Greg Lee & Warren Haasnoot
The Two of us
Curious Practice founders Greg Lee (left) and Warren Haasnoot. Photo: Alexander McIntyre
Interview by Janne Ryan | photography by alexander mcintyre, katherine lu
Driven to make architecture more accessible, Newcastle-based Curious Practice asks us to think differently about the size of our houses. This prize-winning young practice, reframes the idea of a housing affordability crisis as a ‘crises of consumption’. Small is beautiful say founders Greg Lee and Warren Haasnoot.
what do you do and why?
Greg: I’m an architect. I can’t remember ever wanting to do anything else. Architecture excites me… and sometimes scares me.
Warren: We try to solve problems, we apply knowledge, research and engage professional consultants to help us find interesting and unique solutions. Love of our work itself is also important. We’re curious and ask questions.
Warren and Greg had both done drafting diplomas before studying architecture.
Vikki’s Place by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
WHY CURIOUS PRACTICE?
Greg & Warren: We started the practice in 2016 after graduating, working for others, and travelling. Curious comes from the word itself, eager to know or learn something – and Practice meaning repeated exercise in or performance of an activity or skill so as to acquire or maintain proficiency in it.
In 2021 Curious Practice were joint winners with Sydney-based Other Architects of the national Emerging Architects Award from Houses Awards.
Vikki’s Place by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
where do you live and why?
Greg: I grew up in Mullaway, a small beachside village on the NSW North Coast. I moved to Newcastle because it was the closest regional centre and had more education and employment opportunities than smaller towns. But living in Newcastle I’ve found areas with similar qualities of ‘home’, of people-activated streets, front gardens and importantly for me… beaches.
Warren: I have seen a lot of change to the city of Newcastle over the past 5-10 years. If we were in Sydney we wouldn’t have had the exposure to some of Newcastle’s incredible projects so early.
Vikki’s Place by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
the role of chance?
Greg: Warren and I met in the first week at The University of Newcastle. We did a hand-cut sectional contour model of a mushroom made up of 500+ layers of paper together. That’s when we understood each other’s drive and pursuit for the craft and work ethic.
Warren: At university, I found a lot of meaning in how something can impact so greatly a place or the way somebody feels. We had some incredible elders teaching us – leading architects Richard Le Plastrier and Peter Stutchbury, and lecturers Michael Chapman and Chris Tucker. The experience and wisdom they shared still guides us in the buildings we create.
“we’re also nice guys and probably need to say ‘No’ more often.”
Exposed elements at Vikki’s Place by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
YOUR strengths & weaknesses?
Greg: We’re incredibly hardworking, pursuing our interests more than looking for financial gain. We are each other’s critic, although we’re also nice guys and probably need to say ‘No’ more often.
Warren: Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness, in that we try to help everyone, even if it has a negative impact on ourselves and those close to us.
“Our greatest strength is also our greatest weakness.”
Parry Street House by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
what drives you?
Warren: Creating buildings that respect people and place. Spaces that replicate the atmosphere of nature and heighten our emotions.
Greg: Our responsibility to make things that enrich the environment. When what drives you is not yourself but in serving your environment, you seem to have more energy.
HOW DO YOU FIND clients?
Greg: They find us. Our growing number of built and published works makes us more visible. To begin with we were found only through word of mouth, and mostly through builders in the Newcastle area.
Warren: It is exciting now to be approached off the back of awards and publications because people like the way we think about materials, space and detail. It’s nice to think all that hard work is starting to pay off.
Valencia Street House by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
“We attempted to write a list of goals once, but never finished it.”
Lambton House by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
your goals in practice?
Greg: We attempted to write a list of goals once, but we never finished it. It became more about our values – in ourselves and with the business.
Warren: We want to make architecture more accessible, make it less about the contents and more about the atmosphere. We talk a lot in the office about how there is a genuine housing problem in Australia, but I don’t think we have a housing affordability problem, so much as a housing size problem! We are fighting a system of consumption – which is as much about our financial and political institutions as it is about sustainability and liveability.
All hands on deck, constructing the Curious Practice studio fit-out. Photo: Curious Practice
“We want to make architecture more accessible... less about the contents, more about the atmosphere.”
what keeps you focused?
Greg: Within the practice there is always a healthy competition of ideas, and then robust collaboration around resolving and applying these ideas. This challenge focuses me. Also, one of the reasons we started Curious Practice was to have control of the process, and because we love being ‘on the tools’. We wanted to avoid falling into the managerial roles of larger practices.
Warren: Being dedicated to a cause. Being an architect and co-founder of the practice means taking responsibility for everything – design, materials, details and budget – right through to the construction. I really love what I do. So much energy goes into every project because the practice is about that drive to keep learning and evolving.
“there’s strength in collaboration...there is always a healthy competition of ideas.”
Imperfect / perfect at Valencia Street House bay Curious Practice. Photo: Anna Hutchcroft
what kind of risks do you take?
Warren: As a designer you’re always taking risks, but with each experience you learn about different types of risks and how to manage them. We see every project as a prototype and are continually looking for new ideas and refinements.
Greg: From a financial perspective, I guess you could say investing our time in small-budget projects because they’re interesting, rather than lucrative, could be seen as a risk! Also, invention – which always carries risk – often plays a role in our design.
“Failure is an instrument to learn from. ”
HOW DO YOU push through difficulties / failure?
Greg: The most beneficial thing about having a partner-in-practice is mutual support. If something is difficult we have each other to learn from or lean on, and when we achieve something we pause and enjoy.
Warren: Failure is an instrument to learn from. When you make a mistake or are unhappy with a particular outcome, you look for ways to improve it. And it’s always good to get input from everyone in the studio – there’s strength in collaboration.
Working every inch of space, Lambton House by Curious Practice. Photo: Katherine Lu
what keeps you awake at night?
Warren: Conflict. It is easy to blame someone elsewhere when things don’t go your way. But with more experience, I can see how conflict is the result of something not being clearly understood or communicated. Conflict is much easier to manage with good clients, and more trivial things keep me up at night.
Greg: Getting the right balance. We have worked really hard and want to keep the momentum going, but not at the expense of health and family. That means getting the most out of the day so as to not keep me up at night. It’s comforting to hear of other practices operating like this – it’s still very challenging. Doubt is always present and in some ways I find that healthy; especially when I can test it against Warren and the team.
“The hardest lesson is ongoing: learning to value and admire ourselves.”
your toughest lesson?
Warren: You can’t please everyone, and sometimes you are just not the right fit.
Greg: Our hardest lesson is ongoing: learning to value and admire ourselves. Making mistakes and learning from the great people around us – builders, consultants, trades, fabricators – keeps us honest and improves us.
A model Cadeau (with renders below), the 2021 Architecture Commission by Curious Practice for the Powerhouse Museum forecourt – a live installation as part of Sydney Design Week. The installation is on hold due to Covid-19.
WHERE TO next?
Greg: We have some exciting public projects coming up which are incredibly fun to be involved with. We have really enjoyed and hope to continue this shift in creative expression.
Warren: I would really enjoy taking control of a project more on site, but we haven’t worked out that balance yet. We’re streamlining our business model so we can focus more on the making side of architecture – which we enjoy. I would also like to help younger architects. We went through a number of unnecessary challenges trying to get the business to where we are now and it would be good to give others a jump start in their business.
