A calm home is designed, not decorated. Five architectural moves that make a Melbourne renovation feel like a retreat, from the front door to hidden tech.
Read MoreWith AI design tools, do you still need an architect?
AI can produce a floor plan in seconds. It cannot classify your soil, read your heritage overlay, or sit in the room when the builder's price comes back. Here is what actually changes when an architect is involved.
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Current project in Upper Beaconsfield
What Changes When a Home Costs More Than $5 Million
Above a certain budget the constraints move. The money stops being the limit — and the site, the builder, the lead times and the documentation become the things that decide whether it works.
Read MoreWhat Drives the Cost of a Custom Home (and What You Can Control)
Not all cost drivers are equal, and not all of them are yours to move. Here's what genuinely shifts the number on a custom home — and which decisions do it early.
Read MoreStart Now to Build Next Year: What Spring Is Really For
Spring is when most Melbourne families start thinking about building. A Brighton architect on why starting the design now is what gets you building next year.
Read MoreExtending vs Moving: The Real Cost Comparison for Melbourne Families
Comparing an extension to a move on build cost alone gets the answer wrong. Here's the full list of costs on both sides — and the question that actually decides it.
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How Natural Light Should Shape Your Floor Plan
Most Melbourne homes are planned around the block, then given windows. Reversing that order — letting light decide where rooms go — is the cheapest upgrade to how a home feels.
Read MoreDesigning for summer: indoor-outdoor living that actually works in Melbourne
Indoor-outdoor living sounds simple until a Melbourne summer tests it. A Melbourne architect on the design decisions that make the connection between inside and out work all year, not just in the brochure.
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The first meeting with an architect: what to expect, and what to bring
Nervous about the first meeting with an architect? A Melbourne architect on exactly what happens, what to bring, and why it is less daunting, and less expensive to start, than most people assume.
Read MoreWhat Actually Happens in a Feasibility Study: Your First Three Meetings With Me
Every piece I write points to "a feasibility study." Here's exactly what that means — three meetings, what we cover, and what you'll walk away knowing.
Read MoreDesigning for Melbourne's Climate: Orientation, Glazing and Comfort
Melbourne's climate should shape a home's design from day one. Orientation, glazing and comfort, explained by a Melbourne architect, without the jargon.
Read MoreBudgeting Your Melbourne Build: Where the Money Really Goes
Wondering what a renovation or new build actually costs? A Melbourne architect explains where the money goes and why the real number only comes after real thinking.
Read MoreWhat Melbourne homeowners are asking for in 2026: five design themes from the drawing board
Five design themes shaping Melbourne renovations and extensions in 2026 — drawn from real client briefs, not trend lists. From a Melbourne architect.
Read MoreOpen plan or defined spaces? What Melbourne homeowners are choosing in 2026
Open plan had a twenty-year run. Here's how Melbourne homeowners are now balancing openness with rooms that actually fit how they live.
Read MoreHow homeowners can view their house plans before building
The different ways homeowners can view their plans before building, from simple 2D floor plans through to immersive VR. The blog should position Mark as a guide who helps clients better understand scale, flow, light and layout before decisions are locked in
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How to Use Tech to Create a Look Book of Ideas for Your Home Renovation
Planning a Melbourne renovation or extension? Learn how to use Pinterest, Canva, Houzz, Milanote and AI tools to create a clear look book that helps your architect understand your style.
Read MoreCouncil Approvals 101: What Melbourne Homeowners Should Know
Planning a renovation, extension or new home build in Melbourne? Learn when you may need council planning approval, how it differs from a building permit, and how to avoid approval delays.
Read MoreGood Design on a Renovation Budget: How to Create a Better Home Without Overcapitalising
enovating in Melbourne during a cost-of-living squeeze? Learn how thoughtful design can help you improve your home, control costs and spend where it matters most.
Read MoreRenovating a Period Home in Melbourne: How to Keep the Character and Still Live in 2026
Thinking of renovating a Victorian or period home in Melbourne? How to keep the heritage façade, add a modern extension, and handle permits — from a Melbourne architect.
Read MoreRenovation vs Rebuild: How to Decide What’s Right for Your Home
Not sure whether to renovate, extend or rebuild? Learn the key design, budget, site and lifestyle factors Melbourne homeowners should consider before calling an architect.
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