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ABOUT

MY

CAPABILITIES

After attending architecture school in my home country of Australia, I practiced Architecture in Adelaide and Melbourne for six years, concentrating on civic and public-facing buildings as I was intrigued by how the built form could affect the lives of the people in and around it and wanted to affect those people for the better. Yet after becoming a licensed architect and feeling like my love for being in that profession was waning, I became interested in how the built form could help tell a story and started to dabble with art directing short films in my spare time.

After nearly giving my parents a heart attack, I said goodbye to being an Architect. I decided to pursue a career in film and TV design and moved to the Hollywood of Canada, Vancouver, BC. After a lot of hustling, networking, worrying, and eating poutine, I began to land jobs working in the Art Department and then began set designing for TV shows and movies, including 2013's blockbuster, Man of Steel.

Then an opportunity arose to immigrate to the US (thanks, Obama!), and I once again packed up and took a giant leap of faith and moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to continue to pursue the silver-screen. Then a temporary job offer at Thinkwell Group side-stepped me into another narrative design industry; themed entertainment and experience design. And it was there that I found my niche in exhibit design as it merged my background in Architecture and my need to tell a story, but in ways that can be truly unique and experimental. So I managed to get myself on every exhibit project for the next five and a half years and learned how to collaborate and communicate effectively with different creatives, technicians, and clients. I lead teams of designers, oversaw installations, and ultimately created impactful spaces that effectively delivered a message.

At the end of 2017, I took a step out into the world on my own and began working as a sole-proprietor designer and lent my expertise to businesses and institutions such as the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and the interactive design studio Second Story, to name a few.

In 2018, I relocated to Portland, Oregon, and here I continue to offer my skills and services in all physical experience projects. ​In my free time, I enjoy getting outside, being moved by films and documentaries, exploring new places, finding new beats to groove to, and visiting every possible museum I can (which I hope I can return to doing very soon!).

MY

STORY

SPATIAL PLANNING

  • Master planning / spatial layouts

  • Capacity studies

CONCEPT DESIGN

  • Mood boards

  • 3D modeling

  • Rendering

DETAILED DESIGN

  • Producing and overseeing bid packages

  • A/V integration coordination

  • Material boards

  • Artifact case layout design

  • ADA compliance

INSTALLATION

  • On-site art direction

  • Overseeing fabrication

SOFTWARE

  • Adobe CS Suite

  • AutoCAD

  • Enscape

  • Photoshop

  • Rhino 3D

  • SketchUp

  • VRay

MY

CLIENTS

NOTABLE

PROJECTS

Australian Center for the Moving Image (ACMI) - Re/New Permanent Exhibit

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi

 

Natural History Museum of Los Angeles - Becoming Los Angeles update

 

​​​​​​​NFL Experience, Times Square New York

 

Richard Nixon Presidential Museum and Library - Permanent Exhibit

 

Waldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences Sales Center

Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Bryan Potter Design​

GES - Global Experience Specialists

Razorfish

Second Story

 

Thinkwell Group

 

Twenty Four 7

PROJECT

AWARDS

2020 TEA Award For Outstanding Achievement

Theme Park, Warner Bros. World™ Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates​

2016 Brass Ring Award for best 400 - 499 sq. ft. exhibit at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAPPA) Expo

PEOPLE

SAY

On Sarah's most recent project with us she brought a thoughtful and collaborative approach to planning and design which produced outstanding results. Her teammates praised her creative thinking and problem solving skills, as well as her ability to produce clear and concise drawings and info-graphics which were in line with the visual vocabulary of the project. Over the years she and I have worked together, beyond the professional quality of work, her personality and good nature have made her a good fit on many project teams.

Brad Kissling, RLA

Principal, Planning

THINKWELL GROUP

I worked closely with Sarah on the design of several exhibits at the recently renovated Australian Center for the Moving Image in Melbourne. Sarah is an excellent designer and collaborator; able to navigate curatorial challenges, architectural constraints and the complexities of integrated technology. She is professional, highly organized, self-motivated and manages feedback well.

Chris Dewan

Design Director

SECOND STORY

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