The Brisbane Studio recently welcomed Senior Health Leader, Douglas Roxburgh directly from Edinburgh, Scotland.  Doug has brought with him a wealth of experience in delivering complex award-winning projects. 

We took the opportunity to ask him how he’s settling in:

“…the use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.”  - British travel writer and essayist Samuel Johnson 18^th century

“Why move around the world, with your family, to a country you have never visited before, after a few telephone conversations!  I guess Mr Johnson’s quote for me, would turn that precept on its head and makes me ask myself “am I learning anything from staying where I am?” 

Now here I sit in Brisbane, in an Antipodean climate (albeit tempered by aircon) with a wonderful panoramic view of the river, the city, and the horizon line.  Woods Bagot is international, multi-faceted, multi-skilled and tenacious.  Originality and innovation is expected, not just encouraged.  I work in an office of 55 people, and around 20 nationalities. There are no language, custom or culture barriers, even World Cup results are relegated to insignificant!  I could not experience such a snap shot of world culture at home in Scotland. 

Last week I was in Cairns at the James Cook University, attending a pre-competition information day for the shortlisted teams to design a new research building.  I had four hours there.  On departure, as the plane took off and hit the cloud level, I caught a glimpse of the Great Barrier Reef, aquamarine and glorious, for me a truly amazing sight.  I love my ‘ancestral’ home, but in terms of life experience, at that moment I felt that leaving Scotland to work with Woods Bagot was the best decision I could have made.”