About the Government Architect

The Government Architect NSW works across government, the private sector and the community to improve social, environmental and economic outcomes for NSW and all of our communities.

The team aims to:

• Champion – promote, educate and advocate for design awareness and excellence on behalf of Government, its agencies and partners.
• Connect – foster public and private sector partnerships, collaboration and design collaboration across built environment initiatives.
• Advise – provide strategic and independent advice and quality review to support best practice and outcomes for design projects.

The Government Architect NSW supports the NSW Government and helps it deliver quality built-environment projects, manage risk and foster innovation to create people-centred places.

In acknowledging the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the land and their unique cultural relationships to place, Government Architect NSW seeks to uphold the idea that, 'If we care for Country - It will care for us'.

The Government Architect leads the office and activities of the Government Architect NSW to champion and facilitate better design outcomes across government, the private sector and the community. The Government Architect performs several statutory roles including delegated responsibility for the department’s design excellence functions.

The Government Architect (or their delegate) chairs the State Design Review Panel, and is a member of numerous boards and committees including Central Sydney Planning Committee, the NSW Architect’s Registration Board, NSW Heritage Council, Anzac Memorial Board of Trustees and Sydney Opera House Conservation Council. They also sit on various state and local government design review panels.

The Government Architect NSW team were awarded the AIA 2024 Leadership in Sustainability Prize for showcasing exceptional leadership in all aspects of sustainability and commitment to environmental stewardship.

The Government Architect NSW team is led by Abbie Galvin LFRAIA, the 24th Government Architect in the more than 200-year history of the organisation. Abbie brings experience from a 30-year career leading architectural practice across multiple project sectors. Abbie is the recipient of over 40 state, national and international architectural awards, is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and received the Marion Mahoney Griffin Prize for a distinctive body of work in the field of Architecture.

Using their skills and knowledge as designers and practitioners, the Government Architect NSW team advocates for and supports the delivery of the great and resilient places expected by the people of NSW.

David Burge provides 25 years of experience in urban design and urban planning in the public and private sectors across Australia, Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. He has experience in all types and sizes of master plans, from city-wide, regional and community planning, ranging from residential, commercial, mixed use, industrial, and leisure and entertainment.

Paulo Macchia combines skills he has gained from 20 years in the public and private sectors to lead strategy, policy and procurement initiatives that realise public benefits from design. He also established and chairs the Land and Housing Corporation Centre for Design, which works to improve the design quality of social housing in NSW.

Jillian Hopkins is a registered architect with a varied career spanning state and local government, academic, private and non-profit sectors. She advocates for good sustainable design to benefit communities and brings deep experience from her work within Government Architect NSW, including contributions to the Sustainable Buildings SEPP and NSW Housing Pattern Book.