December 18th, 2014

15 Australian Designers and Architects Changing the Design World

There are thousands of architects currently working in Australia on projects both big and small, but rarely do you hear of those who are making a real difference in Australia’s interior design styles if they’re not on a reality TV show.

We’ve decided to put together a list of 15 Australian architect design firms that have had an impact on the design world both in Australia as well as overseas.

Elenberg Fraser

Multi-award winning designer firm Elenberg Fraser currently design approximately 10% of all the apartments in Melbourne. With a focus that spans Asia-Pacific and offices in Melbourne, Sydney and Hanoi, their work includes the interior design of hotels, luxury resorts, restaurants and multi-level apartments.

The style of their architecture encourages experiences, and offers an unspoken invitation to feel the difference. Their desire is to create impossible realities – Aurora Melbourne Central is one such seductive and technologically advanced design of excellence.

Michael Bechara

Based in Surry Hills, Sydney, Michael Bechara offers complete attention to detail in the architectural design and interiors for new and existing dwellings. Fulfilling the needs and diversity in client budgets and project requirements is their speciality.

Michael Bechara is an experts at bringing the client’s style to the fore, with distinct design expression making its mark on all his work.

Adrian Amore Architects

Recently awarded three Premier Awards, including for Interior Design Excellence & Innovation, Residential Design and Residential Best of State, Victoria, Adrian has established a solid reputation for his firm.

Located in Melbourne, Victoria, Adrian’s work focuses on using invention, ingenuity and craftsmanship to design beautiful loft-style apartments.

Thomas Hamel

Trained in the USA and London, Thomas Hamel established Thomas Hamel & Associated in Sydney at the start of the 1990’s. Hamel is a multi-award winning designer with accomplishments in Australia, USA, UK, Europe and Asia. His international acclaim in interior design has culminated in the recent launch of custom designed furnishings Hamel & Farrell, available through Thomas Hamel & Associates in Australia and internationally through Jean De Merry.

Thomas Hamel & Associates have been featured in Vogue, Belle, Elle Décor, Wish, and Interiors Magazines.

Hecker Guthri

Interiors, buildings, objects and gardens are the design services established by Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie. With a staff of 17, their primary focuses are on hospitality, retail, residential and commercial.

Hecker Guthrie’s diversity of design currently includes an invitation to reinvent Wegner’s Iconic CH33 Dining Chair, Polporro by Even Keel in Redhill, a 60’s residence in Perth, and Ruyi restaurant Melbourne. With a design culture of authenticity, consideration and enthusiasm, they aim to create cohesive and honest designs in all aspects of their work.

Kerry Phelan

The Kerry Phelan Design Office (K.P.D.O) revolves around the principle of taking a collaborative design approach to all of their work. They are advocates of the theory of emotional design, and will tailor a design to suit the desired architectural aesthetic.

Under directorship from Kerry Phelan and Stephen Javens, their intelligent and practical designs have won them several prestigious awards.

Mim Design

Mirriam Fanning is the Principal of Mim Design. Their recent success of Joe Black Retail, published in Artichoke, showcased their simplicity and elegance in design through the use of marble, dark timber, and tan leather.

Specialising in interiors from residential, retail hospitality and office spaces, Mim Design enhances space by understanding end user demographics. They blend this into the interior creation to add distinct value to brands.

David Hicks

With offices in Australia and Los Angeles, internationally acclaimed David Hicks is able to service clients in Asia Pacific, the USA, and Europe. Grace is what comes to mind when viewing a David Hicks design, and it can be classified as a unique experience of its own.

Sophisticated elegance and chic ambiance catches the eye and the soul. The luxurious designs of David Hicks cross private residences, residential developments, hotels, restaurants, retail stores and corporate offices.

Acme + Co

Ac•me (/’akmē) is defined as the point at which someone or something is best, perfect, or most successful. Baed in Potts Point, Sydney, the collaboration of architect Vince Alafaci and interior designer Caroline Choker focuses on “exploring the fundamentals of environment, sustainability, space, proportion, light and materials.”

A boutique design agency that functions across hospitality, residential, commercial, industrial, public and adaptive reuse sectors, Acme & Co. have made an impact on the world of interior design with their stunning layouts.

Figureground Architecture

In recent years, Figureground Architecture has earned itself a leading reputation in hospitality design. Having worked on such design projects as the restaurants Pope Joan, Meatmother and Humdinger, their style is focused on amplifying specific aspects of a space.

Established in 2011, Figureground Architecture’s success shone at the 2104 Australian Interior Design Awards. They won the Best of State Commercial Design and Hospitality Award.

Conrad Gargett Riddel Ancher Mortlock Woolley

Since 1980, the award winning firms of Conrad Gargett Architecture, Riddel Architecture, and Ancher Mortlock Woolley have collaborated to lead contemporary design and heritage conservation in Australia. Their projects include every industry from health and education to hospitality and conservation, and this only touches the surface of their contribution and outstanding legacy of design in Australia.

“CGRAMW believe in conserving the landscape component of each project as a wider vision to preserving our natural landscape as a whole”, according to their company values. They are currently commissioned to develop a change management plan for the preservation of Parliament House Australia.

Fender Katsalidis Architects

The MONA Museum, Circular Quay, and Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok (a city of 30,000 units to house a population of 150,000) are only a few examples of the masterstrokes of Fender Katsalidis. Using 3D virtual building methods, FK Architects set the standard in Australia and internationally for design and documentation methods.

Travis Walton

For the latest in contemporary design, the Travis Walton signature focus on nightclubs, eateries, retail shops and residential developments is growing in the design industry.

Having only been established since 2010, Travis Walton has already been nominated for several awards. When designing an interior space, Walton claims that he tries to be “Inspired by the unexpected.”

Those Architects

Those Architects is Sydney based architecture and interior design agency. They have designed award-winning offices during a refurbishment project, and they specialise in showing adaptive flair and versatility.

Heritage listed building restrictions on their previous projects have meant they are unable to mechanically fix into or alter any of the existing materials, providing a huge challenge that they rose to meet. By using modular designs complemented by open and natural layouts, Those Architects won the Architecture Award for Interior Architecture at the 2014 NSW Architecture Awards.

Atticus + Milo

Architecture, interior and landscape design envelopes the world of Atticus and Milo. With proven successful projects that have stood the test of time since the inception of Atticus and Milo in 1998, Design Director and creator of the company Caecillia Potter still leads every project.

This architecture and design firm accommodates the natural landscape context to provide individualised warmth and style, and surrounds the clients needs with one aim – to “enhance their lives”.