Architects Without Frontiers | Australia

Esther Charlesworth - AWF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
BArch (RMIT) MUD (Harvard)
PhD (York)

Dr Esther Charlesworth is founding Director of Architects without Frontiers (Australia). She has practiced architecture and urban design in Melbourne, Sydney and New York since 1983 before completing her Masters of Architecture and Urban Design at Harvard University in 1995. Between 1995-1999 she was Senior Urban Designer with the City of Melbourne and is director of the CityEdge International Urban Design Series. Between 2000-2003, Esther was Assistant Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the American University of Beirut. She has also lectured extensively in architecture and urban design at RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, MIT, and during 2004 at QUT in Brisbane. She completed her Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of York (UK) in 2003.

Esther is recipient of five major international research awards to further her research into the role of architects in post-disaster reconstruction and has just completed two books on the subject:

• Divided Cities (Beirut, Belfast, Jerusalem, Nicosia and Mostar), with colleague Jon Calame (University of Pennsylvania Press, USA)
• Architects Without Frontiers, War, Reconstruction and Design Responsibility (Elsevier Press, UK)

Esther is currently a research fellow in Sustainability, with Architecture and Urban Design at RMIT University, Melbourne.

Jane Rothschild - AWF DIRECTOR
BA Brown University (Comparative Literature), March Harvard University Graduate School of Design, M Heritage Conservation Sydney (current)

Jane is a co-founder of Dickson Rothschild, a multi-disciplinary firm of architects, urban designers, landscape architects and planners located in Chippendale, Sydney. Dickson Rothschild has offices in China and New Delhi and currently employs staff from over 18 countries speaking at least 15 different languages. Over the last 20 years, Jane has practiced architecture in both the US and Australia and has been responsible for the majority of Dickson Rothschild’s private residential work. Jane’s interests are focused in housing - both local and in developing countries - and in heritage conservation. She moved to Sydney 18 years ago from New York City and has also worked in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Jane joined AWF in 2005 and has been a Director since January 2007.

Jane has also worked with Habitat for Humanity in Australia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Jane travelled to Aceh in 2006 reporting on HFHI’s reconstruction work and with HFHI Vietnam (with Dickson Rothschild staff) developing housing and construction manuals. Jane is Director for Corporate Relations and the AWF Project Leader for the Anganwadi Pre-schools Project in Ahmedabad, India.

David Anderson RAIA - AWF DIRECTOR
Assoc Diploma Architectural Drafting (Holmesglen TAFE), Diploma of Building surveying (Holmesglen TAFE), Bachelor of Arts (Architecture) (Deakin), Bachelor of Architecture (Deakin)

Registered as an Architect in Victoria in 2000 and in New south Wales in 2002, David has been a sole practitioner for 8 years while working with Alison Dodds and POZ international. For the past 3 years has been contracting to Detail 3 which has seeen him work with Wood Marsh, Hassell and McGlashan Everist. David is currently project architect for Hayball Architects

David has an interest in Developing World Architecture and has led Joint AWF/OzQuest trips for Architecture Students and Architects to Nepal which has seen the construction of amenities, School repairs and water collection facilities for small villages.

Leeanne Marshall - AWF Projects Co-ordinator

Leeanne Marshall is an architect with eleven years of diverse professional experience, which includes work in the UK, Ireland and Canada. She completed her Masters in Architecture at Melbourne Uni in 2008 with a focus on development issues, urbanisation and informal settlements, including some project work in Indonesia. She volunteered for five months on AWF’s Anganwadi project building pre-schools in the urban slums. Leeanne is passionate about the designer’s role in community re-engagement, sustainable development and finding equitable, ethical and socially approporiate solutions to the problems of those most inn need.

Leeanne’s role with AWF will include co-ordinating current and new projects and regional programs in the Asia Pacific and Australia. She will be AWF’s project manager for the Dien Ban project in Vietnam, which commences building in 2010.

Rebecca Adams M.Arch (RMIT) B. Arts Melb Uni) - AWF Programs Co-ordinator

Rebecca Adams joined AWF in 2007 because she believes in fairness and equality, and wants to use her skills to make a difference. After working in theatre lighting for many years, she graduated as an architect in 2008. She has two young children. For AWF, Rebecca manages Australian projects, as well as working with supporters and on the website and newsletters. If you email from the AWF website this is who you will be talking to. She looks forward to hearing from you.