Services
We’ve built a strong reputation as one of the leading architecture firms in Melbourne because we don’t just try to do as many projects as possible in a short space of time. As soon as we sign a contract with a client, we treat them as if they’re our only one and make sure they are completely satisfied with our work before we declare the project complete. Our team takes on a wide range of projects, including:
- Residential Architecture – From new home builds to renovations and extensions, we help you create homes that are comfortable and luxurious. We work on modern inner-city homes and classic suburban living spaces.
- Commercial Design – We help businesses make the most of the available space so it’s attractive to customers. Whether it's a café, a retail shopfront, or a multi-storey office, we consider branding, functionality, and customer experience at every touchpoint.
- Heritage Projects – Working with older buildings comes with unique challenges. As an experienced architecture firm in Melbourne, we’re skilled at blending the old with the new, ensuring your project meets all local and national regulations while maintaining the building’s historical charm.
- Sustainable Solutions – Sustainability is at the heart of what we do. From passive design principles to selecting eco-friendly materials, we help you lower your environmental impact and energy bills while ensuring visual appeal.
Barbara & BY Projects
Life is to live in beautiful environments, warm nooks, curiously curated spaces, and unique moments where comfort, functionality, and elegance intersect.
Barbara has a vision of making beautiful worlds accessible for her clients. Architecture is often seen as the delicate balance of art and structure, but Barbara believes it also needs to balance humanity. This starts with honest conversations, understanding peoples dreams and then collaborating to weave together the elements that breathe warmth, liveability, and love into the environment.
Barbara leads a team of professionals that love co-creating together. Their approach is to see beyond the brief and strive to design engaging and sustainable architectural environments with complete project management.
Featured Architecture Firms in Melbourne
Are you planning a new home build, renovating a commercial space, or restoring a heritage property in Melbourne? At BY Projects Architecture, we understand how important it is to find the right partner to work with to bring your vision to life. As one of the trusted architecture firms in Melbourne, we work closely with homeowners, developers, and business owners to design spaces that are not only functional and beautiful but also eco-friendly. With so many architecture companies in Melbourne to choose from, we make the entire process clear, smooth, and enjoyable. Read More
Focus on Sustainability & Innovation
As a forward-thinking architecture firm Melbourne locals trust, we believe that sustainability is a priority, not a luxury. We help our clients overcome the challenge of making their homes and buildings more energy-efficient without compromising beauty and comfort. From orientation and insulation to solar integration and natural ventilation, we meet our clients’ demands by guiding them through budget-friendly, sustainable options. This commitment is part of what sets us apart from other architecture companies.
Heritage & Conservation Experience
Working with heritage properties requires a deep understanding of both history and legislation. Not all architecture firms in Melbourne, Australia, are prepared for the level of detail and care these projects require. Some even go ahead and then hit roadblocks and financial losses when they realise they haven’t done everything by the book. At BY Projects Architecture, we bring both experience and sensitivity to heritage work.
We’ve helped clients preserve and restore beautiful period homes, heritage-listed commercial buildings, and community spaces that were built a long time ago. Our team works closely with local councils, relevant consultants, and builders to ensure all guidelines are met while honouring the original craftsmanship of the building.
The challenges in restoring heritage buildings include outdated or damaged infrastructure, restrictions on how and when work can be done on them, and the need to meet the demand of adding more modern and sustainable features, such as solar panels. We know how to navigate these obstacles without slowing your project down.
Our Design Process & Client Services
Our design process is collaborative and client-focused throughout. We start by listening. You might not know what your dream home looks like yet, but that’s okay. We ask the right questions to understand your needs, goals, and lifestyle. Then we present a selection of design concepts that reflect your vision and can spark inspiration.
As a small architecture firm in Melbourne, we offer a hands-on approach. You’ll have the chance to work directly with our architects and designers throughout the process. We help you navigate council approvals, budgets, timelines, and builders to make the process as straightforward as possible.
