Koos De Keijzer
National Director - dKO Architecture
www.dko.com.au

Koos is the National Director at dKO Architecture, a 50 strong multi disciplinary design practice with offices in Melbourne and Sydney. Koos has, along with his team, built up an enviable reputation in the industry being highly regarded for producing commercially intuitive yet sensitive and insightful architectural and interior solutions.
dKO are regularly involved across a range of small to large scale projects, both locally and internationally.

Why Architecture?
I always loved drawing and dreaming as a kid, and loved the possibilities that architecture creates.

What was your first job?
My first job as an architect was working for a well known architect in Amsterdam called Sjoerd Soeters. Sjoerd was a wonderful mentor and certainly had a maverick sense of architecture. I worked on several canal houses, a casino in the Dutch seaside city of Zandvoort and a number of fashion boutiques.

Who or what inspires you?
When I was studying I was heavily influenced by Morris Lapidus, a designer of what I still consider to be some of the most interesting hotels built. His Fontainbleau Hilton and his Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach are fabulous buildings. Recently the work of contemporary groups such as Asymptote, ONL and Adrian Smith has been inspiring me with their possibility thinking.
The sheer beauty, complexity and simplicity of nature inspire some of my current thinking as well.

Favourite place on Earth?
Somewhere between Los Angeles and Barcelona, I like cities with sunshine, history and culture.

Top 3 buildings worldwide?
1/ The Opera Hous
2/ Burj Dubai
3/ Guggenheim New York

Best project you ever worked on?
Melbourne Docklands. I was the Design Director of the team that designed  Yarras Edge and have seen it evolve into a new lifestyle precinct  for Melburnians.

Project you wish you’d worked on?
The Sydney Opera House.

Biggest change in Architecture over your career?
The globalisation of Architecture, working across 3 or 4 countries at the same time.   

A sentence to sum up your view of ESD?
Appropriate sustainability should be the cornerstone of everything we do.

Best advice you have ever received?
Be passionate about everything you do.

Advice you would give to young Architects?
Be passionate about everything you do. I would much rather work with passionate young architects than clever young architects.

How do you unwind?
Spending time with my kids, cycling, traveling and reading. I am reading Doris Kearns “Teams of Rivals” on Abraham Lincoln, a great read.

In your opinion, has the “great Australian building” been designed yet?
Australia has several great buldings and the future is for many more.

What do you love about your job?
The opportunities to design possibilities and to meet people.