Sophie and Shamus’ decision to found Bence Mulcahy grew from their shared commitment to great design and desire to work with clients on projects to be proud of. We formed Bence Mulcahy in 2014 after first collaborating in 2010, and were joined by Bek Verrier in 2017.
While part of the Liminal Architecture team from 2010-2014, Sophie and Shamus worked on the award-winning Bridgewater LINC and Child and Family Centre, and the Geeveston Child and Family Centres.
Our projects include new houses and extensions to existing houses, heritage renovations, commercial buildings, tourist accommodation, masterplans, and projects in the health and education sectors.
Sophie Bence
Sophie’s career kicked off with a crayon drawing of her dream house when she was 5 years old. As she drew house after house, two things became clear: she was obsessed with walk-in wardrobes and with the quest for the perfect house, suited to its people and place.
Sophie graduated from the University of Tasmania in 2003 and took up a position at Terroir, where she worked on a number of highly detailed and tailored projects including the Liverpool Crescent House, and the Cataract Gorge Master Plan and Basin Café. In 2010, Sophie moved to Liminal Studio, and was made an Associate in 2012.
Shamus Mulcahy
Shamus grew up on Tasmania’s North West coast, where the region’s isolated towns – each with a unique identity and fluctuating social, cultural and economic circumstances – had a profound impact on his views on community and architecture.
Shamus graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1997 and spent the early years of his career with Melbourne’s H20 Architects, working on projects including RMIT Textiles Brunswick and the SES Headquarters in South Melbourne.
He returned to Tasmania in 2001 as Associate Director for DesignInc, where he was part of the team behind a number of award- winning projects, including the Woodbridge House and Dominic College Chapel.
In 2008 Shamus moved to London to work as Senior Architect with Denton Corker Marshall on the 2012 London Olympic Village. He returned to Hobart in 2011 as Associate Director of Liminal Architecture.
Bek Verrier
After gaining a reputation for hogging the easel at childcare and spending hours building homes with her Duplo set, it was no surprise when Bek committed to a career in architecture at an early age. After graduating from UTAS with first class honours in 2011, Bek joined Preston Lane Architects where she worked on a number of award-winning projects. She was named Tasmania’s Emerging Architect in 2016.
Bek’s energy and passion for architecture is infectious. She co-founded the Tasmanian Women in Architecture Group and is an active member of the Australian Institute of Architects. Her artistic skills extend to ceramics, weaving and garment production and she loves to ‘get on the tools’ renovating, building and painting. Bek enjoys finding the fun in projects, whether it’s during the process of collaborating with clients, or in creating the delightful small-scale details that give a design that special something
