Lyons
Lyons is a Melbourne-headquartered Australian architecture and urban design practice founded in 1996, specialising in public architecture for universities, healthcare and research institutions, and government clients across Australia, with a recognised strength in BIM, Designing with Country, and award-winning campus and research facility delivery.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersMelbourne, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Lyons does
Lyons is a privately-held Australian architecture and urban design practice founded in 1996 and headquartered in Melbourne, operating across all Australian states and territories with a staff of 51-100. The firm specialises in public architecture for institutional clients — primarily higher education, healthcare and medical research, cultural institutions, and government — delivering campus redevelopments, research laboratories, hospitals, libraries, urban regeneration, and public realm projects through design competitions, consortium bids, and direct commissions.
The firm's practice is built on four technical pillars: Building Information Modelling (BIM) in which it positions itself as an industry benchmark; co-design and Designing with Country methodologies integrating Indigenous engagement and First Nations cultural narratives; pioneered vertical campus design for dense urban university settings; and adaptive reuse of heritage fabric alongside sustainable and salutogenic design. Its project portfolio includes several of Australia's largest and most awarded university buildings — the 37,300 sqm University of Melbourne Student Precinct (2022), the Agribio Centre for AgriBiosciences (30,777 sqm), New Horizons at Monash (20,884 sqm), the ECU City Campus for Edith Cowan University, and Bankstown City Campus for Western Sydney University — alongside healthcare commissions such as the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Redevelopment and Ballarat Base Hospital.
Lyons generates revenue through project-based professional services fees, structured per project across multi-year design and documentation phases, with pricing determined by complexity, scale, and public-sector procurement guidelines. The firm operates a 'lead architect within consortium' delivery model, partnering with specialist firms (ASPECT Studios, Haworth Tompkins, Silver Thomas Hanley, Rush Wright Associates) to assemble multi-disciplinary teams for complex commissions. It is privately held with no external institutional investors and is led by co-founders Corbett Lyon and Carey Lyon alongside a structured leadership of Directors, Senior Principals, Principals, and Associates.
Lyons firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Lyons
- Legal name
- Lyons
- Website
- https://lyonsarch.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Lyons is a Melbourne-headquartered Australian architecture and urban design practice founded in 1996, specialising in public architecture for universities, healthcare and research institutions, and government clients across Australia, with a recognised strength in BIM, Designing with Country, and award-winning campus and research facility delivery.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Lyons industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Urban Planning & Master Planning (BPAHAKAD)
Keywords
Where Lyons is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Melbourne
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Lyons business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Architecture and Design Services: Lyons generates revenue through professional architecture and design fees for public and institutional projects. Revenue is project-based, typically for large-scale educational, healthcare, cultural, and civic buildings. Projects range from initial concept through to construction documentation and delivery. The firm operates on fee structures typical of architecture practices, often through public tender processes or direct commissions from institutional clients.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based architecture fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Lyons product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Lyons is an Australian architecture and urban design practice delivering comprehensive professional design services for public and institutional buildings. The firm provides full-scope architectural services from concept through construction documentation and delivery, specializing in educational campuses, research facilities, healthcare buildings, cultural institutions, and civic/urban regeneration projects across Australia.
Product overview
Lyons is an Australian architecture and urban design practice offering comprehensive architectural services across multiple sectors. Their portfolio consists of individual project commissions rather than a platform or modular product architecture. The firm specializes in public architecture, delivering educational facilities (universities, schools), research buildings (scientific laboratories, medical research), healthcare facilities (hospitals, cancer centres), cultural institutions (libraries, museums, housemuseums), and public spaces (urban plazas, waterfront developments). Projects range from large-scale campus redevelopments like the New Student Precinct at University of Melbourne to specialized research facilities like the Agribio Centre and NUspace vertical campus. The practice is recognized for its design excellence, with projects receiving multiple Australian Institute of Architects awards and Green Star sustainability certifications ranging from 5 to 6 stars.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Student Precinct, University of Melbourne Major university campus redevelopment featuring adaptive reuse of five existing buildings, addition of two new buildings, and integration of Indigenous cultural narratives. Completed in 2022.
- STEMM Building, University of Newcastle 17,100 sqm science building featuring a circular atrium 'collider' design promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, targeting 6 star Green Star Design and As-Built V1.2 rating.
