Our dear friend and colleague Wesley Hindmarch sadly passed away over Easter after a long illness.
He was born in 1973 and grew up in Hobart. Following work in the building trade as a painter, he studied Architecture at the University of Tasmania under the guidance of Paddy Dorney, during the period when the school was relocating from Hobart to the Launceston campus. Graduating in 1999, he began travelling extensively throughout Europe, funding his way by working on building sites.
Wes completed his architectural studies at the Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar, earning the nickname ‘Kandinsky’. He then worked for Pritzker Prize architect Alvaro Siza in Portugal from 2003 to 2005; the experience was to influence his work greatly for his entire career.
On his return to Hobart, he worked a few years in private practice before cofounding Dock4 Architects with Stephen Geason, Michael Shrapnel and Richard Loney, under the mentorship of Peter Wilmott (1946-2011). Firstly working on residential projects, Wes initiated moving the practice’s focus to commercial and community projects.
Wes held a socialist moral ethic and political advocacy belief in architecture and the role of the architect, which continued to define his career as he sought to challenge what he felt needed to change. In 2008, with Paul Johnston, he coordinated several industry bodies in a submission to Infrastructure Australia and then presented to Legislative Council Enquiries, promoting the Northern Suburbs light rail as an affordable housing initiative.
He moved to Melbourne in 2014 with his partner Gai and helped establish the Dock4 Melbourne office with Richard Brenchley.
Wes’s time at Dock4 ended in 2016 when he moved with his family, Gai and son Fin, to the Kangaroo Valley in New South Wales, where he founded his new architectural practice, Local Architect South Coast. The projects started out as small residential work, but soon grew into commercial and public buildings, and increasingly with a community focus that signified the idea of the architect serving the ‘local’ community. The architectural awards for the ‘Artie Smith Sporting Facility’ and his own ‘Sheep Chute’ house are indicative of his success and standing in the South Coast community.
Throughout his life he was continuously designing and building for family and friends, testing ideas in each project — from tiny homes to new residences. He was prolific in his output with ‘nothing too small,’ that was a testament to his idea of architecture as community service. His final project after finishing the family home in Kangaroo Valley, was a lean-to shelter stripped back to an earth floor and a tin roof – this is where he rediscovered his love of art within a bushland; he seemed more comfortable here than in the new house. Wes had the ability to cross social bridges in many aspects of his life, and this was evident in his deep respect for people, community and culture; working closely with artists, activists, craftspeople, and environmentalists.
Most recently, as part of his ‘local’ practice, he connected with local indigenous groups which enlivened his deep and long standing interest in connecting with Country through both architecture and as a human.
His work with the Regional Architecture Association as a creative director with Dharrawal Yuin Raymond Timbery and Renee McGuinn, initiated the ‘immersive hands on gathering,’ Beginnings – First Peoples Architecture on the Shoalhaven River, joining architects and members of Gadhungal Marring, ‘bridging the gap between existing Indigenous culture, our understanding of heritage and how we better articulate this experience through practice.’
Today both of Wes’s architectural practices continue to thrive, and the influence and values he established will continue to guide them.
Wes was able to establish a significant legacy in a short time. He will be greatly missed, and remembered with great respect.
Richard Loney & Paul Johnston
Richard and Paul are compiling ‘stories of Wes’ to forward to his family and would be grateful for all contributions of memories to share and collect.
Please contact Richard (richard@dock4.com.au) or Paul (paul@pauljohnstonarchitects.com) to contribute.
