Residential, Commercial & Heritage Architects Servicing Ballarat

Renovate, extend, or knock down and build new? If you own an older or heritage-listed Ballarat house, that is usually the real question, and it deserves a better answer than the one that suits whoever you happen to ask. Different advisers naturally see the decision through different lenses; an architect's job is to weigh the whole site, house and budget honestly.

REGIONAL VICTORIA, DELIVERED

BY Projects Architecture works across the whole spectrum of that decision: renovations, extensions, new homes and complex approval projects, with real depth in heritage and established streets. Led by Barbara Yerondais FRAIA, a registered architect, the practice brings its record to exactly this question, and its delivery record includes regional Victoria, with feasibility sessions by video so distance never decides who you can work with.

35+

YEARS

400+

PROJECTS

59+

HERITAGE APPROVALS

THE DECISION

How we weigh the three
options in Ballarat

Renovate

When the house's bones and location are worth keeping and the problems are light, layout and warmth. Many of Ballarat's Victorian and Federation homes fall here: the structure is sound, but the plan was drawn for another century.

Extend

When the family has outgrown the footprint and the block has room. The craft is an addition that belongs to the house rather than sitting behind it.

Build new

When the numbers or the building say so. Ballarat is a growing city: the council's Housing Strategy plans for up to 55,000 more residents and 29,000 more dwellings by 2041, so replacement homes and new builds are a normal part of the local market, not an admission of defeat.
The feasibility session is where the honest weighing happens: you leave with a concept and a recommendation, not a sales pitch.

THE PROPERTIES

The houses this decision
usually involves

Ballarat's stock tells the city's story: miners' cottages and boom-era Victorian villas near the centre, Federation and interwar homes through the established suburbs, postwar family houses, and new builds on the generous blocks the regions still offer.

Two facts shape the design work. Much of the older stock is genuinely worth taking seriously: even unprotected houses often carry detail worth designing around rather than over.

And the climate is real: Ballarat's cooler winters make orientation, insulation and thermal performance especially important, which is Barbara's home ground after around a decade lecturing in building science at RMIT and the University of Melbourne.

PROJECT MIX

Projects we take on
in Ballarat

Renovating an older family home

Replanning interiors built for another century, bringing in light, holding warmth through Ballarat winters, and getting the kitchen where the family actually lives.

Extending a cottage or villa

Single or second storey, designed to belong to the house rather than merely attach to it.

New homes & replacement dwellings

On regional blocks, planned around sun, garden and the way you actually live.

Infill on established streets

Built to sit comfortably beside century-old neighbours.

Commercial, community & adaptive-reuse work

Converting older buildings for new uses, community facilities, and small commercial or mixed-use premises in heritage streetscapes.

Heritage restoration & additions

Where the property is protected, covered next, because in Ballarat it is often the deciding factor.

HERITAGE & APPROVALS

Ballarat Architect
Heritage Projects

Every project answers to the Ballarat Planning Scheme: neighbourhood character, setbacks, overlooking, access and drainage are managed as a matter of course. Protected properties answer to more, and Ballarat resources heritage seriously:

Dedicated Heritage Advisors

The council employs a team of dedicated full-time Heritage Advisors, takes pre-application requests through its portal, and publishes design guidelines across eight categories of work. We test the design with the advisors early and draw to the guidelines from the first sketch.

Controls that are actively expanding

The controls (Clauses 15.03 and 43.01) are actively expanding: the Heritage Program (2024–2030) is still assessing new places, with five added to the Heritage Overlay in October 2025. If your home is not covered today, it may be tomorrow; we check as step one, because it can settle the renovate-versus-rebuild question on its own.

Funding, and a rising bar

Eligible restoration work can attract support through the Victorian Heritage Restoration Fund, and with the goldfields now on Australia's World Heritage Tentative List (a bid Ballarat co-leads), heritage properties are likely to face greater attention and scrutiny.

Honest timelines

Timelines get told honestly: the statutory clock is 60 statutory days, though pauses for information requests and referrals mean most real projects run past it.

Not sure which way your house should go?

Get a straight answer for your site, in person or by video.

BOOK A FEASIBILITY SESSION

PROOF & OUTCOMES

The record behind
the advice

The practice's regional record is delivered work, not a service-area claim: community housing in Greater Shepparton approved in seven months (2021) and Wangaratta in five months (2020), projects in the $2.5m–5.2m range built with regional builders and consultants. That record travels: family homes, community buildings and larger developments all draw on the same regional delivery muscle. Fees are fixed and agreed at the start.

What clients take away: more room without sacrificing the character they bought the house for, a cold Victorian villa that finally holds its warmth, and the renovate-versus-rebuild decision made with real numbers before heavy spending, not after.

Awards & Recognition

The practice's work has been recognised across Victoria — see our awards and publications.

COMMON QUESTIONS

Ballarat questions,
answered honestly

Should we renovate, extend or build new in Ballarat?

It depends on the house's condition, the block, your budget and any overlays, which is precisely what the feasibility session weighs. You leave with a sketched concept and an honest recommendation, not a pitch for the biggest job.

What does an architect-designed renovation or extension cost?

Across BY Projects' delivered work, renovation budgets have ranged from approximately $250,000–$570,000, and substantial extensions have started around $1 million. These are portfolio examples rather than Ballarat-wide price guides; scope and site drive the real number, and the feasibility session gives you one for your project.

Is my Ballarat home heritage listed, and does it change my options?

It might, and it matters: the Heritage Overlay schedule is still growing (five places added in October 2025), and protection can settle the renovate-versus-rebuild question on its own. We confirm your property's current status as the first step. BY Projects has 59+ heritage approvals across Victoria.

Will a Melbourne architect really service Ballarat?

Yes. The practice delivers across regional Victoria, including Greater Shepparton and Wangaratta, and feasibility sessions are available by video.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

Useful City of Ballarat
resources

Heritage planning permits at the City of Ballarat

Heritage Advisors, written advice and the design guidelines.

Ballarat Housing Strategy 2041

The city's growth and housing direction.

Victorian Heritage Restoration Fund

Restoration grant pathway.

Victorian Heritage Database

Check whether a property is heritage listed.

Start the Conversation

Every project begins with a deep inquiry into site, heritage, and vision. Let’s discuss the strategic potential of your next work.

SCHEDULE A FEASIBILITY SESSION →

A PRELIMINARY CONSULTATION TO EVALUATE HERITAGE CONSTRAINTS, SITE POTENTIAL, AND PROJECT FEASIBILITY.