MEET ONE OF OUR ARCHITECTS

Fran’s father, a Venetian furniture maker who emigrated from Italy in the late 1950s, was so impressed with a house built by Alan Hickinbotham that he commissioned Hickinbotham to build Fran’s family home in the mid-1960s. Fran’s upbringing in this well-designed home in Athelstone influenced his architectural career, showing him the potential of good design.

With over 45 years in architecture, Fran founded his own practice, Tectvs, 35 years ago. He holds an Honours degree from the University of Adelaide, where he is also an Adjunct Associate Professor, and is pursuing a PhD. He is a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and has received the Sir James Irwin President’s Medal.

Fran’s work spans private homes, townhouses, apartments, furniture, and commercial projects, including wineries and restaurants. His clients include local, national, and international entities, with studios in Adelaide and Melbourne. He is also involved in restoring a 15th-century house and rebuilding a bell tower in central-east Italy.

For his new designs for Statesman Homes, Fran says, “I’m used to designing compact living spaces with a high level of efficiency and complexity. When it comes to designing apartments, every centimetre counts. We’ve adopted some of those elements into a traditional, free-standing house design. I wanted to capture that less tangible, sensory experience that many people inadvertently have when they walk into a well-designed home, a calming effect.”