James Andrew Milledge BArch FRAIA
Throughout his thirty year career with Bates Smart, Jim Milledge has been a tower of strength, a great strategist and an advocate for good professional practice.
Jim is an extraordinarily competent all-around architect who spreads confidence and energy throughout the firm. He is enthusiastic but careful, frank and fair-minded. Jim values everyone’s contribution. He respects those who achieve things quietly as well as those who move ahead with bold new thinking.
The construction industry is full of strong personalities. There are many people who put great pressure on our teams to perform. We understand this is often needed to achieve goals quickly, but there are times when we need to buy time to do our work properly. Like the good Sydney/Hobart sailor that he is, Jim is afraid of nothing. The more challenging the conditions, the calmer and more focused Jim becomes, and the more determined to steer the right course.
Jim listens to everyone’s views, and then negotiates the time to do things well while maintaining appropriate speed and energy.
In complex and challenging situations, he understands how to engender team play. Jim has been responsible for the direction and delivery of many of our most important buildings, and has driven the high standard of design, documentation and construction which has become a Bates Smart trademark.
For thirty years Jim has been a critical member of the team which has transformed Bates Smart from a firm with a great lineage to one of the region’s leading architectural and interiors practices. He has led our technological advance from the T square to 3d documentation and virtual reality renderings.
Jim is a very fair and ethical leader. He has helped maintain our reputation as an astute, compassionate practice and nurturing employer. Jim always seeks to do the right thing by our clients, treat our incredibly talented team well, and preserve our reputation. Jim commands the profession’s respect as a thoroughly decent person who does things well and treats people as they deserve to be treated.
Jim is a skilled architect, a source of wise counsel, superb at managing difficult situations and people, and most of all a great friend to all of us. We will all miss him very much.
Roger Poole
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