Senior Associate Mark Jeavons joins Woods Bagot after more than 25 years at Hassell, where he led complex projects across aviation, education, commercial, aged care, multi residential and mixed use sectors. 

“What attracted me to Woods Bagot was the opportunity to build on an already strong design culture and help grow the residential and mixed use presence here in Perth,” he says. “The practice’s reputation for design excellence, combined with the opportunity to collaborate across disciplines and geographies, was a strong drawcard, but so was the chance to take on new challenges, work with new clients and be part of a new team.” 

Jeavons approaches design with a strong focus on early stage feasibility. “Multi-residential projects can be difficult to get off the ground. A big part of my role is giving clients confidence early — reading the site, understanding the planning constraints and shaping a scheme that works both commercially and architecturally. Once that’s clear, you can focus on what makes the architecture sing.” 

A key part of Jeavons’ remit is to bring the depth of Woods Bagot’s east coast residential expertise to the Perth market, translating the product knowledge, design ambition and desirability that defines the practice’s work in Sydney and Melbourne into projects that respond to local conditions and expectations. “There is a real opportunity to draw on that knowledge and make it work here,” he says. 

Now part of the Perth studio’s executive leadership, Jeavons plays a broader role in shaping studio strategy and strengthening the design and delivery stream and working alongside the broader design team to evolve and deepen the studio’s design culture. 

He is currently leading the Spicers Hotel Fremantle project with Fiveight, a 150-room lifestyle hotel development that reflects his interest in neighbourhood-scale placemaking.  

“Hotels are an interesting crossover between residential and hospitality,” he says. “When they’re done well, they don’t just serve hotel guests, they become part of the neighbourhood. That’s what we’re aiming for here: a place that feels like it belongs to Fremantle.” 

The project is being delivered in collaboration with Woods Bagot’s specialist hospitality interiors team in Sydney, bringing together architecture and interior design under one roof to shape a cohesive guest experience from the ground up. 

“I’ve worked on a lot of complex projects over the years, but what excites me most is the chance to both lead projects and help shape the studio’s future. There’s genuinely world-class residential work coming out of Woods Bagot in Sydney and Melbourne — and a real opportunity to bring that level of quality to Perth.” 

“In the end, it always comes back to designing great buildings, creating great places, and building great relationships along the way. That’s the basics. That’s where you have your fun. That’s why you do it.” 

Architect Jess Beaver brings more than a decade of experience from MJA Studio, where she worked across architecture and interiors projects, ranging from small interventions to large mixed use developments. 

Her portfolio spans hospitality, residential and adaptive reuse, with a strong interest in character-rich buildings and people centred design. At Woods Bagot, she is focused on helping lead and grow the studio’s hospitality practice, working closely with the regional team on projects across the sector. 

“I’m trained as an architect, but I do work across architecture and interiors,” she says. “I love to see everything start to finish, and to work the outside in.”  

Known for her collaborative and detail-oriented approach, Jess works closely with clients, consultants and builders, often within the detailed stages of documentation and construction.  

“Good design means finding the balance in delivering the best outcomes commercially, balanced with high quality amenity and healthy outcomes for the end user,” she says. “They need to go hand in hand.” 

Jess is currently working closely with the Perth and Sydney team delivering Spicers Hotel, as well as more locally across several hospitality projects with ARK Group  that will revitalise existing venues across the city. “They’re older places with great character,” she says. “They’re ready for their layers to be peeled back and re-presented in a new light.” 

“I am interested in how spaces support everyday life. How people dwell, retreat, connect and gather. Architecture plays a role in shaping those moments.” 

It is a commitment Jess has demonstrated beyond the studio walls too. She sits on the State Design Review Panel and recently joined the WA Chapter Council of the Australian Institute of Architects, where she is actively involved in shaping industry priorities at a state level.  

“For me, industry involvement is about the bigger picture. Design review helps lift the overall quality of our built environment.”  

“As a state, we’re so isolated,” she reflects. “Working with the president and council to tie into our professional networking ties and conversations leads to the bigger picture of being able to deliver good design for the end user.”  

The opportunity to work within a global design network drew her to Woods Bagot. “I love my city, but for great places to grow we need to look outward. Access to global thinking around design, sustainability and technology allows us to bring new ideas back into the Perth context.”

Design Leader Peter Morris brings more than two decades of international experience across Australia, Asia and the United Kingdom. His career includes major city shaping projects such as Gardens by the Bay and the Singapore Sports Hub, as well as Western Australian landmarks including the Perth Airport Masterplan and the Inner Armadale Line. 

As Design Leader for the Perth studio, Morris focuses on strengthening conceptual clarity across projects. “Teams are often deep in the detail of delivery,” he explains. “My role is to help draw out the essence of a project and refocus on what makes it distinctive.” 

For Morris, conceptual clarity extends beyond aesthetics. “It is about identifying the essential thread of a project. That might be a design idea, but it can also be the way a complex technical or financial constraint has been resolved. Often, that’s what clients are most interested in, not necessarily how many awards a project has won.” 

Since joining the studio, Morris has worked across a wide range of projects, including a modular resort development at Ningaloo and the transformation of St Martins Centre, a mixed-use precinct in Perth’s CBD. 

St Martins, in particular, presents a layered set of challenges. The large-scale adaptive reuse project involves recladding the existing structure while integrating three existing buildings and retaining much of the original concrete frame. “Reuse of existing structures can deliver significant sustainability outcomes, but it also requires careful negotiation with the city and the project team.” 

Morris is particularly energised by the diversity of work in Western Australia. “We are working across a state the size of Western Europe. The variety of project typologies is unlike anywhere else I have worked, and that is what makes it exciting.” 

For Morris, this is also where his background becomes directly relevant. “WA is a market of around three million people, so clients are always looking beyond the state for ideas and innovation. Having 10 years of experience here alongside a broader international career means I can help draw on the wider Woods Bagot network in a way that is directly useful to what clients are asking for.” 

That combination, he says, makes the studio’s culture all the more energising. “We have a dynamic and relatively young team, with a really broad base of skill sets. Being part of that, and helping to shape where it goes next, is what keeps me engaged.”