The Australian Institute of Architects Fellowships are given to members who have demonstrated a significant contribution to the architecture profession beyond architecture practice. It is our pleasure to announce that Sophie Bence has been named a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects.
Sophie graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2003 with a Bachelor of Architecture (Hons) and registered as an architect in Tasmania in 2021.
Sophie is currently a director at Bence Mulcahy, and joined the Institute as a member in 2000.
Prior to her current position she worked at Terroir (2003–2009), the Australian Institute of Architects (2009–2010), and Liminal Spaces, Hobart (2010–2015) where she was an associate responsible for a number of key projects including the Geeveston Child and Family Centre (CFC), which won an Award for Public Architecture and a Commendation for Interior Architecture at the Institute’s 2014 Tasmanian Architecture Awards. She was also the project architect for the Bridgewater CFC and LINC, which won the Alan C Walker Award for Public Architecture at the 2013 Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
In continuing her commitment to undertaking public projects, since 2015 – as a director of Bence Mulcahy – Sophie has been project director for a number of public projects, including the Holy Rosary Catholic School School (2017-2021), The Friends’ School Campus Redevelopment (2020-2023), and the Dover District School Year 11 and 12 Centre (2019-2021), which received a Commendation for Public Architecture at the 2022 Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
In addition to public work, Sophie was also a project director for a number of awarded residential projects, including the Mt Stuart Greenhouse, Hobart (2019), which received the Institute’s Henry Hunter Triennial Prize for Heritage Architecture at the 2020 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, a commendation in the 2019 Houses Awards, along with the Roy Sharrington Smith Award for Heritage, the Edith Emery Award for Residential Architecture (Alterations and Additions), and the COLORBOND Award for Steel Architecture at the 2018 Tasmanian Architecture Awards.
She was also project director for the Fusiliers Cottage (2020-2022), which received the Edith Emery Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions), and an Award for Heritage Architecture in the 2022 Tasmanian Architecture Awards, the Award for House in a Heritage Context in the 2022 Houses Awards Award, and an Award for Residential Architecture – Houses (Alterations and Additions) at the 2022 National Architecture Awards.
In addition to being an outstanding architect in her own right, Sophie is a mentor and role model for architects in the profession. Sophie was elected to and served as a Tasmanian chapter councillor from 2016-2021, and through her own volition she co-established The Findlay Project (The Tasmanian women in architecture collective) in 2017, and remains a primary organiser of this group. Sophie was a member of the Institute’s National Committee for Gender Equity (2019-2022).
As a result of Sophie’s advocacy for diversity within the construction industry, she was awarded The National Association of Women in Construction, ‘Crystal Vision Award’ in 2019.
Congratulations, Sophie.
