Sydney Services & Moving Here Architects

The 10 Best Architects in Sydney (2026)

Updated November 2026 · 10 picks

The best architects in Sydney in 2026 include Durbach Block Jaggers, the 2026 Gold Medal winners, for distinctive houses and buildings; Candalepas Associates and Tzannes for civic and city projects; Luigi Rosselli and Tobias Partners for eastern-suburbs homes; and Woods Bagot and BVN for large commercial and public work.

How we chose

This is a shortlist of established Sydney architecture practices, not a ranking. Each one is a currently operating studio with a Sydney office, its own website and a body of built work; we mixed large international practices with respected mid-sized and residential studios, and described each from its own site and published work. We only mention awards the practice itself publishes. Nobody paid to be included and there are no affiliate links.

Before you engage anyone calling themselves an architect, check them on the NSW Architects Registration Board register, and ask for a written client-architect agreement setting out services and fees. For apartment buildings, NSW's Design and Building Practitioners Act also requires registered design practitioners. Nothing here is professional advice for your project.

In NSW, "architect" is a protected title: only people registered with the NSW Architects Registration Board can use it. Most of the practices below take on private houses as well as larger projects, but the big firms rarely do single homes, and the small studios rarely do towers. Look at a practice's completed projects that are similar in scale and budget to yours.

1. Durbach Block Jaggers — Potts Point

The 2026 Australian Institute of Architects Gold Medal winners, known for sculptural houses and buildings.

Specialty Residential, commercial and cultural architectureBest for Clients wanting a highly distinctive, design-led building

Durbach Block Jaggers is the Potts Point studio of Neil Durbach, Camilla Block and Dave Jaggers. In 2026 the Australian Institute of Architects awarded the three its Gold Medal, the profession's highest honour in Australia. Its work spans houses, commercial buildings and products, with a strong interest in how architecture and landscape work together.

It suits clients who want an exceptional, one-off building and are prepared for a design-led process to match. Expect a long waiting list and a fee level to suit.

Good to know: Look through its residential projects first to see whether its sculptural approach suits your brief.

Level 2, 9 Roslyn Street, Potts Point NSW 2011

Google Maps Website

2. Candalepas Associates — CBD (York Street)

An award-winning Sydney and Melbourne practice working across many scales and building types.

Specialty Civic, residential, apartments, religious and commercial buildingsBest for Developers, institutions and private clients

Candalepas Associates, led by Angelo Candalepas, is an award-winning practice based in Sydney and Melbourne whose projects range widely in scale and type — from apartment buildings and houses to civic and religious buildings. Its Sydney studio is on York Street.

It suits developers and institutions who want buildings of real architectural ambition, and private clients with a larger budget and patience for a considered design process.

Good to know: Ask about projects of your scale; its portfolio runs from houses to major civic work.

Level 1, 81 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

3. Tzannes — Surry Hills

A Sydney practice known for timber construction and thoughtful city buildings.

Specialty Commercial, civic, residential and timber constructionBest for Developers, public bodies and private clients

Tzannes is a long-established Sydney architecture practice based in Surry Hills, working on commercial, civic, residential and urban projects. It is well known for its work with engineered timber, including International House Sydney at Barangaroo.

It suits clients interested in sustainable construction and well-crafted buildings in the city, from offices to apartments and houses.

Good to know: Interested in mass timber? It's one of the Sydney practices with the most built experience.

Suite 5, Level 5, 2-12 Foveaux Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

4. Smart Design Studio — Alexandria

An architecture and interiors studio that designs everything from buildings to furniture.

Specialty Architecture, interiors, apartments, houses, heritage and productsBest for Private clients, developers and commercial clients

Smart Design Studio, founded by William Smart, works across architecture and interior design from its studio in Alexandria, on projects including houses, apartments, retail, commercial and heritage buildings, as well as its own products.

Because it handles both the building and the interior, it suits clients who want a single, consistent design vision from the facade to the joinery.

Good to know: Ask for architecture and interiors together — that integration is its strength.

14 Stokes Avenue, Alexandria NSW 2015

Google Maps Website

5. Luigi Rosselli Architects — Surry Hills

A prolific residential practice behind many of Sydney's best-known harbourside and eastern-suburbs homes.

Specialty Houses, alterations and additions, heritage homesBest for Homeowners, especially in the eastern suburbs and on the harbour

Luigi Rosselli Architects is a Surry Hills practice focused mainly on houses: new homes, alterations and additions, and heritage houses, largely in Sydney's eastern suburbs and around the harbour. Its projects appear regularly in Australian design magazines.

It suits homeowners planning a substantial renovation or new house who want a practice with a deep residential portfolio and experience of Sydney councils and heritage controls.

Good to know: Its project pages are a good way to judge cost level — compare homes similar to yours.

122 Buckingham Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

6. Tobias Partners — Paddington

A Paddington practice designing luxury houses and interiors.

Specialty Luxury residential architecture and interiorsBest for Private clients building or rebuilding high-end homes

Tobias Partners is a Paddington architecture practice known for luxury residential work, with houses that have been published in Vogue Living, Belle, Architectural Digest and Wallpaper*. It designs both the architecture and the interiors of its homes.

