Architecture Groups Sydney

Welcome to the next 2026 AWS Sydney Well-Architected Meetup!

Hi Architects, Welcome to the next 2026 AWS Sydney Well-Architected User Group Meetup! Each month we cover off AWS best-practices across all pillars and give away drones - lots of drones 🥳 **Please also note that AWS Security now requests a company name and company email where it is available. If you are a student, please list your institution and your student email address at that institution 👍** We'll be announcing more speakers on [https://well-architected.me](https://well-architected.me/) and previewing presentations during the coming weeks - our speakers and details this month include: * **Carles Vallecillo, Technical Trainer, Snowflake** **Well-Architecting AWS AI** Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker are two of AWS's most powerful AI services - but which one will win the heavyweight title? In this session, we'll put them head-to-head across the six pillars of the AWS Well-Architected Framework: Operational Excellence, Security, Reliability, Performance Efficiency, Cost Optimization and Sustainability. Round by round, we'll compare their strengths, weaknesses, trade-offs and real-world use cases to answer questions such as: Which service gets you to production faster? Which gives you more control? Which is easier to secure and govern? Which delivers the best performance? • Which gives you the biggest bang for your buck? Expect practical examples, architectural insights and a few surprises as we crown the winner of each category (and discover whether there is really a single champion at all 9. * **SkillzLab Build Gen AI Well-Architected Reviews** **Well-Architecting App Build-off Review!** In this session, we will have review the apps from the previous session and perform AWS Gen AI Well-Architected Framework Reviews, with the drone going to the most **Gen AI Well-Architected** app on the night. This month's menu will include: * Pizzas * Beer: Nastro Azzurro * Wine: Big and red 🤤 So come join us at 5:30 for a 6pm **SHARP** start, followed by beer, wine, pizza and friendly networking after our talks :-) Tired of Linkedin’s "thought leadership”, spam and advertising? Join https://well-architected.me/ , the AWS community built for architects, developers and cloud professionals. * Connect with experienced AWS practitioners * Preview upcoming AWS Meetups and relive past content * Create and review beautiful AWS case studies in minutes * Prepare for AWS certifications with curated quizzes * Show your manager and reports you’re well-architected (Please note that by registering to attend you agree to your details being shared as and where required with Amazon Web Services and AWS Well-Architected User Group partners)

SydDT #128: When Does Design Become Strategic?

Most designers want to be more strategic. But what does that actually mean? Is strategic design about working on bigger problems? Influencing executives? Creating visions and roadmaps? Driving transformation? Or are we confusing good design with strategic design? Join us for our July meetup where a panel of experienced strategic design leaders will explore one of the most debated questions in our profession: what makes design strategic? We’re lucky to have Dr Leanne Sobel, Jaimes Nel, Paul Merrell, and Lize Wordsworth sharing their insights with short lightning talks before we open up a panel discussion and audience conversation. We'll explore: * What strategic design is * What it isn’t – with common misconceptions and traps * How strategic design differs from other design disciplines * Where strategic design is heading * How designers can increase their strategic influence and impact Expect diverse perspectives, thoughtful discussions, and practical insights for designers at every stage of their career. Come join us for some fun conversations with interesting people in and around the design thinking community. New members are welcome! **SPEAKERS** **[Dr Leanne Sobel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsobel/)** **Adjunct Fellow, UTS Business School** Leanne is a strategic designer, researcher, and educator. Her PhD research explored the role of design in strategy, and her work focuses on applying design practices, systems thinking, and participatory approaches to complex organisational challenges. With experience spanning consulting, academia, and industry, Leanne is a leading voice in the evolving field of strategic design. **[Jaimes Nel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaimesnel/)** **Founder, Path Ventures** Jaimes is the founder of Path Ventures, a Sydney-based consultancy helping organisations connect strategy to action through design-led approaches. With more than 20 years of experience spanning service design, digital transformation, and organisational change, Jaimes has worked with organisations including the NHS, BBC, GOV.UK, Westpac, ING, and TAL. His work focuses on helping organisations “play the long game” by using strategic design to navigate complexity and deliver lasting change. **[Paul Merrell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-merrell-9861846/)** **Senior Service Designer, Allianz** Paul is a design leader and strategist with extensive experience applying service design and human-centred approaches to organisational transformation. Currently with Allianz Australia, Paul works at the intersection of customer experience, business strategy and change, helping organisations navigate complexity and deliver meaningful outcomes. His work is grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens when strategy connects with the realities of people, systems and delivery. **[Lize Wordsworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizewordsworth/)** **Group Head of Business Architecture & Design, Westpac Group** Awesome bio coming soon… **EVENT SPONSORS** This event is brought to you by [Atlassian](https://www.atlassian.com/), [Shapeshifters](https://www.sh8peshifters.com/), and [Dynamic4](https://dynamic4.com/). We take photos and record our events for documentation and promo purposes. Just let us know if you prefer not to be featured.

