Farewell to Jeffrey Robinson

It is with great sadness that we farewell our esteemed Victorian Design Review Panel member Jeffrey Robinson who passed away far too early on Sunday morning in a tragic accident. Jeff was a legend in our industry, an unrelenting champion for a better built environment. He was a wonderful colleague and friend.

Apart from his work as an Global Sustainable Design Expertise Leader at Aurecon, driving innovation on countless projects, Jeff’s advocacy engagements were possibly the most extensive in our industry. His roles at the Victorian Heritage Council, the Australian Passive House Association, and the development of Green Star tools with the Green Building Council of Australia, were of particular note for the work of our Office.

Jeff was passionate and charmingly relentless in trying to make a positive difference wherever he saw an opportunity. We fondly remember when he called in from Dublin at two o’clock in the morning for a Victorian Design Review Panel, where his unique skillset was needed for a key Victorian project. He was adamant he was happy to make time to attend and did so with his innate professionalism and limitless enthusiasm.

Whoever met Jeff could not walk away indifferently. Too infectious was his joyful manner and his zest for working together to make things better. Jeff had the rare ability to call out the pressing issues of our time and frankly point to the improvement potential on projects, while radiating positivity and encouragement.

We will sorely miss Jeff and can only vow to continue working harder towards what he cared about, a healthier and more sustainable place to live.

Our thoughts reach out to Jeff’s family at this incredibly difficult time.