Piccolo House hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony for 18 Barry St, Kew: the moment years of planning, design and anticipation gave way to the first turn of soil on site. Weeks on, construction is well underway, with excavation now progressing on the basement levels of the five pavilion-style buildings within this leafy pocket of the Studley Park precinct.
With Ola Hensworth as MC, what followed was less formality, more reunion. Guests were drawn from across the partner organisations who have shaped the project from the outset, including Woods Bagot, Hecker Guthrie and Acre, alongside builders Hamilton Marino and Piccolo House’s internal project team and trusted consultants. Many in the room have worked alongside Piccolo House for over a decade, across multiple projects.
For Managing Director Michael Piccolo, that continuity was the point of the day. “A groundbreaking isn’t really about the ground. It’s about the people who’ve stayed with us project after project and continue to contribute to our vision. That kind of trust doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built the same way our homes are, over time, and with care.”
With the formalities done, the site’s key partners stepped up together for the ceremonial turn: Pete and Ana from Woods Bagot, Brett from Acre, Stacey and Hamish from Hecker Guthrie, Hamilton Marino, and Michael, Ola and Toby representing Piccolo House. As Ola put it, closing the morning: “Piccolo House at 18 Barry St is officially underway.”
Over the coming months, the five pavilions will begin to rise above Barry Street, a project shaped by five decades of collective experience and the people who’ve helped carry it this far.