AI Engineering Day, DataEngBytes

**🔖 TICKETS — Before you read any further** Tickets for the AI Engineering Day must be purchased via Ticket Tailor: * Single day (AI Engineering Day only): **$299 AUD** * Both days (Data Engineering Day + AI Engineering Day): **$499 AUD** 👉 **[Get your tickets at tickettailor.com/events/dataengbytes](https://tickettailor.com/events/dataengbytes)** *** **About the Day** The AI Engineering Day is Day 2 of DataEngBytes Sydney (Wednesday 29 July) — Oceania's largest community-run data engineering conference. This is a full day dedicated to the engineering side of AI: not the hype, not the pitch decks — the real patterns, trade-offs, and production experience from practitioners who've actually shipped. Two tracks run in parallel across the day, with everyone converging for keynotes in the morning and the Town Hall close in the afternoon. **What's on** The day opens with two keynotes covering the fundamentals that underpin serious AI work right now. The first makes the case for **context engineering** as a proper engineering discipline — moving beyond prompting to systematically designing what flows into a model. The second digs into **Model Context Protocol (MCP) in production**: gateway patterns, security realities, and where the standard is heading after its rapid rise to Linux Foundation governance. From there, two tracks run in parallel across the day covering: * **Evals and testing** — building evaluation pipelines that catch regressions and don't require a PhD to interpret * **Agents in production** — the reliability patterns, failure modes, and oversight requirements that separate a demo from something your organisation trusts * **AI coding tools** — what the research actually says about productivity gains (the numbers might surprise you) * **RAG at scale** — chunking, embedding freshness, retrieval quality, and what real RAG infrastructure looks like beyond the prototype * **The 80-to-95 gap** — why getting an AI system from demo to production-grade takes disproportionate effort, and how to close it * **LLMs in the transform layer** — where they genuinely help inside data pipelines and where they introduce risk * **skills.md** — encoding domain knowledge and workflow patterns into reusable, versionable LLM interactions for your team * **LLM gateway patterns** — routing, rate-limiting, cost control, and audit at the organisational level * **Vector databases in production** — the real-world messiness behind the benchmarks * **Fine-tuning vs prompting** — a practitioner's decision framework for when fine-tuning is actually worth the complexity * **AI agents for data quality** — automating anomaly investigation, schema drift triage, and incident summarisation * **AI pipeline security** — data poisoning, prompt injection, MCP tool abuse, and what defensive architecture looks like * **Autonomous data agents with Apache Flink** — stateful stream processing as a foundation for long-running, event-driven agents The day closes with a **Town Hall** — an open, community-run discussion on the topics that matter most to practitioners in the room. This is a practitioner-led, vendor-neutral event. All talks go through a competitive CFP process and are selected on technical merit. No marketing sessions. *** **🔖 TICKETS** Tickets must be purchased via Ticket Tailor — this Meetup page is for discovery only. * Single day (AI Engineering Day only): **$299 AUD** * Both days (Data Engineering Day + AI Engineering Day): **$499 AUD** 👉 **[Get your tickets at tickettailor.com/events/dataengbytes](https://tickettailor.com/events/dataengbytes)**

Networking Drinks #29

Here is our July event =D Join us once again at **The Art Syndicate**, a unique wine bar and gallery nestled in Surry Hills for a relaxed evening blending local drinks and meaningful conversations which should be perfect for a cold winter night. 🍷 **Event info:** ✅ Come discover some amazing NSW wine, beer and spirits. ✅ Expand your network of designers & make connections that last. ✅ No formal talks or speeches - just great conversations in a relaxed, friendly environment. *Check out my reviews on this page to see what others are saying!* **Venue information:**
 You'll find us at this art gallery & wine bar in Surry Hills. They exclusively offer a curated selection of NSW-based wine, beer and spirits! There is even art for sale! **Check them out on socials:** https://www.instagram.com/theartsyndicate.com.au/ **How to find us:**
 We are on Bourke Street, a short walk from Oxford Street or Central Station. **Join our What'sApp group:**
 Since Meetup has removed the event chat feature, [please join this WhatsApp group](https://tinyurl.com/uxad2026) for the latest event updates! Cheers, Josh

