Answering: How do you work out who the best heritage architects in Melbourne actually are?
Estimated reading time: 9 min read
There is no single “best” heritage architect in Melbourne, and any honest answer says so first. The right practice for your home is the one whose verifiable record fits your specific property, your council and your level of risk. Several established Melbourne practices are well known for residential and heritage work, including Studio Bright, Kennedy Nolan, Lovell Chen and Pleysier Perkins. Rather than rank them, a careful owner judges any architect against six objective criteria: current registration with the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV), a documented heritage-approval track record across the relevant councils, genuine specialism in your kind of project, full-cycle oversight from sketch to handover, fee certainty in writing, and contactable references. BY Projects Architecture is one practice you can weigh against those criteria, with 59 heritage approvals at a 98% success rate across more than ten Victorian councils, 35-plus years of practice, and a genuine specialism in difficult and sloping sites and adaptive reuse.
You are about to spend somewhere between one and two million dollars on a home you bought for its character. That is the part that keeps you up. The wrong architect can cost you the very thing that made the house worth buying, and you will not see the loss until it is built.
It shows up quietly: original fabric stripped where it should have been kept, a generic glass box bolted onto a Victorian villa, a refusal after months in the queue, or a beautiful drawing that the heritage overlay was never going to allow. None of that is recoverable later. So the real question is not “who is famous”, but “who can I prove is qualified for this house, this overlay, this budget”. This guide gives you the criteria, the red flags and the exact questions to ask, so you can build a shortlist with confidence rather than hope.
Key Insights
- There is no official “best” — under Australian Consumer Law and common sense, judge each practice against objective criteria, not marketing.
- Only an architect listed on the ARBV register may legally call themselves an architect in Victoria; verify it before you shortlist.
- A documented heritage-approval record across your council matters more than a glossy portfolio of unrelated projects.
- Specialism fit is decisive: a sloping site, an adaptive reuse or a Register-listed home each demand evidence the practice has done that work before.
| Criterion | Why it matters | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| ARBV registration | Only registered architects may legally use the title in Victoria; it confirms qualification, insurance and a code of conduct | A current name (or approved company) on the public ARBV register, confirmed before any meeting |
| Heritage-approval track record | Heritage planning is where projects stall or fail; past approvals show the practice can carry a design through council | A stated record of heritage approvals across named councils, e.g. 59 approvals at a 98% success rate across 10-plus councils |
| Specialism fit | A difficult site, an adaptive reuse or a Register-listed home each need evidence of comparable work | Named, comparable case studies in your project type, not a portfolio of unrelated new builds |
| Full-cycle oversight | Heritage problems usually surface in detail and on site; one accountable architect prevents costly gaps | Concept through contract administration under the same practice, not handed off after planning |
| Fee certainty | Heritage scope is unpredictable; a vague fee becomes a moving target on a $1M-$2M build | A clear written scope and fee basis, with fixed-fee certainty available for complex work |
| References | Past clients reveal how the practice behaves when a project gets hard | Two or three contactable owners with comparable heritage projects |
Keep reading for full details below.
Table of Contents
- Why “Best” Is the Wrong Question for a Heritage Home
- The Six Criteria That Actually Qualify an Architect
- Red Flags, and the Questions to Ask on the First Call
- Mapping the Melbourne Field, and Where BY Fits
Why “Best” Is the Wrong Question for a Heritage Home
It is tempting to search for the single best heritage architect in Melbourne and hire whoever tops the list. The problem is that no such ranking honestly exists, and the practices that claim to be “the best” or “the leading” are making a claim that, under Australian Consumer Law, has to be provable and usually is not.
“Best” is also the wrong frame because heritage work is so specific. The practice that excels at a flat contributory cottage in Yarra may have never carried a Register-listed mansion through Heritage Victoria, or wrestled a design onto a steep block in the Dandenong foothills. A famous award-winning studio is not automatically right for your overlay, your council or your budget. What you actually need is a practice whose proven work matches your house.
That is why this guide replaces “who is best” with “who can I verify is qualified for this”. It is a more demanding question, but it is the one that protects your investment. The good news is that it is answerable, because most of what you need to check is on the public record or can be asked directly in a first conversation.
