30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia

Some may wonder what goes on Down Under. With such a large body of water separating this Oceanic country from the rest of the Western world, it is easy to forget how similar Australia is to its North American neighbors. When it comes to the built environment, Australia’s architectural landscape is filled with trends and advancements quite similar to those explored in the West. Nevertheless, the country maintains a distinct architectural lexicon rooted in its particular climate, landscape, Indigenous heritage and colonial past.

The country’s Western influence can be attributed to the British colonial period, which is apparent today in the Victorian-style homes and Gothic churches found all over Australia. The nation also maintains a keen interest in heritage, with structures such as the famed Sydney Opera House, Australian Convict Sites and Royal Exhibition Building receiving UNESCO Heritage status. Beyond its British ties lies an incredible landscape well-suited for architectural exploration and indoor-outdoor living. In addition to looking outdoors for atmospheric inspiration, the architectural community is committed to the landscape through ecologically-responsible design.

With so many architecture firms to choose from, it’s challenging for clients to identify the industry leaders that will be an ideal fit for their project needs. Fortunately, Architizer is able to provide guidance on the top design firms in Australia based on more than a decade of data and industry knowledge.

How are these architecture firms ranked?

The following ranking has been created according to key statistics that demonstrate each firm’s level of architectural excellence. The following metrics have been accumulated to establish each architecture firm’s ranking, in order of priority:

• The number of A+Awards won (2013 to 2022)
• The number of A+Awards finalists (2013 to 2022)
• The number of projects selected as “Project of the Day” (2009 to 2022)
• The number of projects selected as “Featured Project” (2009 to 2022)
• The number of projects uploaded to Architizer (2009 to 2022)

Each of these metrics is explained in more detail at the foot of this article. This ranking list will be updated annually, taking into account new achievements of Australia architecture firms throughout the year.

Without further ado, here are the 30 best architecture firms in Australia:

30. DesignInc

photo: Dianne Snape – © Dianna Snape

At DesignInc, we champion an integrated approach to sustainable Architecture, Interior and Urban Design; focus on the creation of quality environments which reconcile natural, social, urban and economic forces; concentrate on growing single ideas into integrated solutions with multiple benefits; and pride ourselves on our understanding of and engagement with diversity – from the skills of our professional team, through the range of clients with whom we collaborate and the projects we embrace, to the built environments we create. DesignInc’s wide ranging experience and expertise means that we are frequently invited to collaborate on brief development and master plan…

Some of DesignInc’s most prominent projects include:

• Deakin University Regional Community Health Hub [REACH], Geelong, Australia
• CH2 Melbourne City Council House 2, Melbourne, Australia
• Adelaide Entertainment Center, Adelaide, Australia
• GPO2 Design Studio, Melbourne, Australia
• Gippsland Water Factory Vortex Centre, Morwell, Australia

The following statistics helped DesignInc achieve 30th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

29. Andrew Burges Architects

© Andrew Burges Architects

Andrew Burges Architects is a design-focused studio practice with expertise in single residential dwellings, multi-residential housing, master planning and civic and public buildings. Underlying the work of ABA is a belief in architecture as a creative form of ‘geography making’, with each project carefully developed in response to the physical and cultural character of its setting.

We aspire to a model of creativity that is open and collaborative, working with clients, consultants and staff to foster an intelligent engagement with the circumstances of each site and brief rather than the repetition of a signature style. We are committed to architectural excellence at all phases of the design and construction process, maintaining a focus on inventive strategies and carefully considered problem-solving from first sketches through to the approval, documentation and construction phase of projects. Our methodology involves rigorous testing and research of ideas.

Some of Andrew Burges Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Andrew Burges Architects achieve 29th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

28. Architecture Architecture

© Derek Swalwell

Architecture Architecture is an award winning Melbourne-based practice, recognised for its dedication to contemporary architecture and design. With extensive experience working with residential, institutional and commercial clients, Architecture Architecture have a reputation for delivering high quality design outcomes for projects of all types and sizes.

We are committed to providing exceptional design and project management services to all our clients. Under the directorship of Michael Roper & Nick James, Architecture Architecture offer the benefits of large-scale project capability along with the innovation and client-focus of a smaller architecture practice. Our design method is highly collaborative and adaptive, responding to the unique requirements of every commission.

