Stephen is a Director and Co-founder of CUSP having previously established his own firm S.P.L.A.T. in 1993 which he then merged with Cardno in 2007. Stephen is passionate about effecting positive social and environmental change through imaginative and practical design.  With an academic grounding in the disciplines of Botany and Geography, Stephen is equipped with a broad-based understanding of urban landscape patterns, geomorphology and ecology. Combined with 28 years’ experience as a Registered Landscape Architect, he has a diverse range of skills and personal capabilities.

Stephen’s inclusive approach to management and coordination with numerous design teams has led to success on a substantial number of projects. His dedication to innovative and environmentally responsive design is evidenced by a long list of awards for urban design, masterplanning, urban renewal, and environmental outcomes at state, national and international levels. Stephen served as the Master Landscape Architect for South Bank Corporation for 10 years and held the same role at Brisbane Airport Corporation for 11 years. He currently serves on the AILA National Practice Committee and has held positions on the Brisbane City Council Independent Design Advisory Panel, ULDA and on the Healthy Waterways Steering Committee.

Being heavily involved in peer review, preparation of project/design critiques, strategic advice and masterplanning, Stephen is widely respected for his industry knowledge and contributions and has acted as an awards judge for AILA, UDIA and QALI and as a professional mentor and membership examiner for AILA.

Daniel Wright (Dan) is a Director and Co-founder of CUSP.  His philosophical approach to landscape and urban design is to create unique places that enhance the relationship between the community, natural processes and the environment.

Dan is an accomplished Landscape Architect, Urban Designer and Project Manager. With experience at senior and project manager levels in masterplanning, concept design, detailed design and construction supervision across a diverse range of projects Dan is equipped to provide inclusive and informed leadership as a Director of CUSP and collaborating with consultant teams.

Establishing his career as a Landscape Architect for S.P.L.A.T (with Stephen Pate), later merged with Cardno, Dan’s expertise is a result of working with high-performing teams and award-winning projects.  A testament to Dan’s skill and expertise is his successful involvement as Senior Landscape Architect for the River Quay, South Bank project which was awarded 2011 Queensland UDIA Consultants Excellence Award and Retail/Commercial Award, the Karl Langer Award for Urban Design at the 2012 Queensland Architecture Award and the prestigious “Australia Award for Urban Design” 2012.

During 2010 to 2012, Dan advanced his project management experience by working with one of Australia’s largest diversified property groups, Stockland. As a Development Manager, Dan was responsible for the successful delivery of a broadscale residential community in a new market catchment.  Responsibilities included the management of a consultancy team to develop and implement sales, marketing and production strategies specific to the target customer, providing Dan with vital understandings into the needs and priorities of the client including proactive communication, quality documentation, time and budget management.

Philip is a Registered Landscape Architect with over 20 years-experience working on major landscape & urban design projects in Australia, North America and the United Kingdom.

Since joining CUSP in 2015, Philip has been the project manager on the Queens Wharf Brisbane Foreshore Public Realm currently being delivered for the Destination Brisbane Consortium.   The project includes the reimagining and activation of 1.2km of previously neglected river foreshore between Victoria Bridge and the Goodwill Bridge as part of the development of the new lifestyle and entertainment precinct.

Prior to 2015 Philip spent almost 10 years as principal landscape architect / urban designer on some of South East Queensland’s most complex transport infrastructure projects, including the Inner Northern Busway (Queen Street to Roma Street); AirportlinkM7, and Legacy Way; as well as Tender designs for Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 1, Moreton Bay Rail Link, and Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.

His involvement in these large scale infrastructure & public realm projects has spanned the full range of the project scope, commencing at visioning and options generation, through concept design and stakeholder engagement, to the preparation of construction documentation and implementation. Complex projects require the Landscape Architect to engage proactively with large multi-disciplinary teams, articulating a simple robust design vision, and then successfully advocating for its implementation through quality, integrated urban design solutions. Philip applies these skills to projects of all types and scales to strive for design outcomes which are thoughtful and site responsive, uncomplicated and functional.

