Brian Meyerson

Brian Meyerson founded BMA, now MHN Design Union, in 1997. Now a still-growing team of over fifty, the firm’s philosophy has its roots in Brian’s early architectural inclination towards the distillation and expression of simplicity. Each MHNDU project is pared back in order to discover its essence and meaningfully built to capture this central tenet. In 2020, MHNDU was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Best in Practice Prize.

Brian’s interest in architecture was sparked as a child, observing the urban environment on the streets of his native Cape Town as he commuted by train to school. His time studying architecture at the University of Cape Town, its educational platform informed by the philosophy of Le Corbusier, cemented his conceptualisation of purist modern architecture as a way of optimistically heralding the new, rather than dwelling on the old.

Brian’s early career experience at the Desert Research Institute for Extreme Climates in Israel has informed his long-held passion for environmentally conscious architecture and MHNDU’s commitment to designing homes for a sustainable future.

Having gained a reputation for innovative yet enduring craftsmanship, Brian’s designs have left a defining mark on much of East Sydney and beyond. Most recently, Brian has found particular interest in projects that contribute on an urban interventionist scale, redefining the public domain surrounding sites, such as MHNDU’s concept design for Seven Ways in Bondi and reinvention of the Bondi Hotel and its immediate surrounds for The Beach House.

Nominated Architect.

NSW Registered Architect 4907.

VIC Registration No 19861

Tanya Awadallah

Since joining MHNDU in 2016, Tanya has driven the practice’s evolution and continues to shape its future direction. With a symphonic approach that combines leadership across operations, finance, and people, her overarching philosophy is that the business functions within a practice, when aligned, elevate both operational excellence and design outcomes.

Tanya identifies the impact architecture has on the human experience as the most rewarding aspect of her work. From influencing how individuals feel within a space to shaping the city’s broader fabric, she views architecture as a medium for enriching lives. This perspective extends to her leadership approach, where psychological safety, wellbeing, and accountability are central to building a resilient, high performing team.

As Partner (General Manager), Tanya plays a central role in shaping MHNDU’s future. She works across the practice to align financial stewardship and operational leadership, supporting informed decision making at every level. Through her oversight of organisational structure, systems, and governance, Tanya ensures the practice is resilient and adaptable, enabling the consistent delivery of high quality architectural outcomes.

Under her guidance, MHNDU has not only grown but also become an agent of social change within the community. In 2019, Tanya transformed a heritage garage into “wilson,” a not for profit café and registered charity that champions local, underrepresented artists by offering them a platform to display their art. This initiative underscores her commitment to blending architectural innovation with tangible social impact, contributing meaningfully to both the community and the field.

Kevin Ng

A founding principal of MHNDU, Kevin runs MHNDU’s single residential and boutique multi-unit portfolio and maintains direct involvement in the concept design, documentation and delivery of these projects. Instrumental in the firm’s growth to its current status as a leading Sydney practice, Kevin upholds the vision for his team’s designs, approaching challenges holistically and methodically to achieve the best outcomes for his clients.

Kevin enjoys the constant and changing stimulus of his job; the fact that architectural practice exposes him to a myriad of professions outside of his field, such as engineering, landscaping, construction, law and interior design. Similarly, his architectural inspirations reveal an appreciation for a variety of design approaches. He highlights modernists such as Mies, Phillip Johnson and Seidler, and contemporary architects such as Chipperfield and Pawson as a constant source of creative influence.

His projects have been widely published in local and international design press over many years. Most recently, the acclaimed ‘Customs House’ fetched silver in the Sydney Design Awards, and ‘Bondi Mews’ has received a slew of accolades, being featured in Est Living, Enki Magazine (UK) and shortlisted in House & Garden’s ‘Top 50 Rooms Awards’.

Liam Hancock

Liam has over twenty years of experience working in the UK, Asia and Australia. During this period, he has held senior design roles at internationally acclaimed practices in Sydney and overseas. Liam joined MHNDU in 2014 as Creative Director and runs the boutique multi-unit and mixed-use portfolio. Primarily focused on strategic, conceptual and detail design, Liam also maintains direct involvement through the documentation and delivery of projects.

Fundamental to the firm’s growth as a leading Sydney design practice, Liam’s metier is unlocking each project’s creative and commercial potential, in ways that balance and optimise the wider urban and public benefit. Having studied under the tutelage of David Greene of avant-garde architectural group Archigram, Liam has always been inspired by architectural styles and movements that challenge conventional design. Through his extensive travel, Liam draws influence from a variety of landscapes and cultures, imbuing these into the craft of architecture. His desire is to achieve design outcomes that are both highly innovative yet distinctly contextual.

Liam has been successful on international architectural competitions including Dubai Festival City in the Middle East and a final shortlist for the Barangaroo Masterplan along Sydney’s renowned CBD foreshore. Liam has achieved serveral design excellence competition successes with the City of Sydney. Most recently at One Sydney Park for a residential and mixed-use masterplan that intrinsically connects itself to the adjoining parkland setting.

Michael Waterman

A highly experienced architect, Michael is at the helm of our busy multi-residential team. Born into a family of architects, a love for design and building was instilled into him at a young age. Fascinated by the process of bringing ideas to life through design, Michael believes that architecture has the unique power to help shape our world – a concept which motivates his continual exploration of pushing boundaries in the field. Inspired by avant-garde designs by Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas, as well as classical approaches from the likes of Alvar Aalto, Louis Kahn and Le Corbusier, his architectural appreciation and practice straddles both innovative and timeless design.

A standout project in Michael’s career trajectory is MHNDU’s ‘Traces’, a mixed-use building in a prominent Surry Hills locale. Receiving widespread and international recognition, the historically informed design was shortlisted in the World Architecture Festival Awards in 2017, fetched Gold in the 2023 Sydney Design Awards, as well as a commendation by the Australian Institute of Architects and an accolade from the Good Design Awards.

Four more of his team’s projects have gained recognition across a spectrum of major awards in 2023. Pavilion was a finalist in Property Council Awards for best residential development, while Constantia and Pavilion were finalists in the NSW Urban Development Industry Awards. Constantia, Pavilion, and O’Donnell in Bondi received Silver at the Sydney Design Awards for their innovation. O’Donnell also received accolades at the Good Design Awards, and Constantia, Pavilion, and The Carlisle were shortlisted for the World Architecture News Awards due to their architectural significance and ingenuity.

NSW Registered Architect 9510