Some of Architecture Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Turnaround House, Melbourne, Australia
• The Purple Rose of Cairo, Melbourne, Australia
• The Stanhill Apartment, Melbourne, Australia
• Together Apart, Melbourne, Australia
• Fifty Fifty, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped Architecture Architecture achieve 28th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

27. WOWOWA Architecture

© WOWOWA Architecture

Our practice is committed to creating colorful, contemporary, ideas-driven spaces that reset the boundaries of environmental innovation and have a sense of humor: livability and lovability. With offices in Melbourne and Perth, our reach is both residential and public in scale, encompassing homes, schools, and community places and spaces. Our work is a testament to the MOMENT and to MEMORY, it looks to the past to keep things fresh – a mixture of highbrow architectural references and the nostalgia of home-grown narrative, and it explores and references the NOW – through the life of the client — their fancies and foibles, their hopes and happiness — what is quintessential to them.

AND when we speak of MEMORY or even SUSTAINABILITY, when we mean more than adaptive reuse of architectural device or materiality or even a homage to style; it is a reimagining and playful restructure of the known elements that we like to call it story-in-place™. In this sense we are OPEN and FREE in our design agenda, in our capacity to imagine or vision a new perspective, to craft spaces and places within a home or public space which deliver a sense of safety, comfort and which invite a more light-hearted, creative, curious spirit to be found in them.

Some of WOWOWA Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped WOWOWA Architecture achieve 27th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

26. LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

© LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture

LAVA (The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture) seeks to continually define new boundaries in the creation of architectural visions and city space. LAVA’s research and design focus allows the evolution of architectural and urban design outcomes inaccessible through traditional methodologies. Our process continually evolves; responding to global and market forces to deliver high quality, technologically advanced and sustainable projects that inspire a new generation.

LAVA Sydney and Stuttgart already have become hotspots and breeding grounds for a new generation of  architectural talent. LAVA works as a network practice, providing Visionary Architectural and Urban design services worldwide. The LAVA network provides clients with access to an extensive team of leading design consultants and offers a comprehensive list of Architectural Design, Urban Design, Development Feasibility, Marketing and Master planning services.

Some of LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped LAVA – Laboratory for Visionary Architecture achieve 26th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

25. Steffen Welsch

Our experience shows that sustainable design solutions only work when they provide comfort and are sensible. We are proud that our buildings achieve high energy ratings and have been showcased as positive examples of sustainable projects. In our work we find a balance between cost efficient, environmentally sustainable designs and implementing innovative systems and products.

Some of Steffen Welsch’s most prominent projects include:

• Hemp House, Melbourne, Australia
• This House Never Ends, Melbourne, Australia
• Marysville House, Marysville, Australia
• Innercity Downsize House, Fitzroy North, Australia
• Parkville, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped Steffen Welsch achieve 25th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

24. Candalepas Associates

© Candalepas Associates

Candalepas Associates holds a reputation as a leading Architectural firm catering for a broad range of government, institutional, corporate and private clients. The practice is renowned for the direct engagement in the design and architectural procurement process by its Director Angelo Candalepas. During the last ten years, the practice has worked on more than 500 projects, primarily in Sydney and more recently Perth, Fremantle, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Some of Candalepas Associates’s most prominent projects include:

• Punchbowl Mosque, Punchbowl, Australia
• 29-35 Prince Street, Cronulla, Australia
• Francis Street, Bondi, Australia
• All Saints Gymnasium, Sydney, Australia
• Marrickville Apartments, Marrickville, Australia

The following statistics helped Candalepas Associates achieve 24th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

23. WALA

© WALA

WALA is an emerging architectural studio based in Melbourne. We provide architectural, interior and design services across a diverse range of projects. The studio is composed of passionate designers and individuals who all share a keen focus on intuitive and sustainable design.

Our residential projects form the true backbone of the studio. We take pride in working intimately and collaboratively with homeowners, with particular emphasis placed on ensuring that each new home complements their lifestyle and sense of individuality. We believe that thoughtful and purposeful design solutions can often create the most elegant results.