AI Project Hub

Welcome to **WSTI's AI Project Hub**—the hands-on heart of the WSTI community's AI Shed model. This isn't a traditional class or a lecture. It’s a weekly, drop-in "Shed" designed for collaborative, project-based learning, where we support each other turning ideas (beginner or ambitious) into real, working prototypes and projects. Whether you're a founder with a specific problem, a developer testing a new tool, or a complete beginner curious about what you can make, this is your space to build, learn, and collaborate. **What to expect:** * **Quick Pitch:** To spark some inspiration, we’ll have a few informal, low-pressure "progress check-ins" where attendees can briefly share what they’re working on. * **Space to Build:** No formal lectures here. Just a supportive environment to polish your prototype, refine your code, or finalise your pitch. * **Guides on the Side:** Our technical mentors will be mingling in the room. They’re ready to offer a helpful nudge, architectural advice, or a tool recommendation if you hit a roadblock. * **Community Wisdom:** If our mentors don’t have the answer, they’ll connect you with someone else in the room who does. We’re all about sharing what we learn. * **Curiosity is Welcome:** You don’t need a hackathon project to pull up a chair. If you’re a regular from our Project Hub looking to share your knowledge, or just a curious neighbour. We have community laptops with access to some AI tools if you aren't able to bring your own. **Tools/Topics discussed may include:** * ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, Opensource AI Models. * Platforms like n8n and other automation tools. * Coding vibe coding like Lovable, Replit, Antigravity and Cursor. * Frameworks such as BMAD. * Image and video generators like Midjourney, Nanobanana and Video models such as Kling, Veo & Seedance. *By attending this event, you consent that you may be photographed and recorded on video. These photos and videos may be used for marketing and promotional purposes in the future. If you have any concerns please let the team know upon arrival.*

Eastwood - Bricks, Floods and Food

SSP TUE ...CITY LIGHTS & SHADOWS IN MONOCHROME .

This morning street photography route focuses on the dramatic high-contrast architecture and urban geometry of the Sydney CBD. Between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM, the sun is high enough to create sharp, deep shadows in the narrow lanes and grand arcades, making it ideal for monochrome compositions. Begin at the Sydney Central Plaza Food Court under Myer. From here, walk directly into the Pitt Street Mall. This area is a prime spot for capturing "light rays" as they break between skyscrapers and hit the morning crowds. **10:00 AM – 10:30 AM: Pitt Street Mall & The Strand Arcade** **The Strand Arcade:** Head into The Strand Arcade. In black and white, the Victorian wrought-iron railings and checkered floors create powerful leading lines and repeating patterns. **What to shoot:** Look for "silhouette" opportunities at the arcade entrances where bright street light meets the darker interior. Use the multi-level balconies for high-angle shots of shoppers moving through pools of light.↳ **10:30 AM – 11:15 AM: Martin Place & Angel Place** Walk north on Pitt Street toward Martin Place. This wide pedestrian plaza acts as a "canyon" of light. The granite buildings provide excellent textures for monochrome photography. **Angel Place:** Just off Martin Place is Angel Place Birdcages (also known as the "Forgotten Songs" installation). **What to shoot:** At Angel Place, focus on the hanging birdcages against the narrow slice of sky. The shadows of the cages cast onto the surrounding brick walls change rapidly during the morning. In Martin Place, look for the sharp geometric shadows of the MLC Centre and the "Cenotaph" for somber, high-contrast frames. **11:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Queen Victoria Building (QVB)** Walk back toward George Street to reach the Queen Victoria Building . This is one of the most iconic locations for architectural street photography. **The Domes:** The central glass domes flood the interior with top-down light, creating a "God-ray" effect on dust particles or steam from the cafes below. **What to shoot:** Capture the spiral staircases and the giant hanging clocks. The contrast between the dark wood finishes and the bright stained-glass windows is perfect for HDR-style monochrome processing. **11:45 AM – 12:00 PM: The Walk to Lunch** Head south along Pitt Street or through the lanes toward your final destination. This final stretch allows for capturing the "hustle" of office workers heading out for their early lunch breaks. **The Edinburgh Castle Hote**l is a historic CBD landmark located on the corner of Pitt and Bathurst Street, making it a very short walk from the QVB. Features a dedicated upstairs area, the Dusk Bar & Bistro, which is well-suited for large groups and team lunches. * Offers a classic pub menu with dry-aged steaks and seasonal bistro favorites. * Provides a traditional Sydney pub atmosphere that feels timeless in photos, especially with its heritage facade. **Recommended Camera Setup** To align with the monochrome theme and the tight urban spaces of Sydney, the following setup is ideal: **Compact Body:** Use a small mirrorless or premium compact camera that fits comfortably in one hand or a small sling. **Wide Fixed Prime Lens:** **A** 28mm **or** 35mm (full-frame equivalent) is the "gold standard" for this route. The 28mm is perfect for the towering architecture of Martin Place and the interior grandness of the QVB. The 35mm offers a natural perspective for capturing people moving through the high-contrast light pools in Pitt Street Mall.

