Team
Heidi Axelsen
Director MAPA
BFA (Sculpture) National Art School, Phd candidate, MADA, Monash University.
Heidi is a visual artist and researcher specialising in public art and urban design. Born in 1983 on unceded Dharug Country, she has 18 years experience working on projects of public art and public space. Heidi collaborates with place custodians, Indigenous knowledge keepers, landscape architects, architects and diverse communities to make great public spaces together. Heidi’s PhD by practice at MADA examines the privatisation of public art.
︎ LinkedIn
Director MAPA
BFA (Sculpture) National Art School, Phd candidate, MADA, Monash University.
Heidi is a visual artist and researcher specialising in public art and urban design. Born in 1983 on unceded Dharug Country, she has 18 years experience working on projects of public art and public space. Heidi collaborates with place custodians, Indigenous knowledge keepers, landscape architects, architects and diverse communities to make great public spaces together. Heidi’s PhD by practice at MADA examines the privatisation of public art.
︎ LinkedIn
Dr. Hugo Moline
Director MAPA
Nominated Registered Architect for MAPA, NSW ARB #10760
Phd (Architecture) + B.Arch, Sydney Uni.
Hugo is an award-winning architect specialising in participatory design processes in architecture, public space, cooperative housing and urban strategy. Born in 1981 on unceded Gadi Country, Moline has 20 years of experience working on architecture projects for common benefit.
︎ LinkedIn
Director MAPA
Nominated Registered Architect for MAPA, NSW ARB #10760
Phd (Architecture) + B.Arch, Sydney Uni.
Hugo is an award-winning architect specialising in participatory design processes in architecture, public space, cooperative housing and urban strategy. Born in 1981 on unceded Gadi Country, Moline has 20 years of experience working on architecture projects for common benefit.
︎ LinkedIn
Peter Begg
Peter is an architectural designer born on Wiradjuri Country. Peter graduated in 2024 with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Newcastle and works with MAPA on detailed design documentation and fabrication.
Peter is an architectural designer born on Wiradjuri Country. Peter graduated in 2024 with a Masters in Architecture from the University of Newcastle and works with MAPA on detailed design documentation and fabrication.
Hasib Hourani
Hasib is a Lebanese-Palestinian writer, editor and arts worker living on unceded Gadigal Country. Hasib works with MAPA on their flagship project, Field Rooms, supporting creative practice within the rapidly developing suburb of Waterloo.
Hasib is a Lebanese-Palestinian writer, editor and arts worker living on unceded Gadigal Country. Hasib works with MAPA on their flagship project, Field Rooms, supporting creative practice within the rapidly developing suburb of Waterloo.
Vi Le
Vi is an architectural and urban designer living and working on Dharug land. She is committed to spatial justice at all scales and works with MAPA on design, documentation and fabrication – from design documentation to public space installations.
Vi is an architectural and urban designer living and working on Dharug land. She is committed to spatial justice at all scales and works with MAPA on design, documentation and fabrication – from design documentation to public space installations.
Gizelle McKinnon
Gizelle is an architectural designer and the proud descendant of the Gomeroi mob. Gizelle lives on unceded Awabakal and Worimi Country and works with MAPA on design and documentation. Gizelle graduated in 2024 with a Masters of Architecture from the University of Newcastle.
Gizelle is an architectural designer and the proud descendant of the Gomeroi mob. Gizelle lives on unceded Awabakal and Worimi Country and works with MAPA on design and documentation. Gizelle graduated in 2024 with a Masters of Architecture from the University of Newcastle.
Paris Perry
Paris is an architectural designer living and working on unceded Awabakal and Worimi land. She is works with MAPA on design documentation. Paris graduated in 2024 with Masters in Architecture from the University of Sydney.
Paris is an architectural designer living and working on unceded Awabakal and Worimi land. She is works with MAPA on design documentation. Paris graduated in 2024 with Masters in Architecture from the University of Sydney.
Who we work with.
We are grateful to have worked with many amazing clients from local government, state government, arts and cultural institutions, Universities and more.
Clients.
Arts and Culture Exchange, Arts Outwest, Asian Coalitian for Housing Rights, Bridge Housing, Blue Mountains City Council, Casula Powerhouse, City of Canada Bay, City of Sydney, Common Equity NSW, Dasco Australia, Defence Housing Australia, Echigo Tsumari Art Foundation,Henry Halloren Trust, Hume Housing, Inner West Council, Forbes Hospital, Health Arts Research Centre, Kapitbahayan Cooperative Limited, Ku-ring-gai Council, MAMA, Muswellbrook Shire Council, Newcastle City Council, Oculus, Parramatta City Council, Powerhouse Museum, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation, Stockland, Transport for NSW, University of New England (UNE), University Technology Sydney, Urban Art Projects, Westmead Hospital.
Collaborators.
Arcadia Landscape architects, Adriano Pupilli Architects, Bangawarra, Brushwood Engineering, Jane Irwin Landscape Architects, Matt Poll, Stanton Dahl Architects, Oculus, University of Newcastle, UTS.
What does MAPA do?
︎︎︎We involve the people of a place in its co-creation.
︎︎︎We collaborate with custodians of Country.
︎︎︎We undertake creative, inclusive and participatory research into places and the ways they may change in collaboration with the people of a place.
︎︎︎We design processes and supports to enable the communities of a place to participate in making plans for them.
︎︎︎We work with communities to provide expert participatory planning for places including: public space design, precinct improvement, building adaptation and re-use, design of public buildings, public art, programming and activation plans.
︎︎︎We create temporal interventions in place to catalyse community participation.
︎︎︎We run intensive and extended process of community consultation and co-design.
︎︎︎We collaborate with Indigenous knowledge keepers, traditional owners and cultural consultants, strategic planners, landscape architects, place managers, housing providers, urban designers, architects, social scientists and others concerned with place.
︎︎︎We work to draw out the often unseen aspects of place valued by its people, as well as their hopes, fears, desires as places undergo change. Our work is aimed at the people of a place, and how their perspectives can directly influence decisions on how that place develops.
︎︎︎We design the built, programmatic and curatorial outcomes of these participatory processes.
︎︎︎We work as a team to make fun, thoughful and engaging things in public space.