Some of WALA’s most prominent projects include:

• Downside Up House, Albert Park, Australia
• The Little Man Cafe, Seddon, Australia
• Henry House, East Melbourne, Australia
• Coburg Freeboard House, Coburg, Australia
• Open Shut House, Kooyong, Australia

The following statistics helped WALA achieve 23rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

22. GHDWoodhead

© Douglas M Black

The GHDWoodhead network of design-led studios strive to create inspirational places through intelligent and thoughtful design. We bring together all design, planning and engineering disciplines through a holistic process, creating design that is responsive, technically elegant and efficient. We see our role as making things simply better for our clients. GHDWoodhead is a leading architecture, interiors, and planning company with more than 80 years in the industry.

GHDWoodhead is part of the GHD group, one of the world’s leading architecture, engineering and environmental companies with more than 8500 people globally based throughout Australia, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Chile, Asia, Middle East, UK and Europe. Our experience, expertise, technology and business management systems ensure we achieve world’s best practice for our clients.

Some of GHDWoodhead’s most prominent projects include:

• Shepparton Law Courts Redevelopment, Shepparton, Australia
• AFFRIC, Waurn Ponds, Australia
• Pinnacles Desert Discovery Centre, Western Australia, Cervantes, Australia
• Park Regis, Merchant Road, Singapore, 23, Merchant Road, Singapore, Singapore
• Southern Cross University Foundation Building, Southern Cross Drive, Bilinga, Australia

The following statistics helped GHDWoodhead achieve 22nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

21. John Wardle Architects

© John Wardle Architects

Our practice has evolved from a smaller studio into a larger collaborative environment where every project has a range of creative, technical and strategic contributions from a diversity of architects and interior designers within JWA. Beyond the office, our engagement with others is similarly inclusive, always curious to understand another’s point of view.

Many projects by JWA have been highly awarded. This includes twice being recognized with the prestigious Sir Zelman Cowen Award for best public building in Australia in 2002 and 2006 by the Australian Institute of Architects. JWA has also won the Harold Desbrowe-Annear Award for best residential project on three occasions and has twice been the recipient of the Victorian Architecture Medal.

Some of John Wardle Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
• Learning and Teaching Building, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
• Jeffrey Smart Building, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
• Fairhaven Beach House, Fairhaven, Australia
• Tanderrum Pedestrian Bridge, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped John Wardle Architects achieve 21st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

20. Andrew Simpson Architects

© Andrew Simpson Architects

We are a design-focused practice that…
Is committed to the contemporary.
Celebrates form and space in equal measure.
Is responsive to our cultural context and lifestyles.
Finds joy in the relationships that are built through a project along with the architecture.
Teaches to learn.
Recognizes that the best outcomes are not immediately obvious and may appear ambiguous.
Is closely engaged with the construction process.
Believes that sustainability is not a specialization or marketing opportunity but fundamental to good design.
Seeks to use new technologies and methods of fabrication
Respects the skill of quality trades people.
Is comprised of optimists.

Some of Andrew Simpson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Andrew Simpson Architects achieve 20th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

19. Christopher Polly Architect

© Brett Boardman Photography

Christopher Polly Architect is an award-winning full-service architecture practice based in Sydney Australia. It engages with clients who share in the reward of accomplishing bold visions to enrich their daily lives, who prioritize quality over quantity, and who place value in achieving inventive and well-crafted spaces that are meticulously detailed and finished. The practice distills a holistic detail design approach in the delivery of highly creative and pragmatic architectural solutions on site that resonate conceptual rigor and a command of materials and systems.

Some of Christopher Polly Architect’s most prominent projects include:

• Cosgriff House, Sydney, Australia
• Unfurled House, Sydney, Australia
• Darling Point Penthouse, Darling Point, Australia
• Elliott Ripper House, Sydney, Australia
• Haines House, Sydney, Australia

The following statistics helped Christopher Polly Architect achieve 19th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

18. Carter Williamson Architects

© Carter Williamson Architects

Architecture is the construction of ideas represented as sequences of space illuminated by natural light. These ideas form the spaces we live in, move through and feel better for having been in. Good architecture should allow us to feel safe and secure, confident and expressive, quiet and reflective. Good architecture should make our lives better. This is what we do at Carter Williamson and is what you can see in the images on our website.We are often asked what is our area of specialization. We specialize in design. We specialize in thinking about your needs and your building. We specialize in making good architecture.