SSP TUE...PYRMONT(Small camera)

**1st meetup point:** The anchor outside the Australian Maritime Museum at 10.am N.B. For those who like coffee there is a shop opposite HMAS Vampire. You can get a takeaway coffee from there. **2nd meetup point:** The Terminus Hotel/ Pub at Pyrmont at Midday Enjoy the walk from the Maritime Museum around the wharves at Pyrmont Bay; it is relatively flat and opportunities are around for street and architectural photography. Backgrounds include modern industrial designs, classic sandstone and boats moored to create interesting images. I feel that a compact or mirrorless camera with a fixed prime lens or two would do the job, anywhere between 28 to 50mm. It is open to both digital and film people. Experiment with different film saturations soft, standard, vivid, seipa or even monochrome within your digital camera menu. Alternatively, you could try black and white film around 400 ISO or ASA with a medium amount of grain to get that classic look. The idea is to have a camera that is relatively small to take discrete photos of people, running, walking their dog, fishing, involved in their conversations etc that tells a story or conveys a message through your images. Look for opportunities as you walk, there are plenty of seats on the walk where the subject may pass by while you’re sitting waiting for the image to present itself for your composition. The idea is to slow down and observe rather than rush to the second meetup point. The pub has an interesting history of past colourful characters and is one of the oldest Sydney public bars. The menu has a variety of food at standard prices, and the pub has an assortment of drinks to choose from. Stan and I look forward to seeing you there on the day. Ian

Stylish Paddington + Rushcutters Bay: 8 Art Galleries

**NOTE:** This event is posted on multiple Meetup groups. **ABOUT:** Explore the sophisticated art galleries of Paddington and Rushcutters Bay on Saturday, July 18. Come along whatever your professional background! Tech, finance, law, real estate, hospitality, healthcare, retail, fashion - all welcome - whether you've engaged with art before or not. Feel at home. This tour will introduce you to Australian and international artists working in painting, photography and sculpture - covering a range of subjects. Listen to fascinating stories. Introduce yourself to each other, make new friends, interact with gallery staff, and have fun! **MEETING TIME:** 12:00 Noon – 12:10 PM. **MEETING POINT:** Outside “Bar Latte”, 29/235 New South Head Road, Edgecliff NSW 2027. The café is right next to Edgecliff Station entry/exit on New South Head Road. You are welcome to buy a coffee. **START AND PROGRAMME:** We will begin at 12.10 PM at Edgecliff Station and move towards Paddington. Midway we will stop at a corner shop where you can enjoy a bite. **END:** We will end the walk by 2:30 PM near the bus stop in Rushcutters Bay for your convenience. **PRICE OF TOUR:** Please pay $20 by cash on arrival. Or you could transfer the amount to: Account Name: Elucidaction Pty Ltd St. George Bank Account Number: 433 012 445, BSB: 112-879 Please send a copy when you make the payment. **IMPORTANT:** * Please check transport in advance. Make sure you sleep well the night before, and leave home early enough in the morning so you can reach the meeting point on time. * Remember to have a good breakfast before arriving which can keep you going during the early afternoon. * Please message if you are running late. * Stay with the group at all times. You are expected to be "present" and socialise with other attendees - please do not talk on the phone to somebody else unless it is urgent. * Please inform the organiser if you want to leave before the end of the walk. * Wear comfortable shoes, a hat or cap, sun protection. Bring a water bottle and an umbrella in case it rains. * Be careful when you explore art galleries. Do not touch surfaces of artworks. * No additional compulsory costs beyond $20. Drinks and snacks are optional – you may also bring your own. * Photos of the group will be clicked and may be posted on Meetup and the organiser’s social media platforms. Attendees who do not wish to be photographed must inform the organiser before the tour begins. * Please update your registration if you are unable to make it to the event. **CONTACT:** Call, text or WhatsApp Tulika at 0402 820 272 if you have any questions. Having lived across India, Thailand, the UK, Canada and Australia, Tulika is an Art and Culture Consultant and founder of the art publication + art consultancy: [https://onartandaesthetics.com/.](https://onartandaesthetics.com/) You can also connect with her on Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/tulikabahadur/.](https://www.instagram.com/tulikabahadur/) Email: tulikabahadur[at]gmail[dot]com. For updates on Sydney events, you are welcome to join the WhatsApp group "Sydney Art & Culture Events & Tours": [https://chat.whatsapp.com/BttDzLCa2TTFa2te1Q1FkZ?mode=hqrt1.](https://chat.whatsapp.com/BttDzLCa2TTFa2te1Q1FkZ?mode=hqrt1.)