- NUspace, University of Newcastle A 9-level vertical city campus spanning 14,000 sqm with flexible learning spaces, informal social areas, and a gathering space. Achieved 5 star Greenstar As Built rating.
- Green Chemical Futures, Monash University A 9,500 sqm research and education building for chemical sciences featuring a graphene molecule-inspired façade, combining teaching labs, research spaces, and collaboration zones.
- New Horizons, Monash University Collaborative 20,884 sqm research facility co-locating Monash University and CSIRO with open laboratories, write-up zones, and a digital design lab with an 84 million pixel 3D immersive CAVE. Achieved 6 star Green Star As Built rating.
- Agribio Centre for AgriBiosciences, La Trobe University 30,777 sqm agricultural bioscience research facility co-locating scientists from multiple agricultural disciplines with PC3 laboratories and biosecurity pathways. First facility to achieve 5-Star Green Star As Built Education v1 Rating in Victoria.
- Devonport Living City Stage Two Waterfront park and hotel development creating urban connection between Devonport city centre and the Mersey River, comprising a 27,000 sqm park and 8,500 sqm hotel for city regeneration.
- Southbank Hub, University of Melbourne 7,553 sqm library and student services hub housing the Louise Hanson-Dyer Music Library and Lenton Parr Music collection, featuring an amphitheatre and diverse learning spaces.
- Colleges of Science, Australian National University Major science precinct comprising Biosciences building (13,500 sqm), Teaching building (8,400 sqm), Chemistry Sciences building (5,700 sqm), and refurbishments with interconnected labs and flexible research spaces.
- Menzies Research Institute and Medical Science, University of Tasmania Integrated teaching, learning, and research facility completed in two stages for medical sciences. The Science 2 project achieved the first 5 star Green Star Education certification in Tasmania.
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU 20,000 sqm medical research facility featuring iconic faceted precast concrete façade representing DNA imagery. Won the 2007 AIA National Design Award for Public Architecture.
- Hedley Bull Centre, ANU 4,915 sqm interdisciplinary academic building featuring a hexagonal floor plan and central atrium that promotes continuous circulation and collegial exchange. Won the 2009 W Hayward Morris Award for Interior Architecture.
- Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Redevelopment Adaptive refurbishment and heritage hospital redevelopment project currently in progress.
- Paula Fox Melanoma and Cancer Centre Cancer centre project currently in development, combining healthcare, research, and workplace functions.
- Bankstown City Campus, Western Sydney 19-storey vertical campus building for Western Sydney University accommodating 10,000 students and 1,000 staff, classified under Education & Learning, Public Spaces & Urban Design, Sustainability.
- Boola Katitjin, Murdoch University Mass timber educational building project integrating Designing with Country principles and sustainability features for Murdoch University.
- ECU City Campus, Edith Cowan University One of the largest and most complex university buildings in Australia, part of Perth City Deal, with multi-level integration into urban fabric.
Quantifiable outcome
- Multiple 6 Star Green Star and 5 Star Green Star certified projects demonstrating sustainability leadership
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Lyons
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Lyons technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Lyons partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Koning Eizenberg ArchitecturecoreArchitecture firm collaborating with Lyons on the University of Melbourne New Student Precinct project. Koning Eizenberg contributed to the multi-talented team of six architecture firms delivering this project.
- Aspect StudioscoreLandscape architecture firm partnering on multiple projects including University of Melbourne New Student Precinct, Prahran Square, Devonport Living City, and Yagan Square.
- NMBW Architecture StudiocoreArchitecture firm collaborating on the University of Melbourne New Student Precinct as part of the multi-firm design team.
- Greenaway + Greenshoot ArchitectssupportingArchitecture firm contributing to the University of Melbourne New Student Precinct project team.
- Architects EATsupportingArchitecture firm in consortium for University of Melbourne New Student Precinct project.
- Breathe ArchitecturesupportingArchitecture firm collaborating on University of Melbourne New Student Precinct.
- Glas UrbansupportingArchitecture firm in design team for University of Melbourne New Student Precinct.
- Haworth TompkinscoreUK-based architecture firm collaborating with Lyons on the ECU City Campus project, bringing international experience to the Perth City Deal project.
