Russell Hall was born in 1947 and spent his formative years on a dairy farm at Harrisville in the Fassifern Valley. He studied architecture at the University of Queensland and the Queensland Institute of Technology from 1965 to 1974 and for much of the early part of his career, worked in the offices of James Birrell in Brisbane and Port Moresby.

Russell's experience in tropical design was cemented by a number of years with the Papua New Guinea Housing Commission, during which he conceived and produced designs for pre-fabricated standard houses which could be easily and cheaply erected by landowners.

Since his return from Papua New Guinea, Russell has practised architecture on the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, designing houses, townhouses and commercial premises.

His most well-known building is probably the Carpenter Hall House in Wilston, designed for his sister, which has featured not only in magazines and on television, but in most recent books on significant Australian architecture.

Also well-known—not to say notorious—is the Varitimos Building at the main intersection in West End. Its bright colours and exaggerated Ionic columns created much discussion in the streets and newspapers as the building progressed—a situation relished by the architect.

Russell Hall's awards from the Royal Australian Institute of Architects include House of the Year (1988 Judge Residence, Camp Island), numerous citations for residential & commercial buildings, Innovation in Architecture Awards for lighting and furniture and the John Herbert Award for Heritage Conservation Works for the Rialto Theatre Redevelopment.

In addition to his architectural practice, Russell is the designer behind The Ripple Iron Curving Company which produces a range of light fixtures, furniture and shade structures. It's also the home of the Ripple Iron Stubbie Cooler, which won the Memento Award for Most Innovative Product in 2001.