Our practice is to listen to our clients, help them define their needs, provide a creative and innovative design solution, work to a budget, and deliver as agreed.  We draw on the expertise of specialist consultants, contractors, suppliers and artists.

Our design process is to:

Listen

We invest in relationships with our clients, seeking a deep understanding of their goals and requirements. Working together to clarify and articulate the functional needs and aspirations for their project – from privacy to light, branding to income, security to inclusivity.

Investigate

Testing, experimenting, examining. We think unconventionally and work with an openness to new ideas to explore the infinite possibilities for every design challenge. We work with rigour from conceptual design to long term maintenance. We are strategic decision makers.

Learn

We gather critical information on functional and compliance requirements to gain a clear project appreciation. We research the environmental, social, cultural and historical context of each site.

Collaborate

We partner with clients, communities, specialist consultants, contractors, suppliers and artists to shape our projects. We collaborate from concept to construction to co-create the project.

Care

With careful documentation we devise solutions that do many things at once – as much as possible with as little as possible. Our quality assurance process reduces errors and mitigates risk.

Our approach embraces seven core principles:

People

First and foremost, we design meaningful places for people, for our clients and others, to live, work and enjoy. 

Place / Country

Gritty urban laneway. Pristine bush setting. Our buildings are inspired by, respond to and enhance the physical and intangible aspects of site and context. We seek to understand and care for Country.

Purpose

Function, at both abstract and practical levels, is the prime generator of space and form. We work with our clients to clearly define the intended uses of a building or space.

Joy

We create spaces and places that are generous and beautiful; that people love. The clear and intangible qualities of light, shadow, space and materiality are at the heart of our work.

Sustainability

Our projects are built to last. We minimise our impact on the natural environment through material selection, waste, water and energy reduction, passive solar design, recycling and adaptive re-use. We aim for optimal environmental performance, sustainability, durability and ease of maintenance. 

Efficiency

Budgetary constraint is a generator of innovation, delivering a project on budget, a success. A deep knowledge of building technology and construction detailing results in efficient design and documentation.

Value

We work closely with our clients and cost consultant from concept to detailed design, documentation to construction, to create efficient, value-adding projects.

A functional building that brings joy and comfort to users, is sensitive to the environment and stands the test of time is the ultimate achievement.

Reconciliation

We acknowledge that the land on which we live and work, and the land on which our projects are built, is Aboriginal land. We are working towards an understanding of this, and how it might inform our relationship to the land, it’s original people, and the work that we do. We are continuing this journey with an ‘Innovate’ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) with assistance from Reconciliation Australia. We acknowledge that we have a long way to go.

Respect

An effective and responsible practice of architecture includes a respect for and an appreciation of places and their peoples, their traditions, their culture and history. We make architecture that is equitable, accessible and inclusive of all members of our community.

Community

Every project is designed to enrich and support the whole community and the world we live in, both now and in the future. We work to achieve architectural solutions that are valued and utilised for years to come.

Carbon Neutral

We have achieved net zero carbon emissions in our daily operations and we are a founding signatory to Architects Declare. We are actively working towards designing buildings that have zero carbon emissions in both construction and operation by 2030.

Freedom

We are committed to ensuring that our operations and supply chains do not cause, involve or contribute to modern slavery and that our suppliers and partners also respect and share our commitment to minimise the risk of modern slavery.

Integrity

Ethical principles underpin all our practice and business operations.

We respectfully acknowledge the Gadi people, the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the Country on which we work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, sea and community.