It suits clients planning a high-end new home or major rebuild who want the house, landscape and interior resolved together.

Good to know: Visit its Paddington studio with a clear budget — its work sits at the top of the market.

2 Paddington Street, Paddington NSW 2021

Google Maps Website

7. Studio Johnston — Surry Hills

An architecture and interiors studio (formerly Fox Johnston) known for warm, crafted homes.

Specialty Residential architecture and interiors, alterations and additionsBest for Homeowners renovating or building in Sydney

Studio Johnston, previously known as Fox Johnston, is a Surry Hills architecture and interior design practice working mainly on houses and alterations, with an emphasis on spaces that are both beautiful and practical.

It suits families renovating terraces, cottages and inner-suburban homes who want architecture and interiors handled by one team.

Good to know: Searching old press under "Fox Johnston" will turn up more of its earlier projects.

Level 1, 268A Devonshire Street, Surry Hills NSW 2010

Google Maps Website

8. Benn + Penna — Pyrmont

A multi-award-winning residential studio that thrives on difficult sites.

Specialty Houses, alterations and additions on complex sitesBest for Homeowners with tricky sites, tight briefs or planning constraints

Benn + Penna is a Pyrmont architecture studio specialising in residential work, and says it thrives on difficult sites, complex briefs and planning restrictions. It reports top honours in the NSW Architecture Awards for residential design in 2014 and 2020, the Horbury Hunt Award in 2020 and Gold at the Australian Good Design Awards in 2024.

It suits homeowners in Sydney's inner suburbs with awkward blocks or heritage constraints who want a personal, collaborative studio.

Good to know: Bring your survey and any council feedback to the first meeting — constrained sites are its speciality.

Level 1, 123 Harris Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009

Google Maps Website

9. Woods Bagot — CBD (Carrington Street)

A global design practice with Australian roots and a major Sydney studio.

Specialty Workplace, education, hospitality, transport and mixed-use architecture and interiorsBest for Corporate, government and institutional clients

Woods Bagot is a global architecture and design practice that began in Adelaide in the 19th century and now has studios around the world, including Sydney on Carrington Street. Its Sydney work spans workplaces, education, hospitality, transport and large mixed-use projects, plus workplace interiors.

It is a practice for organisations and developers rather than homeowners — the right call for an office fit-out, campus or major building.

Good to know: For an office move or fit-out, ask to see its recent Sydney workplace interiors.

Level 2, 60 Carrington Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

10. BVN — CBD (Pitt Street)

A large Australian practice known for workplaces, education and public buildings.

Specialty Workplace, education, health, civic and residential architectureBest for Corporate, education and public-sector clients

BVN is a large Australian-founded architecture practice, now with studios overseas including New York, and its Sydney studio is on Pitt Street. It is best known for workplaces, education and health buildings and public projects, with a stated focus on sustainability.

Like Woods Bagot, it is built for organisations and major projects rather than private houses.

Good to know: Its project pages are organised by sector — start with the one that matches your brief.

Level 11, 255 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

How much does an architect cost in Sydney?

Fees vary with the scope. Full services on a house — design, approvals, documentation and overseeing construction — are often quoted as a percentage of the build cost, commonly somewhere around 8% to 15%, while other practices quote fixed fees for each stage. Many will do a paid feasibility study or concept design first, which is a good way to test the relationship.

Do I need council approval to renovate in Sydney?

Most significant work needs either a Development Application (DA) to the local council or, for projects that meet set standards, a Complying Development Certificate (CDC) from a private or council certifier, which is usually faster. Homes in heritage conservation areas, common in the inner suburbs, generally need a DA. Your architect will advise which route fits.

How do I check an architect is registered in NSW?

Search the public register on the NSW Architects Registration Board website. Only registered people can call themselves architects in NSW; building designers and draftspeople can also design houses but cannot use the title. Membership of the Australian Institute of Architects is a further, voluntary signal.

Architect or building designer — which do I need?

A building designer or draftsperson can be cheaper for straightforward extensions. An architect brings full design training and, usually, stronger oversight of the build, which pays off on complex sites, heritage houses and bespoke homes. Whoever you choose, look at completed projects similar to yours.

How long does it take to design and build a house in Sydney?

Allow several months for design and documentation, several more for approvals (longer for a DA than a CDC), and typically a year or more for construction of a new house. Renovations are shorter, but council approval timeframes vary widely between Sydney councils.

1. Durbach Block Jaggers — Potts Point

2. Candalepas Associates — CBD (York Street)

3. Tzannes — Surry Hills

4. Smart Design Studio — Alexandria

5. Luigi Rosselli Architects — Surry Hills

6. Tobias Partners — Paddington

7. Studio Johnston — Surry Hills

8. Benn + Penna — Pyrmont

9. Woods Bagot — CBD (Carrington Street)

10. BVN — CBD (Pitt Street)

Frequently asked questions

Related lists

The 9 Best Wedding Venues in Sydney (2026)

The 9 Best Walks & Hikes in Sydney (2026)

The 9 Best Lookouts in Sydney (2026)

The 10 Best Museums & Galleries in Sydney (2026)

The 8 Best Things to Do With Kids in Sydney (2026)