ARCHITECTS OF LEGACY AND LIVING | CUSTOM HOMES & HIGH-END RENOVATIONS
Be The House People Send To Their Architect, Saying "Something Like This"
Bespoke Architecture for the Beautifully Fussy - From heritage restorations to complex sites, we design one-of-a-kind homes tailored entirely to your vision, with you involved in every detail.
4.7 Stars From Google Reviews
35+ Years
in Practice
59+ Heritage
Approvals
400+ Projects
Delivered
10+ Victorian
Councils
$300M+
Project Value
FAIA Fellowship
Since 2010
235+ Community
Dwellings
29 Heritage
Overlay Projects
35+ Years
in Practice
59+ Heritage
Approvals
400+ Projects
Delivered
10+ Victorian
Councils
$300M+
Project Value
FAIA Fellowship
Since 2010
235+ Community
Dwellings
29 Heritage
Overlay Projects
trusted by
Some homes look good in photos… Others feel good to live in…
We design the second kind.
Homes that slow you down…
Homes that make Sunday mornings stretch longer…
Homes that friends don't want to leave.
The kind of place where "Let's just stay in tonight" turns into a lifestyle.
This isn't about square metres or statement pieces.
It's about how it feels when you walk through the door.
The light hitting the floor at 4:30pm…
The way the kitchen pulls people in…
The silence in the bedroom at night…
The calm.
Luxury isn't loud. It's considered.
We don't design houses for trends.
We design them for people.
Your routines.
Your tastes.
Your
future.
That means fewer gimmicks…
More intention…
Every line has a reason…
Every material earns its place…
Architecture for people who notice everything.
If you care about proportions...
If you obsess over finishes...
If you want a home that feels tailored, not templated...
You're our kind of client.
We take a small number of projects at a time. Every detail gets the attention it deserves.
No cookie cutters....
No shortcuts....
No "good enough."
Working with us feels like clear communication, decisive guidance and calm confidence from start to finish.
You'll always know:
Why a decision is being made...
What it adds to the homez....
And how it will age over time.
We handle the complexity so you can enjoy the process.
The result?
A home that feels effortless.
A space you're proud to host in.
A place that quietly outclasses every hotel you've stayed in.
Why Melbourne Families Keep Losing Control, Time, And Their Entire Build Budget
Most homeowners don't struggle because they lack budget, vision, or willingness to invest. They fail because the industry forces them to make irreversible, high-stakes decisions too late and in the wrong order.
Traditional architects prioritise design expression first. Builders prioritise price and speed. This disconnect means you're shown drawings that look compelling on paper but aren't grounded in real construction costs, council constraints, or site realities early enough. By the time feasibility issues surface, budget blowouts, planning objections, and buildability problems, you're already emotionally and financially committed.
The result? Months lost to redraws. Budgets blown by $200K+. Council delays stall everything. Relationships are strained by stress and uncertainty.
Book Your Complimentary Design Consultation
The Archibuild Design System: The Only Way To Lock In Budget & Approval Before The Costly Guesswork Starts
We don't design until the budget, site, and feasibility are aligned. Rather than treating design, cost, and construction as separate phases, BY Projects Architecture brings them together through a single, builder-informed architectural process that resolves feasibility before irreversible decisions are made.
Design concepts are developed in parallel with realistic cost modelling, site constraints, and planning considerations, not reviewed later, and not handed off to be "figured out" downstream. Because the practice is led by a registered builder, every design decision is filtered through real-world construction and budget intelligence.
This closes the knowledge gap that causes most residential projects to fail. You don't move forward on hope or assumptions. You move forward with clarity, confidence, and alignment between vision, cost, site, and reality.
The result? A home that isn't just beautiful on paper, but designed to be approved, built, and lived in, without surprises later.
Book Your Complimentary Design ConsultationHERITAGE RESTORATION
Honouring The Past While Creating Homes For Modern Life
These aren't museum pieces. They're homes where families actually live, with all the warmth, light, and functionality modern life demands, wrapped in the character that made you fall in love with them in the first place.
Victorian Terraces
Californian Bungalows
Heritage Overlays
Character Retention
35+ Years Of Industry Experience - Why Homeowners Choose BY Projects Architecture
Every design decision is filtered through real-world construction and budget intelligence. We don't design dreams that can't be built. We design homes that work beautifully, practically, permanently.
