Ian McDougall

Pushing the design edges and showing clients what’s doable and worth doing are hallmarks of Ian’s career which spans designing, writing, public speaking, teaching and advocacy.

Spearheading ARM’s method of ‘radical interrogation’ and experimentation, Ian managed the design of some of Australia’s most recognised and talked about buildings and places – many commercially driven and politically complicated; all of them high quality, functional and edgy, with something to say, all at once.

In 2016, with Howard Raggatt and the late Steve Ashton, he won the Gold Medal, the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour. In 2026 Ian and Howard were awarded honorary doctorates by RMIT University recognising their groundbreaking design experimentation and body of adventurous work which redefined contemporary architecture.

Ian continues to challenge the status quo in professional practice. An adjunct professor in architecture at RMIT University since 1993, he also serves on the national council of the Australian Institute of Architects.