We’re excited to announce the 2025 Xref Travel Fellowship winners: Peter Goodwin and Nathalie Ngo! These talented recipients impressed our client jury with their visionary proposals, each earning a $5,000 travel stipend and 40 hours of additional PTO to embark on journeys that will expand their perspectives and inspire their design work.
What Is Xref?
Xref is an internal HMC initiative designed to foster creativity, exploration, and professional growth. Through opportunities like the Xref Travel Fellowship, our employee-owners are encouraged to immerse themselves in global experiences that deepen their understanding of architecture, culture, and community. These experiences not only enhance their design insight but also strengthen HMC’s collective purpose to Design for Good, inspiring meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
This year’s announcement coincides with Employee Ownership Month, celebrating the shared curiosity, innovation, and initiative that define HMC’s culture. The Xref Travel Fellowship reflects that spirit—empowering employee-owners to explore the world, gain new perspectives, and bring fresh ideas home to elevate our collective work.
Peter Goodwin’s Journey: 24 Hours of Light — Norway
Peter’s proposal takes him north of the Arctic Circle to explore how communities live, build, and adapt in regions where the sun never sets. His study, 24 Hours of Light, examines how light—or the absence of it—shapes the human experience and influences architecture, materiality, and culture. By experiencing Norway’s extreme daylight firsthand, Peter aims to uncover lessons on balance, resilience, and design’s capacity to align with the natural rhythms of the environment.
Nathalie Ngo’s Journey: Australia
Nathalie’s journey will take her across Australia to explore how architecture connects people to place in one of the world’s most diverse landscapes. Her proposal, Australia, examines how design harmonizes with the continent’s ecosystems and indigenous heritage, focusing on sustainability, identity, and cultural continuity. From coastal cities to remote communities, Nathalie will study how architects integrate local materials, passive design strategies, and cultural narratives to foster belonging and environmental stewardship.
Both Peter and Nathalie exemplify the creativity and curiosity that drive our firm forward. We look forward to following their travels in the year ahead and learning how their discoveries will inspire new ways of thinking across HMC’s practice.
Thank you to our 2025 Xref Jury–made up of HMC clients and partners–for their dedication and support in reviewing submissions and selecting this year’s fellows.