Recognition & Awards
Our work has been recognised among architecture firms in Australia for its originality, attention to detail, and lasting impact. While awards aren’t the goal, they reflect our commitment to excellence and innovation. We’re proud to have received an Honourable Mention in the 1993 Royal Australian Planning Institute (now Planning Institute Australia) Urban Planning Achievement category for the “Shop Top Housing Study,” a project that explored creative, high-impact solutions for mixed-use development. Earlier, in 1991, we were honoured with the Royal Australian Institute of Architects Archicentre Renovator Achievement Award, acknowledging our commitment to thoughtful, transformative residential design.
But our biggest reward is seeing clients walk into a space they love, and they’ve played a part in transforming. That’s the recognition that matters most.
Community & Urban Impact
Great architecture shapes more than individual buildings—it shapes entire communities and the economy, too. As an active player among architecture firms in Melbourne, we believe in giving back through design. We’ve worked on local community hubs, public spaces, and cultural projects that connect residents, improve daily life, and draw tourists to the area to admire the spaces and contribute to the economy.
We also support initiatives that promote inclusive, accessible, and affordable design. We want to help create a better city for everyone to enjoy.
Why Choose Us as Your Melbourne Architects
So, why choose BY Projects over other architecture firms and companies in Melbourne?
- Personalised Service – You won’t be passed around or unsure of who to speak to when you have a question. Our boutique scale means we give you the time, attention, and creativity your project deserves.
- Creative and Practical Thinking – We anticipate problems before they arise. Whether it’s site constraints, tight budgets, unapproved building permission, or complex briefs, we have experience in devising solutions that have got many projects running smoothly from beginning to end.
- Experience Across Sectors – Our diverse portfolio covers residential, commercial, heritage, and sustainable projects. This experience helps us deliver balanced, high-quality outcomes.
- Transparent Communication – We keep you informed, involved, and empowered every step of the way.
- Proven Results – As one of the most trusted architects in Melbourne, we have a long list of happy clients who recommend us for our integrity, creativity, and professionalism. Our client Emily left us a glowing 5-star Google review expressing her complete satisfaction with how we handled her rebuild project:
“We recently had the pleasure of carrying out a renovation for Barbara and BY Projects Architecture. The project ran very smoothly from receiving the plans to handover day. Barbara pays very close attention to detail and takes great pride in her work. We look forward to working with BY again on future projects.”
Whether you're looking for a trusted architect in Melbourne to lead a residential project or collaborate on commercial plans, BY Projects Architecture offers the creativity and professionalism you need.
Get in touch with us today if you think we can create something amazing together. Read Less
Free design consultation
Our process
Every building design follows a similar process. The complexity and stages are tailored to the individual clients and building type. Research > Feasibility > Design > Document > Construct. The design will evolve by working closely with you to ensure we create your bespoke building to meet your needs and exceed your expectations.
Integrity is the core value of our culture. We are honest, genuine, and ethical in what we do. We keep you informed and collaborate with you at every step in the process. At BY Projects, we are excited to work with complex sites and complex problems to create simple solutions.
Sustainability
At BY Projects, we strongly encourage all of our clients to embrace sustainable building practice. We design ecologically integrated sustainable buildings because we care about the environment, the community and built form. In architecture, the term sustainability refers to the philosophy of designing the built environment to comply with the fundamental principles of social, economic, and ecological sustainability. By regulation…
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I highly recommmend the team at BY Architecture.
Barbara, Howard and the team designed a wonderful extension to my late 1960s Melbourne home, ran the tender process to find me a builder, and superintended the build contract.
The design process that Barbara took me through was comprehensive, well-considered and highly collaborative, and the resulting extension and renovation was incredibly well-tailored to my specific needs and desires.
The tender process was similarly well-run, and we ended up choosing a builder that Barbara had worked with many times before and recommended. The recommendation was a great one and the entire build ran very smoothly, with the many quirks arising in a typical renovation being dealt with intelligently and with no fuss.
During the entire time I worked with them, Barbara and her team went over-and-above to keep me happy. As a result of their attention to detail and their focus on customer service, they ensured that what can often be a stressful time was actually a pleasure. I cannot thank them enough and would work with them again in a heartbeat.
Barbara, Howard and the team designed a wonderful extension to my late 1960s Melbourne home, ran the tender process to find me a builder, and superintended the build contract.
The design process that Barbara took me through was comprehensive, well-considered and highly collaborative, and the resulting extension and renovation was incredibly well-tailored to my specific needs and desires.