Some of Carter Williamson Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Carter Williamson Architects achieve 18th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

17. Tzannes

© Tzannes

Tzannes is an Australian architecture, urban and integrated design studio based in Sydney. The practice’s creative thinking and innovative, sustainable and enduring architecture has established our reputation as a leader in the field. Our design is about specific responses to every client and every project, not about preconceived ideas, style or approach. We consider each brief an opportunity to apply architectural skill, creativity and innovation to solve our client’s design problems, but also to delight and to inspire.

Tzannes’ distinction is our ability to work across all scales and project types. The breadth of our skills and experience, the profile of our talent and technology enable us to service significant projects with the efficiency and confidence of a large practice.

Some of Tzannes’s most prominent projects include:

• Darling Square North, Little Hay Street & Harbour Street, Haymarket, Australia
• Opera Residences, Sydney, Australia
• Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas, Sydney, Australia
• The Republic Hotel and Rooftop Bar, Sydney, Australia
• Dangrove, Sydney, Australia

The following statistics helped Tzannes achieve 17th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

16. Splinter Society Architecture

© Splinter Society Architecture

Led by Asha Nicholas and Chris Stanley, Splinter Society is a Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio committed to crafting custom human environments distinguished by diverse experiences. With an emphasis on design process, we work to create distinctly tactile projects, drawing on layered influences. Every project is grounded in solid principles of functionality and environmental sustainability.

As an office, we enjoy exploring new ideas as a collaborative process with clients, consultants and craftspeople. We work closely with our clients to extract key elements for personal enjoyment in residential projects and fundamental brand ideas adding value to spaces for commercial businesses. Our projects include residential, multi -residential, hospitality, workplace design, health and education. On each job, we undertake extensive research and brief development to unlock the individual opportunities
of the project.

Some of Splinter Society Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• House in a Warehouse, Hawthorn East, Australia
• Project281 Cafe, Brunswick, Australia
• Elwood House, Melbourne, Australia
• The Auburn Apartments, Melbourne, Australia
• Cornerstone House, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped Splinter Society Architecture achieve 16th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

15. FMD Architects

© John Gollings Photography

FMD Architects is an architectural practice with extensive experience in architecture and interior design of varying scales, types and budgets. The core work of the practice is boutique commercial, hospitality and residential work. The focus on specific projects enables a high level of client service as well as an intense design process with rigorous detail. A particularity of the practice is its extensive research into materials and product development, which equips it with a knowledge to develop rich and inventive architecture.

Some of FMD Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Treehouse Residence, Lorne, Australia
• K House, Melbourne, Australia
• Bike House, Melbourne, Australia
• Kelvin House, Melbourne, Australia
• Dowel House, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped FMD Architects achieve 15th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

14. Elenberg Fraser

© Elenberg Fraser

Elenberg Fraser is an architecture firm that revolutionizes the way architecture is practiced. Combining the creativity of a design studio with the outcome-orientation of a commercial firm, we believe that design-driven and market-driven are not opposed to each other. Elenberg Fraser projects stand in relief, delivering a high design value, realizing market objectives yet raising the bar in architecture through innovation.

Some of Elenberg Fraser’s most prominent projects include:

• Luna, 173, Barkly Street, St Kilda, Australia
• Huski Hotel, 3, Sitzmark Street, Falls Creek, Australia
• Elm, Australia
• Ikebana, Melbourne, Australia
• St Boulevard, Melbourne, Australia
• Paper Smith Apartments, Alphington, Australia
• Ikebana, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped Elenberg Fraser achieve 14th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

13. MHN Design Union

© John Gollings Photography

MHN Design Union’s collaborative approach, experience, strategic thinking, and use of advanced technologies, combined with an energetic service-driven team, results in a legacy of quality design, and practical, enduring and sustainable buildings.

Some of MHN Design Union’s most prominent projects include:

• The Aria, Waverley Crescent, Bondi Junction, Australia
• Viking by Crown, Sydney, Australia
• Bondi Penthouse, Sydney, Australia
• Portland Street Duplex, Portland Street, Dover Heights, Australia
• Krimotat House, Sydney, Australia

The following statistics helped MHN Design Union achieve 13th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

12. Jackson Clements Burrows

© Jackson Clements Burrows

JCB is an award-winning architecture, interior design and urban design practice established in 1998 by Tim Jackson, Jon Clements and Graham Burrows. Our team of over 70 design professionals is united by a shared commitment to the delivery of innovative design solutions.

