ABOUT

My life experience is global.
I am adventurous, forward-thinking, well fastened with the global yet intellectual knowledge, news and the culture.

I no longer wish to name it as architecture. It’s our immediate environment.

It surrender us.

Tommy, Ji Hyung Joo

주지형

I was born in a small city in South Korea, in the year 1984.

I hold Korean Citizenship, however, I am an Australian Permanent Resident having lived here since 1997.

Further to that I spent the last 6 years living and working in Germany, I am holding an EU Blue Card Resident Permit. Currently, I am located in Melbourne since 2019.

My Extensive and Adventurous
14 years of work experience
have taught me,

A New Perspective: a vast range of knowledge, Attitude, and clear Mindset towards the Environment. design, however, it will define me as who I am.

My work experiences in Australia stretch over a vast range of projects from documenting and administering a small housing project, 300m tall skyscrapers to Masterplans, which led me to be appointed as an Associate at Bates Smart at the age of 27. (10 years ago)

In my early thirties, I’ve been appointed as a Chief Designer in an Interdisciplinary Practice in Berlin, Germany, renounced for Placemaking, shifting my skillsets from from Architecture to Artistic Direction.

I’ve been expanded on sight of knowledge with a great amount of insightful thinking and precious skills which can not be earned locally.

Tommy is a registered architect and designer with more than 13 years of professional experience. Born in South Korea, and from an early age, he was educated and completed his Bachelor and Master of Architecture at The University of Melbourne where his thesis project was a RIBA President Medal nominee. Following his graduation, he worked on a wide range of projects, from small-scale housing to the workplace to urban design. 

Starting from 2010, he was appointed as an Associate at Bates Smart in 2012 at his age of 27. He was undertaking a design role, actively involved, and contributed to a broad range of projects including initial design and planning stages.

He dedicated commitment to the highest standard in the initiation of design concepts establishing the design methodology and systems. He has a strong sense of conceptualisation and expression together with a honed ability to translate design ideas into physicality.

Along with his employment, he has been teaching at Melbourne University, leading three years of thesis studios, individual supervising, and 28 classes from history to contemporary theory classes. 

In 2014, he moved to Europe to broaden his knowledge and skills in an interdisciplinary studio in active collaboration with different expertise teams. 

REALACE is a leading practice in Europe, well known for Placemaking. 

He was a chief designer for all projects in the practice. Later he established and directed a concept-making team within the practice along with an artistic direction. While architecture is the root of his professionalism, working in a truly collaborative environment with expert teams of all fields brought him unique knowledge and approach in pursuing his creativity. His creative design skills range from concept idea, artistic direction, Placemaking, program strategy, identity-making and tailor-made workplaces. His global and diverse experiences tie together with the most forwarding and open-minded approach. 

One of his most successful projects is in Germany, a masterplan over 60,000 sqm of space as a campus for innovative technology companies. Bosch IoT Campus with Europe's leading ideas and research was part of the masterplan.

The unconventional approach in creating a workplace with a precise understanding of value, identity, and the need of every individual is one of his most remarkable assets. His projects for German's leading companies, museum and art curation are still on media today. 

Along with his employment, he has been teaching at Melbourne University, leading three years of thesis studios, individual supervising, and 28 classes from history to contemporary theory classes. 

He is most confident in developing a design narrative both in strategic and artistic approach.