With over 25 years’ experience as a registered landscape architect in Australia and overseas, Andrew has a proven background in all aspects of the profession across a wide range of landscape architectural/urban design project types.

He has been both the project and design manager on large scale contracts for private and government agency clients which included management of the project from concept through to the post contract administration phase. For over ten years Andrew has specialised in master planning, design and design development through his role as the Design Manager/Design Project Team Manager of Tract WA; as an Associate with Urbis and now with CUSP. The focus of these projects has mainly been on civic, residential, urban renewal, education and commercial projects.

Milkana is an all-rounder Graphic Artist/Designer with 14 years’ experience in the built environment industry including Landscape Architecture, Urban Design, Public Art, Planning and Architecture. Her strengths are in producing high-end graphics such as 3D renders, master plans and marketing materials unique to the project and client requirements.

She is proficient in leading graphics software packages and has high level traditional hand drawing skills. The spectrum of her project involvement is vast including award winning Queensland based projects, significant bids and published work such as Ipswich River Heart Parklands, Rosella Park North Shore, Caxton Roma Pedestrian Link Brisbane, AirportlinkM7 and Caloundra South Vision and Masterplan. As an artist Milkana has been involved in public art projects as well as Landscape Architecture Entry features, Art Strategies and Exhibitions.

Christoph is an experienced Senior Landscape Architect and leads a wide range of projects across phases varying from concept design, development applications, and operational works through to tender and construction administration and construction supervision. Bringing over 16 years of international and local experience, clients benefit from working with Christoph for his detailed knowledge in flora, fauna and WSUD, that allows him to push the envelope and evolve designs which build on the natural environment of a site. Christoph has a passion for bushwalking, scuba diving and the great outdoors and has been involved in a number of community and recreation projects worldwide.

With over 16 years’ experience, John has managed a wide range of projects including urban open spaces, transport infrastructure, residential estates, parks and multi-unit apartment developments. Of particular note are Newport, Stockland lakefront residential community, the Townsville Recreational Boating Park completed in 2015 and the Landscape Masterplan prepared for the Strengthening Grantham Project in 2011. John has experience developing projects through all phases of the design process from concept design to construction supervision and contract administration.

Previous to working in Brisbane John gained experience in Sydney, working on a variety of project types including sites of national significance such as Admiralty House and Victoria Barracks.

John has a particular interest in the study and management of landscapes of cultural significance, which informs his wider design philosophy as it is applied to the initiation and development of design concepts across all project types.

Nilesh is a registered landscape architect with 9 years’ experience in firms across New Zealand and Australia. Nilesh’s passion for landscape architecture comes from effectively creating environments that encompass all aspects of life from the built form to natural systems. Establishing his career within the urban design team in a predominant environmental consultancy in New Zealand, Nilesh developed his skills in large scale developments. In 2011 Nilesh started work in Queensland documenting and delivering a diverse range of projects including hospitals, aged care facilities, streetscape and urban realm regeneration.

Nilesh has developed a range of skill sets including master planning, landscape analysis, concept design, and graphic communication, particularly in the preparation of CAD and 3D modelling software. By managing a variety of projects in both the private and public sector, Nilesh has also developed a thorough understanding of sketch design through to contract documentation and construction.

Through the course of his career John has work on projects across an array of sectors, spanning from residential gardens to city-scale urban design projects. His experience has seen him manage projects from concept development through to construction, delivering works that realise the vision and expectations of the client.

John’s recent experience has been in the masterplanning, civic open space, residential estate, environmental and private residential sectors. Previously, John was a key member of the team working on the winning Echo Queens Wharf Casino bid and CUSP’s international projects including the development of The Pearl Resort in Fiji.

John uses his broad experience to approach everything with creativity and innovation. Through his work, John aims to demonstrate the value of landscape and create a sense of ownership which ensures the long-term success of any project.