The tender process was similarly well-run, and we ended up choosing a builder that Barbara had worked with many times before and recommended. The recommendation was a great one and the entire build ran very smoothly, with the many quirks arising in a typical renovation being dealt with intelligently and with no fuss.
During the entire time I worked with them, Barbara and her team went over-and-above to keep me happy. As a result of their attention to detail and their focus on customer service, they ensured that what can often be a stressful time was actually a pleasure. I cannot thank them enough and would work with them again in a heartbeat.
Barbara is very friendly and easy to work with. Thank you for the great advices.
Response from the owner 23:14 17 Jun 24
thank you Arik. Happy to be helpful 
Barbara and the BY Projects team were fantastic to work with for our knockdown-rebuild. We had no idea what we were doing or getting ourselves in for, and through every stage of the process Barbara explained everything and was supportive and transparent.
She drew plans for a beautiful house for us which fulfilled everything we wanted while adding such flair and style that we never could have imagined ourselves.
I was so glad to have her and her team on my side throughout the build process, as we would have struggled to advocate for ourselves (or even notice) mistakes or defects by the builder.
Overall, we just couldn’t be happier with the final result.
She drew plans for a beautiful house for us which fulfilled everything we wanted while adding such flair and style that we never could have imagined ourselves.
I was so glad to have her and her team on my side throughout the build process, as we would have struggled to advocate for ourselves (or even notice) mistakes or defects by the builder.
Overall, we just couldn’t be happier with the final result.
Response from the owner 06:53 31 May 24
Thank you for your enthusiasm Emily. And thank you for trusting us with your dream Home. It's been a pleasure working with you and your family, and we trust you will enjoy your home for the years to come. 
We recently had the pleasure of carrying out a renovation for Barbara and BY Projects Architecture.
The project ran very smoothly from receiving the plans, to handover day.
Barbara pays very close attention to detail and takes great pride in her work.
We look forward to working with BY again on future projects.
The project ran very smoothly from receiving the plans, to handover day.
Barbara pays very close attention to detail and takes great pride in her work.
We look forward to working with BY again on future projects.
Response from the owner 22:11 30 Mar 21
Thank you Koray. It was a pleasure working with AMCON Homes, we look forward to working with you again in the future. 
Barbara provided excellent professional advice regarding Town planning and approval process by the Council. She went out of her way to find the right information and help me. Will surely use their services again when necessary.
I would highly recommend them.
I would highly recommend them.
Response from the owner 01:37 16 Feb 21
Thank you Jarardhan. We do hope you find a more suitable site soon to build your dream homeBarbara 
We were in a very difficult position after a VCAT rejection. Barbara came into our project and reimagined what was possible with our property. Going from a house with three shops with significantly reduced value to a development with two town houses, a cafe and all able to be subdivided into three separate properties. Barbara was positive, enthusiastic, charming at planning meeting and all in all kept us positive and hopeful. Barbara went through the whole process with us and I would say went above and beyond what would generally be expected. She worked well with our development team, working out strategies for planning challenges. We are very thankful for her time and energy.
We engaged Barbara and her team many times over many years for our Building Development Projects, including Multi Residential, Child Care and Mixed Use. Most recently for a couple of houses in Port Melbourne with complex Heritage Overlay requirements.
Barbara worked with us closely to ensure all design requirements were achieved to exceed market expectations. All permit requirements were managed in a professional and timely manner, and all processes were met on time and on budget.
The finished buildings were outstanding and the realized sales well above market expectations.
We highly recommend BY Projects Architecture for their Design sense and construction experience.
Barbara worked with us closely to ensure all design requirements were achieved to exceed market expectations. All permit requirements were managed in a professional and timely manner, and all processes were met on time and on budget.
The finished buildings were outstanding and the realized sales well above market expectations.
We highly recommend BY Projects Architecture for their Design sense and construction experience.
I have worked with Barbara and the team at BY Projects on a number of projects now. Its hard to think how you could get better value for money. They are great architects - that goes without saying. But its the extra mile they go to on your behalf in order to secure the very best for you that makes all the difference. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them for your next project.
Response from the owner 06:02 24 May 19
Thank you Virginia for your kind words. It is always a pleasure working with you. 
