Helen Lochhead graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Architecture and went on to complete a Master of Science, from Columbia Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. She is a registered architect, landscape architect and planner. Lochhead is an architect and urban designer with over 20 years of senior management and project delivery experience in both private and public sectors in Australia and the United States. Her career has focused on the inception, planning, design and delivery of complex large-scale urban projects. In 2013 Lochhead was awarded the prestigious Marion Mahony Griffin Prize by the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects. The citation states that Lochhead 'has worked tirelessly to achieve design excellence in the public sector working on architectural, urban design and landscape design projects. Through her role on committees, design review panels and competition juries, and from within local council and state government agencies, she has worked determinedly, managing to extricate herself from procedural inertia and the daily difficulties of working in a bureaucracy to make design quality and sustainability important considerations in major capital works projects. Prior to accepting a secondment as the director of strategic developments at Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, Helen championed the promotion of women architects within the GAO, and has played an important role in mentoring graduates. She has taught at three of Sydney's universities and was an adjunct professor at the University of Sydney, prior to her current appointment. Lochhead had won numerous awards for her contributions to the profession, and was a 2013–14 Lincoln/Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy. During her fellowship she studied design, policy, and governance strategies that can deliver more sustainable climate-resilient coastal cities.
Professional career
Lochhead was Director of Helen Lochhead Urban Projects where she prepared masterplans and Development Control Plans including Rozelle Hospital & Gladesville Hospital Master Plans, Rouse Hill Town Centre, Mascot Station Precinct, public domain projects, multi-unit housing projects. From 2004 to 2007 she was Executive Director, Sustainability at Sydney Olympic Park Authority. Lochhead became Deputy Government Architect in the NSW Government Architect's Office in 2007. In 2012–2013 Lochhead was Executive Director, Place Development, at the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. Lochhead was awarded 2014 Lincoln/Loeb Fellow at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and Bogliasco Fellow in 2015. Lochhead is the Dean of the Faculty of Built Environment UNSW in Sydney. Lochhead was a nationally-elected councillor of the Australian Institute of Architects since 2013 and in 2019 became the National President, taking over from Clare Cousins. In 2019 Helen Lochhead was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize. The prize is named for the distinguished Australian architect, Paula Whitman.
Personal life
Lochhead has studied and worked in Australia and the United States.
Awards
2019: Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize, Australian Institute of Architects