Luke joined CUSP in 2014 and is a valued member of the team contributing to award winning projects including Destination Brisbane Consortium’s Queens Wharf and the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct (HOTA).  As CUSP’s BIM Coordinator for Queens Wharf, Luke knows the potential for Building Information Modelling (BIM) for delivering complex, highly detailed and coordinated projects and believes BIM is the future of the industry.

With an enthusiasm for the outdoors, ecological design and future cities, Luke looks to channel his passions through providing sustainable yet meaningful outcomes for clients at all scales of the landscape.

Reece’s philosophical approach to landscape architecture is to provide environmentally sensitive designs within the public realm and to allow for people to reconnect to Green spaces within urban settings.

During 2016, he graduated from the Queensland University of Technology with a Bachelor of Design, majoring in Landscape Architecture and minoring in Architecture and Business Process Management. In that year Reece also was nominated for the prestigious Karl Langer Award.

During his time at CUSP, Reece has had the opportunity to document some of the large-scale public infrastructure projects such as the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct and Queen’s Wharf Brisbane allowing him to understand the processes of multi-disciplinary projects and quality documentation while expanding his BIM knowledge.

Stephanie Tartan has been a member of the CUSP team since July 2016, beginning her career as a Landscape Architect with the Parks and Recreation Planning team at Moreton Bay Regional Council. Stephanie was nominated for the 2016 Karl Langer Award for her QUT final honours year research and design project for a healing garden for the Palliative Care Ward at Redcliffe Hospital. Stephanie is interested in how landscape design can holistically improve health and quality of life by creating places that support individuals and communities socially, mentally, physically and spiritually.

For the past two years Stephanie has been working closely alongside Senior Landscape Architect John Murray on Stockland Developments Newport Residential Community.  To date, they have delivered vibrant parks and recreation spaces, revegetated a water management corridor and created walkable streetscapes to support thriving, healthy communities.

Sam began his employment at CUSP as an Undergraduate Landscape Architect and has worked with the guidance of an experienced Senior team. He has been involved in taking a number of commercial and high-end residential projects from the conceptual phase through to contract documentation and construction.

Sam’s vision for his career is to further develop a design process that results in clever, innovative places which engage with, and strengthen local ecosystems.

Micah joined CUSP as a technician in early 2018. A landscaper by trade, Micah brings over a decade of construction industry experience to the team. His primary background is within the residential sector, with a particular interest in public playgrounds, parks and open space.

Micah’s role at CUSP includes construction documentation, documentation review, streetscape and planting layout design, and all phases of the construction and contract administration process. His knowledge of the EDQ process across multiple council’s has been valuable in the successful delivery of projects across south east Queensland.

Currently, Micah is project managing the delivery of the regional recreation park at Flagstone for PEET and is involved with the project management of the Foreshore Development for Stockland at Coomera. These experiences have broadened his skills in design documentation and review, landscape design, client liason, dealing with multiple councils, stakeholders and consultants. Micah has gained invaluable experience in all phases of the construction process where he has been able to see stages through from their initial inception to construction and handover to council, all whilst ensuring smooth deliveries through project milestones.

Micah is proficient in several design software platforms, including AutoCAD, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and inDesign and Sketch Up.

Alex is as an Undergraduate Landscape Architect and has worked as a Landscape Technician for 2 Years since completing her Architectural drafting Diploma. Before this, she worked hands on as a gardener.

Having a connection to nature and the landscape is something she believes keeps individuals and communities grounded, with a strong sense of overall health and wellbeing. This is what drew her to the profession, to help create spaces for the community that aligns with this ethos and works towards sustainable development.

She has been involved in several governmental, commercial, rehabilitation and residential projects.  She has experience working from the conceptual phase through to detailed design, construction and maintenance. Delivering town revitalisation, inviting school spaces, revegetated ecologically significant habitats, and streetscapes that support new communities.

Alix is currently studying a dual degree in Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning at QUT. She has also completed an additional year of study in Architectural Design at UQ along with a Research Scholarship with the Architecture Theory Criticism History department. She has worked previously in Urban Design on residential master planning, built form guidelines and community design.

Alix’s interests are in suburbia, active and public transport and the physical and psychological responses to the built environment.