issues and a communication channel to the South Australian Government. Key issues include improving payment times, project timeframes, and consistency in contract processes. He is also working on addressing gaps in PI Insurance, resolving issues with secondary consultant engagement, and managing construction delays and disbursements.

Katherine Dujmovic, SA Secretary
Katherine Anne Architect

Katherine is a small practice owner and has been on the ACA committee for two years. This year, she has stepped into the position of Secretary.  As a small practice owner, Kat finds the information and access to services that the ACA provides to be vital to running her practice. In small practice there is a limit to the amount of help and support they can afford to pay for but collectively it is affordable. Kat hopes to help connect small practices and enable them to access the services and information they need to make running a business easier.

Susan Phillips
Phillips/Pilkington Architects

Susan has been an ACA SA Committee member for more than a decade. She is also a founding partner of Phillips/Pilkington Architect, which she established in 1992. Susan joined the committee after the ACA had provided valuable advice when negotiating inequitable contracts. She wanted to support the worthwhile services the ACA provides while also promoting positive improvements for architects. Susan believes the profession needs to work together collegiately to promote its value to the wider community, demonstrating that good design enhances peoples’ lives. She also seeks to emphasise that responsible environmental design is essential in response to the climate crisis.

Susan has had a longstanding commitment to reconciliation and commends the work that the ACA has been doing to promote reconciliation within the profession. She was recently a valued speaker at Working on Country, a NAIDOC week event featuring three local architects sharing their experiences and knowledge of practical engagement outcomes from their recent projects. Susan has a journey of engagement with First Nations groups since the commencement of her practice. This has been a process of lifelong learning rather than a one-off interaction.

Simon Frost, Architects Mental Wellbeing Forum
Greenway Architects

Simon is a Director at Greenway Architects and has been on the ACA committee for two years. He has also been a valuable contributor to the Architects Mental Wellbeing Forum in South Australia and nationally. He believes it’s important to give back to the industry bodies that support practices in what they do. Finding shared issues and solutions makes him feel less isolated on occasion and knowing that he’s helping others with their stresses and concerns is good for mental wellbeing too.

For Simon, the most pressing issue at the core of the industry is finding balance within the day-to-day pressures of the profession. Working on all aspects of that – from project challenges to HR issues and mental wellbeing strategies – will ultimately help smooth out some of the bumps in our journey.

Michael Hegarty
ARCH

Michael is the Group CEO of ARCH and has been active on the ACA committee since 2016. ARCH was formally known as Suters Architects and has been involved with the ACA since 1987. Michael is an enthusiastic member of the ACA’s RAP Working Group and has recently organised two events in South Australia for members to assist them with their knowledge of Working with Country and their engagement with First Nations communities.

Michael shares, “Our profession is under sustained pressure to undertake additional work, take on additional responsibilities and for less fees. The industry dynamics present an existential threat to many architectural businesses, the vast majority of which are SMEs.  I believe that the best way to address these challenges is to galvanise our collective knowledge and energies via the ACA and use that to influence industry-wide issues by sharing information within the profession and architectural businesses, establishing a shared position on these challenges, and using our collective scale to have a voice to influence positive change.”

Mark Berlangieri
Walter Brooke & Associates

Mark is a Director at Walter Brooke and has been on the ACA committee for two years. He continued Walter Brooke’s long involvement with the ACA when previous Director Ian Hore stepped down. Mark actively works with the universities on behalf of the ACA to ensure we have a voice in the upcoming merger of the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia.

Stewart Caldwell
Russell & Yelland Architects

Stewart is a Director at Russell & Yelland Architects, which has been an ACA member for over 15 years. Stewart is a new member of the ACA committee, following the retirement of immediate past SA President John Held, also from Russell & Yelland. Stewart generally believes in the importance of contributing time and effort into making things better for others. He believes in ensuring a sustainable process through both strong advocacy and support of practice. Stewart believes the ACA does both of these things well and wants to help build on the ACA’s existing success.

Andrew Phillips
Swanbury Penglase

Andrew has been working for Swanbury Penglase since its inception in 1989 and has been a Director since 1997. With vast experience across all areas of architecture, Andrew specialises in education, commercial, retail and residential projects. He is a strong advocate for client, architect and consultant collaboration on projects and is committed to creating environmentally sustainable design solutions.

 

Kristy Mogridge
Matthews Architects

Kristy Mogridge is an Associate and Studio Coordinator at Matthews Architects with a strong background in practice management, business operations, human resources, quality systems and organisational governance. She works closely with leadership teams to improve business performance, develop people and implement systems that support the delivery of high quality architectural services.

Kristy brings a practical, people-focused perspective to the ACA SA Committee, with a passion for helping practices build strong cultures, embrace innovation, improve operational efficiency and navigate the evolving challenges facing the architectural profession. She is committed to supporting initiatives that strengthen the business of architecture and contribute to a sustainable future for the profession.

Tom Vinall
JPE Design Studio

Tom is a Director at JPE Design Studio. He has a wide range of experience in the multi-residential, mixed-use, commercial and community project sectors. He has worked as a Design Leader for practices in London, Melbourne and Adelaide, and has been involved in numerous master planning, concept design, site mapping and feasibility studies across a variety of projects.

 

Graeme Martin
SA Executive Officer

Graeme joined the ACA in 2025, bringing his past experience as an Executive Officer from the Local Government sector. He has an Economics degree with a broad range of business skills and has been involved in many different and successful businesses both in Australia and overseas.