From Californian bungalows to Victorian terraces with complex overlays, we understand how to honor the past while creating homes for modern life. Where others see restrictions, we see character waiting to be revealed.
Steep slopes. Fire-prone blocks. Constrained urban sites. We see potential where other architects see problems. Your "difficult" site isn't a limitation, it's the reason your home will be genuinely one-of-a-kind.
You'll know what things realistically cost from day one, not after you've fallen in love with a design you can't afford. No sick feeling when the builder's quote arrives. No redesigning to cut costs later.
We work with a small number of projects at a time so every detail gets the attention it deserves. No cookie cutters. No shortcuts. No "good enough.
Sustainability, Designed In - Not Added On
Every site tells us what it needs. North-facing windows that reduce heating. Cross-ventilation that makes air conditioning optional. Materials that age beautifully instead of needing replacement. Thermal mass that moderates temperature year-round.
The result? Lower running costs. Homes that stay comfortable naturally. Spaces that age gracefully. And a much smaller environmental footprint, without compromise on beauty, function, or comfort.
Because a truly sustainable home isn't just good for the planet. It's good to live in.
Book Your Complimentary Design Consultation
COMPLEX SITES
Where Others See Problems, We See Potential
Your "difficult" site isn't a limitation; it's the reason your home will be genuinely one-of-a-kind. These projects prove that constraints, when understood early, become design features instead of expensive problems discovered too late.
Fire-Prone Blocks
Steep Slopes
Constrained Urban Sites
social housing
What If You Could Sit Down With Someone Who Understands Both Design And Construction? Here's 6 Reasons Why A Build Led Architectural Process Pays For Itself
Avoid Designing the Wrong Home for Your Site
Most problems don't come from bad design; they come from design that ignores site realities. Early feasibility prevents expensive redesigns later.
Prevent Budget Shock Before Emotional Commitment
Knowing what's realistic early protects you from falling in love with something that can't be built as imagined.
Reduce Council Delays and Planning Rejections
Understanding overlays, constraints, and approval pathways upfront saves months, sometimes years, of stalled progress.
Turn Constraints Into Design Strengths
Heritage rules, slopes, and limitations become defining features when addressed early, not costly obstacles discovered late.
Create a Home That Ages Well, Not Just Photographs Well
Builder-informed decisions ensure materials, proportions, and layouts stand up to real life, not just renders.
Replace Guesswork With Calm, Confident Decisions
When cost, site, and design are aligned early, every decision feels grounded instead of stressful.
LIVED-IN DETAILS
The Difference Between A House That Photographs Well And One You Never Want To Leave
This isn't about square metres or statement pieces. It's about how it feels when you walk through the door
The light hitting the floor at 4:30pm. The way the kitchen pulls people in. The silence in the bedroom at night. The calm.
Luxury isn't loud. It's considered. Designed once. Loved forever.
The Three Steps To Your Forever Home
01
Book Your Free Design Consultation:
We'll explore your wishlist, site constraints, planning requirements, and realistic possibilities together. You'll leave with genuine clarity, not a sales pitch.
02
Design With Confidence:
If we're the right fit, we'll develop a design that works for your life, your site, and your budget, validated at every stage for buildability and cost.
03
Build Without Surprises:
From permits through construction, we lead the entire process. You'll always know what's happening, why decisions are being made, and what comes next.
Why Designing With Clarity First Can Save You Hundreds Of Thousands Later
Let's talk reality.
A typical custom home or restoration involves hundreds of decisions, each with financial and emotional consequences. When feasibility is addressed late, small adjustments compound into major cost increases.
A single redesign can add tens of thousands.
A planning objection can stall momentum for months.
A late-stage scope change can ripple through the entire build.
By aligning budget, site, planning, and construction logic before design is locked in, you avoid: expensive redraws, reactive cost-cutting, compromised outcomes, and stress that lingers for years. This isn't about saving money by building cheaply. It's about spending intelligently once, instead of paying twice.
No other part of the process has the same leverage as early clarity.
Book Your Complimentary Design Consultation
What It Feels Like To Finally Work With An Architect Who Actually Leads (Instead Of Hoping You Figure It Out)
Clear communication. Decisive guidance. Calm confidence from start to finish. You'll always know: Why a decision is being made. What it adds to the home. How it will age over time We handle the complexity so you can enjoy the process.
