Michelle James
Architect
Specialty Areas
About Me
Michelle is an architect who believes design should be accessible, affordable, hands-on and most of all, for people. For over six years Michelle has been a director of Here Studio, a design practice working at the intersection between the built environment and community development. Using her cross disciplinary skills, she has co-founded and developed many successful social enterprises and community organisations alongside her work at Here Studio. Michelle is currently Community Engagement Partner at the City of Melbourne.
Michelle is deeply engaged with research and public debate with particular experience in placemaking, cultural change, urban density, public transport and community infrastructure. Moving to Ballarat over two years ago, Michelle was the 2015 recipient of the Peter Davies Scholarship for Leadership Ballarat & Western Region and is passionate about regional and rural Victoria.
Prior to establishing her own business, Michelle worked at Melbourne firm, McBride Charles Ryan from 2005 to 2010 and in architectural offices in Shanghai, Tokyo and Madrid. She volunteers at the Young Parents Program in Delacombe, has co-curated Pecha Kucha Melbourne, a quarterly design event, been a long-term board member of Chantilly Studio Inc., and is the founder of WELOVEPT, a multidisciplinary group advocating for equitable and accessible public transport through the arts.