JCB is driven by core design principles that allow us to explore each new project afresh and an approach that is site sensitive, engaged with local climatic conditions and adaptive to contextual opportunities. Our methodology is iterative and develops through our engagement processes which embrace close collaboration with the client, stakeholders and the community, along with a deep understanding of the site and history.

We collaborate across sectors and disciplines, understanding that learning lessons can come from everywhere.

Some of Jackson Clements Burrows’s most prominent projects include:

• Upper House, Carlton, Australia
• South Melbourne Life Saving Club, Albert Park, Australia
• Moonlight Cabin, VIC, Australia
• Henley Street, Barwon Heads, Henley Street, Barwon Heads, Australia
• Harold Street Residence, Middle Park, Australia

The following statistics helped Jackson Clements Burrows achieve 12th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

11. Architects EAT

© Architects EAT

ARCHITECTS EAT is run by a talented team of passionate, considerate and detail oriented architects and interior designers. Established in the year 2000 by directors, EID GOH and ALBERT MO, Architects EAT has gone from strength to strength designing everything from small home renovations to high-end new houses, food courts, restaurants, apartment buildings, offices and everything in-between. While no two designs are the same, all EAT designs stem from an ethos grounded in PHENOMENOLOGICAL design principles and core personal values; integrity, passion, fun, honesty and innovation.

WE CREATE malleable spaces that foster relationships and subtly guide inhabitants through life. WE BELIEVE that great design is for the long haul, not just a fad. WE AIM to tirelessly finding new and creative ways to push design boundaries.

Some of Architects EAT’s most prominent projects include:

• Fitzroy Loft, Fitzroy, Australia
• Stockroom Cottage, Fitzroy, Australia
• Moving House, Kew, Australia
• Elm & Willow House, South Yarra, Australia
• E589, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped Architects EAT achieve 11th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

10. B.E Architecture

© B.E Architecture

B.E Architecture was founded in 1997 by Jonathon Boucher and Broderick Ely. The firm reflects their personal notions of team collaboration and design, which considers the environment. The result is a practice, which provides full architectural design, master planning, interior design and one off furniture pieces, the end result for clients being a complete, all encompassing package. The B.E Architecture team is young, dynamic, and multicultural, with a range of personal interest and specialties.

Some of B.E Architecture’s most prominent projects include:

• Ross Street, South Melbourne, Australia
• 23 Fawkner Street, South Yarra, Australia
• Blake Street, Shoreham, Australia
• 57 Tivoli Road, South Yarra, Australia
• Walsh Street, South Yarra, Australia
• Hopetoun Road Residence, Toorak, Melbourne, Australia

The following statistics helped B.E Architecture achieve 10th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

9. Wood Marsh

© Wood Marsh

Roger Wood and Randal Marsh have been in private practice since 1983, and their early philosophical and aesthetic ideals have been sustained to inform their architecture throughout the ensuing decades. Contextual issues of locality and region underpin their diverse body of work, which spans residential, commercial and urban architecture.

The practice is renowned for its clarity of vision and its versatility, with art galleries, wineries and private homes as deftly executed as the extensive urban infrastructure the firm has created in and around Melbourne, where it is based. In each project, Wood Marsh’s founding principles are evident: the sculptural quality of the external forms, the play of solidity and transparency, and the materiality of the limited palettes.

Some of Wood Marsh’s most prominent projects include:

• Piccolo House, Melbourne, Australia
• RACV Cape Schanck, Cape Schanck, Australia
• Alumuna Residences , Melbourne, Australia
• Towers Road House, Melbourne, Australia
• Merricks House, Merricks, Australia

The following statistics helped Wood Marsh achieve 9th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

8. CHROFI

© CHROFI

CHROFI was founded in 2000 as Choi Ropiha following the win in the international competition for the re-design of the TKTS booth in Times Square, New York. The practice sees design as a tool to extract both commercial and qualitative value; public and private benefits; function and form; experience and meaning. We are highly bespoke in our approach and expand from the specific requirements of each project and client’s desires.

