Jonathan Lake joins GA as design leader
Gresley Abas is pleased to announce the appointment of our new Design Leader – Jonathan Lake – who joins us today, Wednesday 25 September.
GA’s new design leader Jonathan Lake
Jonathan brings a wealth of experience to the role, having designed buildings ranging in scale from single homes to the $150M Kings Square Redevelopment in Fremantle, and including some of the most recognisable places in Perth. His previous experience includes three years as Practice Leader at Hassell, and 12 years as a director of his own eponymous firm.
“We’ve known and admired Jonathan and his work for decades, and it’s a huge coup to have him join Gresley Abas,” says Managing Director Philip Gresley. “We place a lot of emphasis on the quality of our design ideas – using brief, community input and our own observations – to arrive at sensitive and meaningful designs. We’re confident that Jonathan will help us hone our processes and enhance our outcomes, for the benefits of clients and the communities we serve.”
Jonathan says that he was keen to join Gresley Abas – a firm that was founded in Perth in 2003 and now has offices in Melbourne under the leadership of co-founder Ahmad Abas – because it has a strong reputation for its emphasis on great design and serving communities.
“I have a huge respect for Phil and Ahmad; I’ve known them both since university. Phil has passion and enthusiasm that never wavers, and Ahmad is one of the most intelligent and inquisitive people I’ve ever met. The two of them are great leaders and have built an incredible team that I’m proud to become a part of.”
He also shares the GA enthusiasm for working genuinely with people to create great design outcomes. “In this design leader role, I’ll be working with the team to build upon their process and culture of design, and to find new and different ways of extending that reputation into bigger and new projects.”
“I love the fact that GA are so focussed on people,” Jonathan adds. They have been living and breathing that ethos for their entire history. One of their key values is respect, which is an incredibly important part of being a good designer – hearing and listening to clients and consultants. If you can do that, great work results, and it’s much more than just rhetoric.”
“Jonathan will be working across all of GA’s projects – which currently include Tawarri Hot Springs and Kennedy Bay Golf Club – and we look forward to drawing upon his insights and experiences as the firm continues to grow and thrive,” Phil says.