-As a child what did you want to become (profession-wise)?
Matthew Tobin: Like most children I really did not know what I wanted to do.....but after seeing Raiders of the Lost Ark, becoming an archaeologist was high on the list of potential careers.
-In which town did you grow up?
Matthew Tobin: Brisbane in Queens land Australia. We lived on the outskirts of the city beside Moreton Bay.
Daniel Tobin: I loved Brisbane in the 1970’s: it was a time of bare feet, fishing, swimming and lots of sunshine.
-Do you think your background influenced your current architectural/design style?If so, what specific element in your background is most pervasive in influencing your current style?
Matthew Tobin: I think growing up near the bay ensured I was interested in the beauty of natural forms - whether that was pods I collected or patterns created in the mud flats from the movement of the tides. I also think the freedom of growing up in a place where as children we were free to roam the foreshore, sail and canoe in the bayen couraged thinking broadly and openly.
Daniel Tobin: My family has been the greatest influence. My father is creative and entrepreneurial and my mother a biologist - which allowed for lots of progressive thinking and risk taking - matched with the competitive environment created by three brothers vying for attention. It surely made for a strong survival instinct.
with MATTHEW and DANIEL TOBIN -What inspires you in the job of being a designer?
Matthew Tobin: Day-to-day life, discoveries, and interacting with and exploring different countries and cultures (all inspire me).
Daniel Tobin: (I find inspiration in) people, places, my walk to work, a word or action -- real or perceived. It’s hard to be definitive. Looking at the past and imagining the future (are inspiring). Connecting with people and understanding the physical, cultural and social environments that ultimately collide and influence the design response (are also influential).
-Do you have any other creative ambitions or dreams to which you aspire?
Daniel Tobin: I studied set and costume design at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, so I would love to design an opera for the New York Metropolitan or make the slimmest, simplest suit/travel bag for short overnight trips.
Matthew Tobin: I have a desire to create illustrated story books for children and adults.
-Which basic elements of creativity did your family teach you?
Matthew Tobin: They taught me to have an open mind, to take the time to look and observe and explore.
Daniel Tobin: (I was taught to dream of) limitless
possibilities, although I do wish they’d taught me more about restraint at times!