Some of CHROFI’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped CHROFI achieve 8th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

7. fjmtstudio

© fjmtstudio

fjmtstudio is dedicated to design excellence and the enhancement of the public domain. Our work focuses on the spatial and organic interconnection of built form and site to embody shared community values and aspirations. From integrated studios in Sydney, Melbourne and the UK, fjmtstudio regularly undertakes public and private projects of varying scale, complexity and specialized character; from modest community libraries though to major cultural, research, commercial, residential mixed use development and city/campus masterplans.

Some of fjmtstudio’s most prominent projects include:

• UTS Central, 61, Broadway, Ultimo, Australia
• St Barnabas Anglican Church, Sydney, Australia
• EY Centre, 200, George Street, Sydney, Australia
• Nunawading Community Hub, VIC, Australia
• University of Sydney Faculty of Law, Library and Teaching Complex, Eastern Avenue, Camperdown, Australia

The following statistics helped fjmtstudio achieve 7th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

Top image: Bunjil Place by fjmtstudio, VIC, Australia

6. Shaun Lockyer Architects

© Shaun Lockyer Architects

Shaun Lockyer Architects (SLa) was formed in 2010 to focus on modernist architecture that connects people and place. Inherent within each project is a desire to craft memorable, sustainable and efficient design solutions that add value to the inhabitants’ lives. SLa engages in varying types of projects including residential, institutional, commercial and interior design. Working with private and public clients who value a collaborative and transparent design process, each SLa commission employs a versatility and passion that transcends scale and budget. The firm is led by Shaun Lockyer, AIA, who presents over 15 years of international design experience, including nine years as Director and Partner at Arkhefield in Brisbane, QLD.

Some of Shaun Lockyer Architects’s most prominent projects include:

The following statistics helped Shaun Lockyer Architects achieve 6th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

5. McBride Charles Ryan

© McBride Charles Ryan

At MCR, we have one passion — providing exceptional design for our clients. Our commitment to provide our clients with innovative solutions, technical excellence and personal and professional integrity has generated a steady growth in the reputation of our company over the last 16 years. MCR has successfully managed projects with budgets of up to $20M, combining complex architectural form with the finest construction technique and the most demanding programs. We have experience in many areas, having undertaken and realized work in all sectors, and this has been recognised by a variety of awards, In 2005, we were awarded the highest Victorian award, the Victorian Architecture Medal.

Some of McBride Charles Ryan’s most prominent projects include:

• The Yardmaster’s Building, Southern Cross, Australia
• Dallas Brooks Community Primary School, Dallas, Australia
• The Infinity Centre, Keilor East, Australia
• Penleigh and Essendom Grammar School, Australia
• Banksia Apartments, New Quay, Docklands, Australia

The following statistics helped McBride Charles Ryan achieve 5th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

4. KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS

© KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS

Koichi Takada Architects is a design group that creates organically inspired places so the world can reconnect with a more natural, intuitive and conscious future. Founded in 2008, Koichi Takada Architects is based in Sydney with offices in Doha and Tokyo. The firm is currently working across residential, hotels, restaurants, commercial, and cultural projects in Australia and across the Middle East, Asia, North America and South America.

Principal Koichi Takada is based in Sydney, after living in cities of high urbanization including Tokyo, New York and London. His experience in those metropolises, where he studied at the School of Architecture at City University of New York and the Architectural Association in London, led him to pledge to create a greener future through design. How should we live today? It is a complicated question, but our answer is simple.

Some of KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS’s most prominent projects include:

• Arc, 161, Clarence Street, Sydney, Australia
• Norfolk, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Heads, Australia
• National Museum of Qatar Gift Shops, Qatar
• East Village Urban Marketplace, Sydney, Australia
• Sky Trees, 1111, South Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA, United States
• Urban Forest, Brisbane, Australia

The following statistics helped KOICHI TAKADA ARCHITECTS achieve 4th place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

3. Cumulus Studio

© Cumulus Studio

Established in 2011, we are an Australian architecture and interior design studio with offices in Hobart, Launceston, Melbourne and Adelaide. With a team of 40+ dedicated architects, designers, and operations team, our studio works as a single entity, using our collective resources to form, critique, and test new ideas, to understand the design’s context, and explore overlooked perspectives that result in the construction of respectful and inclusive spaces.