The Six Criteria That Actually Qualify an Architect
Use these six criteria to score every practice on your shortlist. Together they separate a genuine heritage specialist from a generalist who happens to like old houses.
Your heritage-architect checklist
- Registered with the ARBV. In Victoria, only a person on the Architects Registration Board of Victoria register may legally call themselves an architect, under the Architects Act 1991. Search the public register by name or company before you book a meeting. A “building designer” or “draftsperson” is a different, narrower category, and for a substantial overlay project that distinction matters.
- A documented heritage-approval record. Ask how many heritage planning permits the practice has obtained, and across which councils. A practice with a stated record, for example 59 heritage approvals at a 98% success rate across more than ten Victorian councils, is showing you it can navigate a Heritage Overlay, not just draw within one.
- Specialism that fits your project. Adaptive reuse, a sloping or constrained site, a Register-listed home and a contributory villa are different disciplines. Look for named, comparable case studies, not a general portfolio.
- Full-cycle oversight. The heritage risks rarely appear on the concept drawing; they appear in the construction detail and on site. One accountable architect from sketch through contract administration is what keeps the original intent intact to handover.
- Fee certainty in writing. Heritage scope is unpredictable, which is exactly why the fee basis should be clear from the start. A practice that offers fixed-fee certainty for complex work is removing one of the biggest sources of stress on a $1M-$2M build.
- Contactable references. Ask for two or three past clients with comparable heritage projects, and actually call them. How a practice behaved when a project got difficult tells you more than any image.
The first two criteria are checkable today. The Architects Registration Board of Victoria runs a searchable public register, so you can confirm a name or an approved company in a minute. A heritage-approval record is something you ask for and expect a straight answer to; a specialist will have the numbers ready.
Full-cycle oversight is worth pressing on, because it is where value is quietly lost. The Australian Institute of Architects describes the standard stages of an architect’s service, from concept design and design development through contract documentation to contract administration on site. A practice that carries all four stages stays accountable for the heritage outcome through the part of the project where most damage is done. Across 35-plus years and more than 200 permit applications, that continuity is the heart of how we work.
Red Flags, and the Questions to Ask on the First Call
A first conversation tells you a great deal if you know what you are listening for. Some answers should reassure you. Others should make you pause.
Red flags to watch for
- Calls themselves “the best” or “Melbourne’s leading” heritage architect, rather than showing a verifiable record.
- Cannot, or will not, point to their current ARBV registration.
- Guarantees a council or VCAT approval, or a fixed timeline; no honest practice can promise a heritage outcome.
- Shows a portfolio of new builds but no comparable heritage or adaptive-reuse work for your kind of property.
- Hands the project to a builder or draftsperson after the planning stage, with no oversight through construction.
- Will not commit a clear scope and fee to writing before design begins.
Questions to ask before you commit
- Are you currently registered with the ARBV, and can I confirm it on the public register?
- How many heritage planning permits have you obtained, and in which councils?
- Have you done a project genuinely comparable to mine, on a similar site and listing? May I see it?
- Will you prepare the heritage response and the planning application, and stay involved through construction?
- How do you set fees, and can you offer fixed-fee certainty for a project with heritage unknowns?
- Can you give me two or three references from owners with similar heritage homes?
One answer deserves extra weight. A heritage permit usually depends on a well-argued heritage impact statement, and Heritage Victoria’s own guidance is clear that a good one understands the place’s significance first, then shows how the design respects it. An architect who talks fluently about reading the significance of your home, and designing to it rather than against it, is showing you the exact skill that gets applications approved cleanly. That is the difference between an advocate for your project at council and an applicant hoping for the best.
Mapping the Melbourne Field, and Where BY Fits
Melbourne has real depth in residential and heritage architecture. Names you may encounter while building a shortlist include Studio Bright, Kennedy Nolan, Lovell Chen and Pleysier Perkins, each known for its own body of residential or heritage work. The point of this guide is not to rank them, but to give you the criteria so you can judge any practice, including these, against your specific home rather than against a reputation.
Measured against those same criteria, BY Projects Architecture is one practice worth weighing. Barbara Yerondais is a registered architect (ARBV) and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects (FRAIA), so the registration and credential criteria are met and independently checkable. On track record, the practice has navigated 59 heritage approvals at a 98% success rate across more than ten Victorian councils, including Boroondara, Stonnington, Port Phillip, Yarra and Bayside.