SALON DES REFUSES 2026

3D Print Your Next Project! (Contour 3D) + Duplex (Zahir Hussain)

**\*\*\*RSVP PROCESS - CRITICAL INFO\*\*\*** Please be aware, we don't use the Meetup website to take RSVPs, so you will need to register on this link to lock in your place (bookings essential) - [https://propdev.info/uMvs](https://propdev.info/uMvs) We run events most weekends around Australia so you can attend either physically in your local area, or live-stream to any event around the country. **In-Person:** 1:30pm (Sydney time) to 'Mingle With The Expert' **Virtual:** 2pm (Sydney time) **INTRODUCING THE INDUSTRY EXPERT:** *3D Print Your Next Project! Contour 3D (Nick Holden)* If you’ve ever looked at a construction project and thought, “There has to be a faster, cheaper way to build this…” … you’re not alone. For many small to medium property developers, rising construction costs, labour shortages, project delays, and shrinking margins are making development projects harder than ever to deliver profitably. A project can stack up on paper… until builder availability becomes an issue, costs blow out, and timelines stretch months beyond expectations. What makes it worse is that most developers have little visibility into the technologies that are rapidly changing the future of construction. As a result, many developers continue using traditional building methods without understanding what alternatives are emerging… and how they could create a competitive advantage. At our next Property Developer Network Sunday Session, **Nick Holden** from **Contour 3D** will explore one of the biggest innovations the building industry has seen in decades: 3D-printed construction. Nick will cover: • How 3D-printed construction actually works • The technology behind Contour 3D's building systems • The benefits and limitations of 3D-printed homes • How automation is changing construction delivery • The potential impact on costs, labour, and project timelines • What property developers need to know about the future of building This is a fascinating opportunity to get an inside look at the next generation of construction technology and understand how it could reshape the way development projects are delivered. If you want to stay ahead of industry change and understand what's coming next in residential construction, don't miss this session. **INTRODUCING THE REAL DEAL:** 𝘋𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘹 (𝘡𝘢𝘩𝘪𝘳 𝘏𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘯) 𝟨𝟢𝟢𝘮𝟤,𝘙𝟤, 𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 You've found a promising site. The feasibility looks solid. The market is moving in the right direction. Everything appears to be lining up for a successful duplex project. Then reality kicks in. Council approvals take longer than expected. The design process becomes more complicated. Site works cost more than anticipated. Retaining walls, cut and fill, consultant challenges and delays start eating into your timeline and budget. If you've ever experienced unexpected hurdles during a development, you're not alone. That's exactly what 𝗭𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗿 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗻 faced on this 𝗗𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘅 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁. The difference? He didn't panic when things became more difficult than expected. He stayed focused on the market, managed the challenges as they arose, and kept his eye firmly on the end result. Despite the setbacks, Zahir successfully navigated the project and achieved a profitable exit. In this session, Zahir will walk you through: • The key challenges that turned a straightforward duplex into a more complex project • Lessons learned from a difficult DA process and extended timelines • The risks of relying too heavily on a single consultant or designer • How underestimated site costs impacted the project and what he'd do differently next time • Why actively monitoring the market helped protect the project's profitability If you're planning a duplex, subdivision or small-scale development, this Real Deal presentation will give you a genuine look at what happens when a project doesn't go exactly as planned and how to successfully work through it. Practical. Honest. Packed with lessons from the real world. ***A session you don’t want to Miss!*** ***Join us for this event and progress your property journey forward in our very unique Mastermind process!*** See you all soon!

All About Composition - 4 hr hands on PAID Workshop

4 hr $185 workshop [Book here ](https://theapertureclub.com.au/all-about-composition/) This 4 hr workshop is perfect for photographers at all levels. We look at the elements of design that represent the building blocks of any photograph. Composition uses forms, shadows, colours and lines and is key to crafting a work that can truly be called art. You will learn to compose with depth of field as well as learn the very important skill of planning and positioning background elements to set the subject. Also explore the various ways to use light in your images and the effects we can create using different shutter speeds. Most importantly you will learn in easy steps how to use composition to create stunning photographs. https://theapertureclub.com.au/all-about-composition/