Daniel Galtieri has never been far removed from a building site, given his father was a developer and would often take his son to work, ‘playing in the mud’ as Galtieri recalls. A keen asset builder, his father had already amassed a sizeable property portfolio by the time he reached the age of 40. So, when Galtieri posed the question of which direction to take in his career when he was in his late 30s, it was no surprise that his father came back with the decisive answer for him to establish his own architectural practice.

With a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture and a Bachelor of Architecture from Deakin University in Geelong, Daniel Galtieri would travel the odd hour or more by car every day from Melbourne. Graduating in 1995, his initial foray into the workforce was with heritage architects Allom Lovell (now Lovell Chen). Measuring and documenting heritage-listed sites such as Melbourne’s Shrine of Remembrance and Jack’s Magazine, an ammunition factory in Maribyrnong created an important foundation to understanding the city’s rich and diverse heritage. And from 1995 until 2000, Galtieri was working at Godfreys Spowers, now Spowers Architects. Even though he was only in his mid-20s he was given the responsibly of working on significant large-scale projects generally the realm of senior architects – from a 72-apartment development in Hawthorn to overseeing all the National Australia Bank fit-outs working in conjunction with Lendlease Interiors.

These formative years provided the experience for Galtieri’s next work phase, employed with NH Architecture where he worked for 10 years – leading major projects including the QV1 apartments designed by architect John Wardle in association with NH Architects and developed by Grocon. ‘Pod H’ at the Women’s Hospital site, a collaboration with NH and Kerstin Thompson Architects, exemplified Galtieri’s ability to work on large-scale projects and with equally large teams, both architects, and specialists. Other significant projects with NH Architecture included Crown Casino, 90 Collins Street and also 120 Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD, along with Colonial Stadium, now Marvel Stadium.

Galtieri sees is role as not dissimilar to a conductor, bringing clients, designers and builders together to create the appropriate ‘score’, fine tuning the most subtle notes and making slight changes to the composition. And, like any collaboration, there’s the need for trust.

When Galtieri started working with Nick Lucas at NH Architecture, he saw his great talent for design, as well as skills that would be needed should a practice between the two unfold in the future. And while Lucas is at the forefront of design at Architecton, Galtieri freely admits that the lines between design and management are slightly blurred, with each director having input into both arms of the practice.

For Galtieri, the objectives of architecture and the outcomes of Architecton follow the same trajectory – creating a legacy of great architecture irrespective of scale or typology. Shaping a city and changing the way people see and interact with the built form continues to delight and engage him.