The result?
A home that feels effortless.
A space you're proud to host in.
A place that quietly outclasses every hotel you've stayed in.
And yes — you might just cancel a few holidays.
Because when your house feels like a private resort, leaving it feels like a downgrade.
Book Your Complimentary Design Consultation
What Melbourne Homeowners Say After Escaping Budget Nightmares And Council Gridlock
Barbara listened to what we wanted, is forward thinking and always has our best interests at heart
“We like the area we live in but we needed more space. So we decided to renovate an 18m long garage into a liveable area with 2 bedrooms, rumpus room, bathroom, and deck.
We found Barbara after we searched on Hi-pages. We called three Architects and decided to work with Barbara because she held herself well, sounded very professional and has many years of experience.
Barbara listened to what we wanted and really delivered on that. Although Barbara has decades of experience, she’s not stuck in the past. Her ideas are modern and she has an excellent knowledge of materials and products.
The best thing for us is we were able to stick to our budget and ended up with a design we love, without major comprises.
We’d highly recommend Barbara. In fact, we already have to our friends, because she has decades of experience, is forward thinking and always has our best interests at heart.”
Lucie and Braden, PARKDALE
Barbara was easy to talk to, had really great ideas and listened to what I wanted … best of all it was a stress-free process.
I wanted to live in a warehouse style home, but I didn’t want to move, so I had renovations done to create an open space home.
I called the Architecture Centre and they recommended I contact Barbara Yerondais, from BY Projects Architecture.
Barbara was easy to talk to, had really great ideas and listened to what I wanted. She took my ideas on board and made it work. I’m very happy with the result.
And best of all it was a stress-free process. She took care of all the details, including dealing with Council.
I would highly recommend Barbara because she is professional, easy to work with and delivered the renovation ahead of time.”
Shayne, IVANHOE
“The architects made the whole process feel like an exciting collaboration,”
BY Projects worked on the renovation of our townhouse, and did a fantastic job. The architects made the whole process feel like an exciting collaboration, listening to what we wanted while bringing their professional expertise to the project, and ideas for the renovation that we would never have thought of ourselves . Our 1970’s home has been respectfully transformed with new views, light, and beautiful and effective spaces, all within the original footprint. It is just so nice living here now, and we are happy to recommend BY Projects for their professionalism, creativity, and supportive approach.
Anne-Marie and Philip, BOX HILL
Feel Confident Opening The Door To A Home
This isn' t about impressing strangers. It's about living in a home that feels right, every day. Where guests instinctively gravitate to the kitchen. Where the light lands where it should. Where the house feels calm at night. where neighbours slow down, look twice, and quietly take note.
BY Projects Architecture helps Melbourne homeowners design homes that feel settled, confident, and deeply personal, because the hard thinking was done early.
BY Project's Architecture Budget Alignment Guarantee
We don't design until the budget, site, and feasibility are aligned.
Before any design is approved, we validate it against realistic construction costs, site constraints, and planning considerations. If alignment isn't possible, we tell you early, before momentum, emotion, or sunk cost sets in.
This means you never move forward on assumptions, optimistic pricing, or "we'll sort it out later" thinking.
It's not a promise to hit an artificial number. It's a commitment to design only what can genuinely be built calmly, responsibly, and with clarity.
Premium architecture should feel considered and certain, not speculativeTS
LIMITED SPACES REMAINING IN April DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND
Claim Your Complimentary 20 Minute Design Consultation And Receive A Concept Sketch And Cost Guidance
Design Direction - we'll explore your brief, priorities, and constraints, and discuss what kind of home makes sense for your site, lifestyle, and long-term goals. Where helpful, we'll work through rough overlays and conceptual thinking
Early Feasibility & Buildability Insight - you'll get clear advice on site constraints, planning considerations (heritage overlays, orientation, access, existing conditions), and construction realities that will shape or limit what's achievable.
Honest Budget Alignment - You'll receive a builder-informed view of what your ideas are likely to cost in today's market, so you don't design something that unravels later when real numbers arrive.
BONUS: Curated Project Portfolio Lookbook - Take home a lookbook of completed BY Projects Architecture homes, so you can see how considered, buildable design translates into finished, lived-in results.