Our designs are based on collaboration and conversations, both within the practice and outside of it. We believe that good ideas can come from anywhere — our clients, community, and from any member of our team. By being open to discussions and different perspectives, our team, clients, and stakeholders can express themselves and explore a design’s possibilities from the very start.

Some of Cumulus Studio’s most prominent projects include:

• Cradle Mountain Visitor Centre, TAS, Australia
• Devil’s Corner, Apslawn, Australia
• Stoney Rise Cellar Door, Gravelly Beach, Australia
• Pumphouse Point, Lake Saint Clair, Australia
• Goulburn Street Housing, Hobart, Australia

The following statistics helped Cumulus Studio achieve 3rd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

2. Austin Maynard Architects

Austin Maynard Architects (formerly Andrew Maynard Architects) was established in 2002. The core principles in the establishment of AMA was a balance between built projects and broad polemical design studies. This is demonstrated in AMA’s highly crafted built work and socio-politically based concepts both of which have been widely published and have garnered global recognition. Andrew Maynard Architects explores architecture of enthusiasm – AMA treats each project as a unique challenge, offering unique possibilities and prides itself in experimentation. All of AMA’s designs are concept rich, left of centre and sustainability conscious; styles and singular themes are avoided.

Some of Austin Maynard Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• St Andrews Beach House, VIC, Australia
• Nebula Portable Arts Space, Melbourne, Australia
• Moor Street, Fitzroy, Australia
• Hill House, Australia
• Ilma Grove House, Ilma Grove, Northcote, Australia
• Tower House, Alphington, Australia

The following statistics helped Austin Maynard Architects achieve 2nd place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

1. Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects

© Peter Bennetts

iredale pedersen hook is a progressive architecture practice with studios in Perth and Melbourne and a rapidly expanding diverse body of work throughout Australia. From the wine region of Victoria’s Yarra Valley, to the desert of the North Kimberly region, through suburban Perth and the rural edge of Melbourne to remote Christmas Island, the projects are as individual and eclectic as the landscape they occupy. Each piece of architecture seeks to embody a unique design response of innovation and delight. The works can be gathered in relation to their geographical location demonstrating an embrace of their context and closer examination reveals a collection of thematic concerns that evolve and develop.

Some of Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects’s most prominent projects include:

• Pingelly Recreation and Cultural Centre, Pingelly, Australia
• Walumba Elders Centre, Warmun, Australia
• Fitzroy Crossing Renal Hostel, Fitzroy Crossing, Australia
• West Kimberley Regional Prison, Derby, Australia
• Highgate Primary School New Teaching Spaces, Perth, Australia

The following statistics helped Iredale Pedersen Hook Architects achieve 1st place in the 30 Best Architecture Firms in Australia:

Why Should I Trust Architizer’s Ranking?

With more than 30,000 architecture firms and over 130,000 projects within its database, Architizer is proud to host the world’s largest online community of architects and building product manufacturers. Its celebrated A+Awards program is also the largest celebration of architecture and building products, with more than 400 jurors and hundreds of thousands of public votes helping to recognize the world’s best architecture each year.

Architizer also powers firm directories for a number of AIA (American Institute of Architects) Chapters nationwide, including the official directory of architecture firms for AIA New York.

An example of a project page on Architizer with Project Award Badges highlighted

A Guide to Project Awards

The blue “”+”” badge denotes that a project has won a prestigious A+Award as described above. Hovering over the badge reveals details of the award, including award category, year, and whether the project won the jury or popular choice award.

The orange Project of the Day and yellow Featured Project badges are awarded by Architizer’s Editorial team, and are selected based on a number of factors. The following factors increase a project’s likelihood of being featured or awarded Project of the Day status:

• Project completed within the last 3 years
• A well written, concise project description of at least 3 paragraphs
• Architectural design with a high level of both functional and aesthetic value
• High quality, in focus photographs
• At least 8 photographs of both the interior and exterior of the building
• Inclusion of architectural drawings and renderings
• Inclusion of construction photographs

There are 7 Projects of the Day each week and a further 31 Featured Projects. Each Project of the Day is published on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Stories, while each Featured Project is published on Facebook. Each Project of the Day also features in Architizer’s Weekly Projects Newsletter and shared with 170,000 subscribers.

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