Kelly Rattigan established architecture firm Formworks Architecture in 2001 upon her return to Perth from a stint overseas. Mrs Rattigan gained valuable experience in the field when, as a second-year architecture student, she was invited to work for Daniel Libeskind on the redesign of Berlin’s Alexander Platz and the award winning Jewish Museum. Mrs Rattigan’s decision to adopt Building Information Modelling (BIM) – which uses three-dimensional, real-time, dynamic building modeling software to increase productivity in building design and construction – helped insulated Formworks from the recent financial crisis. Formworks architects were trained in BIM before most architects at competitor firms and, as a result, the company’s revenue increased eight-fold between 2007 and 2011. The use of BIM has enabled the firm to produce higher-quality health, commercial and multi-residential architectural projects at a lower cost. The business has experience in community and urban scale projects, including Saint Bartholomew’s House, a $30 million social housing development. Formworks also has worked with remote and indigenous communities, creating innovative designs that continue to reflect the company’s commitment to sustainability. In 2011 Formworks Architecture won the Australian Institute of Architecture’s ‘emerging architect award’ and is currently responsible for projects worth $70 million.
Also in 2012, Ms Rattigan was named the Australia Institute of Architects National Emerging Architect of the Year. She is also one of only two Australians to be named on the Public Interest Design Global 100, a list of people influencing public design worldwide. She folded her Formworks practice into Cameron Chisholm Nicol in 2016.
