WMK welcomes Axel Klein as Director - Projects, strengthening its leadership in Lifestyle Retirement Living and Lifetime Care sectors.
Axel joins WMK from Marchese Partners, bringing more than 20 years of architectural experience, including over 12 years specialising in creating Later Living environments. His appointment reflects WMK’s continued commitment to delivering thoughtful, future-focused design outcomes for its clients.
Axel will lead the sector alongside Julie Ockerby Director Design Strategy & Client Relations, combining complementary expertise in architecture and interior design to deliver integrated, human-centred environments for clients and communities.
Throughout his career, Axel has worked extensively across Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Europe, partnering with leading operators to design innovative seniors living and lifetime care environments. His work is grounded in a conviction that later living environments should foster independence, agency and a genuine sense of belonging, recognising this as fundamental to wellbeing and meaningful engagement at every stage of later life.
A highly skilled designer and communicator, Axel is known for his creative ideas and proficiency in hand sketching as a powerful tool for conveying architectural ideas. He has led design and research initiatives across multiple international studios and remains actively engaged in collaborations with universities and industry bodies. With deep expertise at the intersection of architecture and environmental gerontology, he brings a rigorous, research-informed perspective to the future of later living design, contributing to evolving discourse on how built environments can better serve ageing communities.
In his new role at WMK, Axel will provide strategic design leadership, guide project teams, and work closely with clients and stakeholders to translate complex operational and care requirements into exceptional later living communities.
Axel is a strong addition alongside Julie Ockerby, who brings a unique perspective shaped by more than 20 years of experience across aged care, retirement living, boutique hospitality, and luxury residential design. A former registered nurse and boutique hotel leader, Julie is widely recognised for pioneering hotel-inspired thinking in later living environments creating spaces that are both refined and deeply human-centred.
Greg Barnett, Managing Director at WMK, said
“Axel’s appointment represents an important step forward for WMK as we continue to grow our capabilities in delivering highly innovative Lifestyle Retirement Living and Lifetime Care for our clients. Together with Julie, Axel strengthens our ability to design considered, research-led environments that respond to the evolving needs of residents, operators and communities. We’re excited to welcome him to the team.”