- Silver Thomas HanleycorePerth-based architecture firm partnering with Lyons on ECU City Campus, bringing local expertise to the consortium.
- Devonport City CouncilcoreLocal government client for Devonport Living City Stage Two waterfront park and hotel project.
- EJE ArchitecturecoreArchitecture firm collaborating with Lyons on University of Newcastle STEMM building project.
- Maddison ArchitectssupportingArchitecture firm collaborating on RMIT New Academic Street project.
- Harrison and WhitesupportingArchitecture firm in consortium for RMIT New Academic Street project.
- MvS ArchitectssupportingArchitecture firm collaborating on RMIT New Academic Street project.
- iredale pedersen hook architectssupportingArchitecture firm collaborating with Lyons and ASPECT Studios on Yagan Square project in Perth.
- Rush Wright AssociatescoreLandscape architecture firm partnering on Springvale Community Hub and Australian War Memorial C.E.W. Bean Building expansion.
- Plenary Group PPPcorePublic Private Partnership consortium partner for Agribio Centre for AgriBiosciences project, working with Department of Primary Industries and La Trobe University.
- CSIROcoreCommonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation co-located with Monash University in New Horizons building, enabling industry collaboration and research translation.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Lyons competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- HASSELL: One of Australia's largest architecture practices with parallel public-sector focus on education, healthcare, research and cultural buildings. HASSELL's studio scale and international footprint make it the most directly comparable large peer for Lyons' institutional work in Australia and abroad.
- Architectus: Australian architecture practice with overlapping specialisation in higher education, research and public architecture. Architectus competes for many of the same university and civic commissions, particularly in NSW and Victoria.
- BVN (Bligh Voller Nield): Mid-to-large Australian architecture firm with strong healthcare, education and research portfolios, including laboratory and hospital projects. Directly competes with Lyons for major institutional tenders across Australia.
- ARM Architecture: Australian practice specialising in cultural, educational and civic public architecture. Comparable in scale and project typology, with a strong shared focus on award-winning library and civic projects.
- FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp): Sydney-based architecture firm with significant public, cultural and institutional portfolio. Competes with Lyons for university, library and civic commissions, and shares an emphasis on design-led public buildings.
- Cox Architecture: Large multi-disciplinary Australian practice with deep education and research building portfolio. Competes for the same higher-education capital works and shares a track record of major Australian university commissions.
- John Wardle Architects: Melbourne-based public architecture practice with comparable scale, education and cultural specialisation, and award-winning track record. Operates in the same tier of Australian design-led institutional firms.
- Denton Corker Marshall: Australian architecture practice with strong public and institutional portfolio including civic and university buildings. Comparable in typology focus and competitive overlap, with additional international reach.
Broad incumbents
- Grimshaw Architects: Global architecture practice with major presence in transport, education and research sectors. Operates at greater scale and broader geographic reach than Lyons, frequently bidding for large public-sector commissions in Australia.
- Woods Bagot: Global architecture firm founded in Australia with large education and health portfolios. Larger and more geographically diversified than Lyons, and a frequent competitor for major tertiary-education projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Lyons social profiles
Digital presenceLyons compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
Lyons financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Lyons leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles19 records
Lyons funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Lyons M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Lyons
What does Lyons do?
Lyons is an Australian architecture and urban design practice delivering comprehensive professional design services for public and institutional buildings. The firm provides full-scope architectural services from concept through construction documentation and delivery, specializing in educational campuses, research facilities, healthcare buildings, cultural institutions, and civic/urban regeneration projects across Australia.
Is Lyons a public or private company?
Lyons is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Lyons founded?
Lyons was founded in 1996. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Lyons based?
Lyons is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Lyons make money?
One revenue line is on record: architecture and Design Services.
Who are Lyons's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are HASSELL, Architectus, BVN (Bligh Voller Nield), ARM Architecture, FJMT (Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp), Cox Architecture, John Wardle Architects and Denton Corker Marshall. Broad incumbents are Grimshaw Architects and Woods Bagot.
Does Lyons have an API?
No public API is recorded for Lyons.
What industry is Lyons in?
Lyons's product category is Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAD, Urban Planning & Master Planning. Its NAICS code is 541310 and its SIC code is 1540.