On specialism fit, the practice specialises in difficult and sloping sites and in adaptive reuse, turning constrained or change-of-use buildings into homes, the kind of project where a generalist most often comes unstuck. The work is full-cycle, from the first sketch to contract administration on site, with fixed-fee certainty available so the budget is real before design begins. None of this makes BY “the best”, and we would not claim it; it makes BY a practice that specialises in exactly this work, and one you can verify against every criterion above.
If your home is significant, complex or under a Heritage Overlay, that is the test to apply to everyone on your list, ours included.
Closing
Choosing a heritage architect is not about finding a name at the top of a list. It is about proving, before you commit, that a practice is registered, has carried comparable projects through your council, fits your specific kind of home, will stay accountable to handover, and will put the fee in writing. Apply the six criteria, watch for the red flags, ask the six questions, and the shortlist makes itself. To see how we approach the heritage and feasibility stage before design begins, read more on our about page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who are the best heritage architects in Melbourne?
A: There is no single best, and no official ranking. Melbourne has several established practices known for residential and heritage work, including Studio Bright, Kennedy Nolan, Lovell Chen and Pleysier Perkins. The reliable way to choose is to judge each practice against objective criteria: current ARBV registration, a documented heritage-approval track record across your council, specialism that fits your project, full-cycle oversight, fee certainty, and contactable references.
Q: How do I check that an architect is properly qualified in Victoria?
A: Search the public register held by the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV). In Victoria, only a person or approved company on that register may legally use the title “architect” under the Architects Act 1991. If a name does not appear, the person is not a registered architect, which matters for a substantial heritage project. Confirm registration before you shortlist anyone.
Q: Is a heritage specialist really different from a good general architect?
A: Yes, for a property under a Heritage Overlay or on the Victorian Heritage Register. Heritage work turns on reading a building’s significance and designing to it, and on carrying that argument through council via a sound heritage impact statement. A practice with a documented record of heritage approvals, and comparable case studies in your project type, gives you evidence a generalist usually cannot.
Q: What should make me walk away from an architect?
A: Be wary of anyone who claims to be “the best” or “leading” instead of showing a record, cannot point to their ARBV registration, guarantees a council or VCAT approval, shows no comparable heritage work, drops off after the planning stage, or will not put a clear scope and fee in writing. On a $1M-$2M home, any one of these is reason to keep looking.
Want to Learn More?
With more than 35 years designing within Melbourne’s heritage suburbs, BY Projects Architecture treats the heritage and feasibility stage as the foundation of the design, not a hurdle. The clearer the constraints at the start, the better the home at the finish, and the simpler your shortlist becomes.
Citations
- “Search for an architect” — Architects Registration Board of Victoria. Confirms that in Victoria only those on the ARBV register may use the title “architect”, and provides the public database to verify an individual or approved company before engaging them. https://www.arbv.vic.gov.au/find-architect
- “Victorian Local Heritage Guidelines” — Planning Victoria. The current State guidance (which replaced Planning Practice Note 01) for assessing local heritage significance and applying the Heritage Overlay, including the significance gradings that shape what can be built. https://www.planning.vic.gov.au/guides-and-resources/council-resources/victorian-heritage-guidelines
- “Client note: Architects’ fees” — Australian Institute of Architects (Acumen). Sets out the standard stages of an architect’s service, from concept design and design development to contract documentation and contract administration, and the basis on which fees are charged. https://acumen.architecture.com.au/resources/client-information-notes/architects-fees
- “Guidelines for preparing heritage impact statements” — Heritage Victoria. Confirms that a sound application first understands a place’s cultural heritage significance and then demonstrates how the proposal respects it, improving the likelihood of approval. https://www.heritage.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/507047/Guidelines-for-preparing-heritage-impact-statements-June-2021.pdf
These are the official Victorian and Australian sources behind the criteria above: the ARBV for registration, Planning Victoria for the Heritage Overlay, the Australian Institute of Architects for service stages and fees, and Heritage Victoria for what a sound heritage application requires.
With 35-plus years and 59 heritage approvals across Melbourne’s councils, our work is to make your shortlist a confident one, and to design a home that is built for living, not just photos.
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