Lyons

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.

Name

Lyons

Legal name

Lyons

Website

https://lyonsarch.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 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

Product category

Architecture Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAKAD

Urban Planning & Master Planning

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Architecture, Design & Planning Services

Keywords

• Public architecture services
• Urban design
• Education facility design
• Healthcare architecture
• Research facility design

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core 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

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Koning Eizenberg ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture 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 StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture firm partnering on multiple projects including University of Melbourne New Student Precinct, Prahran Square, Devonport Living City, and Yagan Square.
• NMBW Architecture StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on the University of Melbourne New Student Precinct as part of the multi-firm design team.
• Greenaway + Greenshoot ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm contributing to the University of Melbourne New Student Precinct project team.
• Architects EATsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm in consortium for University of Melbourne New Student Precinct project.
• Breathe ArchitecturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on University of Melbourne New Student Precinct.
• Glas UrbansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm in design team for University of Melbourne New Student Precinct.
• Haworth TompkinscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based architecture firm collaborating with Lyons on the ECU City Campus project, bringing international experience to the Perth City Deal project.
• Silver Thomas HanleycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerth-based architecture firm partnering with Lyons on ECU City Campus, bringing local expertise to the consortium.
• Devonport City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal government client for Devonport Living City Stage Two waterfront park and hotel project.
• EJE ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with Lyons on University of Newcastle STEMM building project.
• Maddison ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on RMIT New Academic Street project.
• Harrison and WhitesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm in consortium for RMIT New Academic Street project.
• MvS ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating on RMIT New Academic Street project.
• iredale pedersen hook architectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm collaborating with Lyons and ASPECT Studios on Yagan Square project in Perth.
• Rush Wright AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandscape architecture firm partnering on Springvale Community Hub and Australian War Memorial C.E.W. Bean Building expansion.
• Plenary Group PPPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Private Partnership consortium partner for Agribio Centre for AgriBiosciences project, working with Department of Primary Industries and La Trobe University.
• CSIROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommonwealth 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/lyonsarch
• Instagraminstagram.com/lyonsarch
• Facebookfacebook.com/LyonsArchitecture
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lyons-arch

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lyons