As part of our series on graduate life at Woods Bagot, Adelaide grads Lauren Veronese and Astrid Delen talk about learning with a mentor, building connections with other graduates and working alongside teams across Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne.
Starting out in practice brings plenty of questions, and it helps to have people to ask. For Woods Bagot graduates, support comes from several directions at once: a mentor, fellow graduates, project leaders and teams in other studios.
Lauren and Astrid have each drawn on that support in their own way. Lauren is working towards registration as an architect. Astrid, an interior designer, has worked with teams across three studios and has been thinking more deliberately about where she wants her career to go.
Lauren studied a Master of Architecture at the University of South Australia and joined Woods Bagot in 2025. She says the program’s biggest value has been the support around her.
“I’ve found it incredibly valuable in supporting my journey towards registration,” she says. “I’ve appreciated the guidance from my mentor, project leaders and other graduates in the studio, who are always willing to share their knowledge and advice.”
Astrid studied a Bachelor of Interior Architecture at Adelaide University, formerly the University of South Australia, and first joined Woods Bagot as a student in 2025. For her, the relationships have been the highlight.
“One of the aspects I have enjoyed most is building connections with other graduates and having a mentor to provide guidance and support,” she says. “The program has also encouraged me to think more intentionally about my career development and set meaningful goals for myself.”
“I’ve appreciated the guidance from my mentor, project leaders and other graduates in the studio, who are always willing to share their knowledge and advice.”
Both describe a studio where asking for help is easy.
“Everyone has been really supportive, and I’ve learned a lot from the people around me,” Lauren says. “It’s been a positive and collaborative environment where I’ve felt comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas and learning from others every day.”
Astrid’s work has also taken collaboration beyond Adelaide.
“I have found it very rewarding to work alongside supportive teams across Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne,” she says. “Collaborating across different studios has given me the opportunity to build connections, learn from a diverse range of people and gain exposure to different perspectives and ways of working.”
Lauren has moved across sectors, from culture to education to health, including the Arts & Media Hub and the Loreto College Masterplan.
“I’ve really enjoyed working across different sectors, as every project has offered a unique set of challenges, opportunities and ways of thinking,” she says. “It’s interesting to see how architecture responds to different users, communities and environments, and how design solutions can vary depending on the project context.”
She has also built her technical skills. “There’s always something new to learn. Since joining Woods Bagot, I’ve built on my skills in Revit, Enscape and Rhino, and have gained a clearer understanding of how projects progress through different stages.”
For Astrid, the biggest lessons have been about clients.
“I have developed a stronger understanding of stakeholder management and the importance of creating a clear and well-defined design brief,” she says. “In particular, I have learnt how important it is to understand what the client is ultimately trying to achieve, so that their key priorities remain at the centre of the design process.”
“I have learnt how important it is to understand what the client is ultimately trying to achieve, so that their key priorities remain at the centre of the design process.”
Their graduate projects show an interest in how design shapes the experience of a place and the people in it.
Lauren’s project, Dock Two, was a mixed-use development in Port Adelaide that combined social housing with local markets to address housing affordability and food security. Guided by themes of threshold and connectivity, it aimed to foster social interaction, support local businesses and strengthen community connections.
Astrid’s project reimagined Bagot House as a luxury hotel, responding to the site’s particular conditions rather than formulaic trends. “I explored how luxury could be reframed as a momentary retreat within a busy urban context, using natural light, materiality and shifts in scale to create intimate, localised atmospheres,” she says. A Schulim Krimper cocktail cabinet served as her conceptual anchor, informing the patterning of the air brick façade and floor tiles.
Those interests continue in how they talk about design today. Lauren is drawn to how architecture responds to “different users, communities and environments”. Astrid wants to understand how “cultural narratives, local identity and community values can shape the design process”, to create spaces that are “meaningful, inclusive and genuinely connected to place”.
At Woods Bagot, we are committed to creating an environment where difference is celebrated, valued and respected, practices are equitable, and our people feel like they belong. We accept that none of us is smarter than all of us. We believe building a diverse workforce is the foundation to creativity and innovative design – it is only by working together that we can realise the potential of our people, clients and communities around us.
Through our inclusive leadership and our truly global studio network, you will find your voice and have the support and flexibility required to bring your whole self to work and build an exceptional career.
Learn more about the Graduate Program.
12 Oct 26