Before the first sketch, there is the conversation.

A 45-minute session with Barbara Yerondais, FRAIA. We sketch while we talk - working through your vision and your site's realities together, so you leave with clarity before you commit.

Book Your Feasibility Session →

400+

Projects delivered across Victoria

59

Heritage approvals. 98% success rate.

35

Years of Heritage Overlay navigation

FRAIA

Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects

WHAT THIS SESSION ACTUALLY IS

A proper conversation, not a sales call.

Most first meetings with an architect feel like a pitch. This one doesn't. Barbara draws as you describe what you're hoping for — your wishlist, your concerns, the way you want to live in the space. By the time you've finished talking, something real is on paper.

Alongside that, we look honestly at what your site will and won't do. Heritage overlays, council requirements, structural realities — translated into plain language, with the sketch showing you where you have room to move and where you don't.

01

Your vision, drawn out

You describe the dream scenario. Barbara listens and sketches. It's the fastest way to find out whether what you're imagining is possible — and what the version you can actually build looks like.

02

The site's honest potential

Heritage overlays, thermal performance, structural logic. We look at all of it together so you understand what shapes the project before a dollar goes into design.

03

Something to take home

A hand-drawn concept and a clear picture of what's achievable. Yours to keep, regardless of what you decide next.

IS THIS SESSION RIGHT FOR YOU?

A long project
with many moving parts —
and a real human at the table.

Architecture projects, especially heritage ones, take time. Barbara has spent 35 years guiding clients through the long stretch — through council, through structural surprises, through the months where it feels like nothing is happening. She's good at the complexity, and she's a genuinely lovely human to do it with.

This is for you if...

- You want a home that works for life — designed around how you actually live, not a floor plan template

- You want fixed pricing so you can plan your budget with confidence and not dread the next invoice

- You want someone who's done this hundreds of times and can hold your hand through the parts that get complicated

- You own or are purchasing a home with a Heritage Overlay and need an architect who speaks council fluently

- You value an intimate, artisan process over a corporate firm — and an architect who sketches with you, not just for you

- You're planning a rear extension, second storey, or full restoration and want to start it the right way

This is probably not for you if...

x You want the cheapest drafting-only service available

x You prefer a sterile, faceless firm over an architect's studio

x You want a cookie-cutter floor plan without site-specific consideration

x You're not ready to engage with the realities of council, heritage, or building science

COMMON QUESTIONS

What you'll want to know
before you book.

What do I actually walk away with?

A hand-drawn concept from the session itself, and a clear-eyed view of your site's planning constraints and realistic scope. This isn't a generic overview — it's 35 years of expertise applied to your specific address, in the room, with you.

Is there any obligation to engage BY Projects after the session?

None. The sketch and the roadmap are yours. If we're the right fit to build on it together, we'll talk about what that looks like. If you need more time or want to take it somewhere else, that's exactly what the session was designed to give you — clarity, not commitment.

How is this different from the free consultations other firms offer?

Barbara draws during your session, not after it. You're not waiting for a report or a follow-up proposal — the thinking happens live, with you in the room. Most clients find that the sketch itself answers questions they didn't know how to ask.

We're not in Melbourne — can we still do this?

Yes. We work regularly with clients in Bendigo, Shepparton, Geelong and the Surf Coast via video session. The planning data and the drawing process work just as well over a screen.

What does a session like this typically cost at other firms?

At standard consultancy rates, a strategic site audit at this depth is valued above $1,000. We offer this because a well-prepared client is the foundation of a good project — and because the alternative is expensive surprises six months into a design contract.

BY

"I've spent 35 years teaching that the technical foundation of a project matters as much as the aesthetic vision. The session is how I make sure we begin that way — with your home, your constraints, and an honest pencil."

BARBARA YERONDAIS, FRAIA · PRINCIPAL, BY PROJECTS ARCHITECTURE

START THE CONVERSATION

Tell us about your site.

The more context you can share, the more useful the session will be.
Takes about two minutes.


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.