What Techne does

Techne (legal name Techne Architecture + Interior Design) is an Australian architecture and interior design studio headquartered in Carlton, Victoria, with a regional studio in Albury on the NSW-Victorian border. The firm delivers bespoke architecture, interior design, heritage restoration, and styling services across residential, hospitality, commercial, retail, and wellness sectors, operating across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. Its client base includes enterprise hospitality operators (Sand Hill Road / Hotel Esplanade, Prahran Hotel, Novotel and ibis Styles Melbourne Airport), premium retail brands (Leica Melbourne, Merry People), corporate occupiers (a global professional services firm, Deka Immobilien, Box Hill Shopping Centre), and private residential clients. The firm is co-led by Directors Nick Travers and Justin Northrop following the 2024 departure of Director Steve McKeag, supported by a multi-tier bench of Senior Associates, Project Architects, and Senior Interior Designers totalling 11-50 employees.

The firm's core offering is professional design services — concept through construction — for both buildings and interiors, with a stated specialism in heritage-sensitive contemporary work and bold material interventions (e.g., the Prahran Hotel's concrete-pipe facade). Underlying technology is standard for the discipline: CAD, 3D visualisation, and rendering tools, supplemented by collaborative partnerships with industrial designers, lighting designers, stylists, landscape architects (Ayus Botanical), and international firms (Holzrausch on the Leica flagship). The firm has extended its brand into a small physical product line through the 2018 Techne Shelving Series co-developed with Grazia&Co.

Techne operates a sales-led, project-based revenue model, charging bespoke fees on a quote basis per project rather than via disclosed pricing. New work is sourced through direct client engagement, repeat clients, referrals, and reputation driven by award recognition (Victorian AIA, Architizer A+, Eat Drink Design, IDEA) and design press coverage. Revenue and financial performance are not publicly disclosed. The firm has no external institutional investment, no parent company, and no evidence of M&A activity; ownership is founder-led with management equity stakes.

Name

Techne

Legal name

Techne Architecture + Interior Design

Website

https://techne.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Techne is an Australian architecture and interior design studio delivering bespoke residential, hospitality, commercial, retail, and heritage projects across Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, serving enterprise and private clients via project-based fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architecture and Interior Design Services

NAICS

Interior Design Services (54141), Industrial Design Services (54142), Graphic Design Services (54143)

akta.pro primary industry

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM), UI/UX Engineering & Front-End Modernization (BPAEAFAH)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design studio
• Heritage restoration
• Hospitality venue design
• Residential architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Carlton

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

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 Interior Design Services: Techne generates revenue through project-based architecture and interior design fees. Services include full architectural design, interior design, heritage restoration, and styling for residential, hospitality, commercial, and retail projects. Projects range from single residential homes to large-scale hotels and commercial developments.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Techne (Technē Architecture + Interior Design) is an Australian design studio delivering bespoke architecture and interior design services across residential, hospitality, commercial, retail, and heritage projects. The firm provides full architectural design, interior design, heritage restoration, and styling on a project-by-project fee basis, with additional offerings including art installations and co-designed furniture products such as the Techne Shelves Series and Waratah Hills Cheese Trolley.

Product overview

Technē is an architecture and interior design firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of design services across residential, commercial, hospitality, and special projects sectors. Their core offering consists of architecture and interior design services, supplemented by physical product collaborations including the Technē Shelves Series (launched 2018 with Grazia&Co) and bespoke furniture pieces like the Waratah Hills Cheese Trolley. The firm also undertakes special projects including art installations for design weeks. The service offering spans from single residential homes to large-scale hotels, pubs, restaurants, commercial workplaces, and heritage restorations, with projects located primarily in Melbourne and regional Victoria/NSW.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architecture services spanning single and multi residential, commercial, hospitality (pubs, bars, hotels, restaurants, cafes), heritage restoration, and workplace design across Melbourne and regional Australia. Projects are delivered on a project-by-project fee basis from concept through construction.
• Interior Design Services Full-service interior design capabilities including spatial planning, material selection, styling, and staging for residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Includes styling and staging services to prepare properties for sale or marketing.
• Special Projects Art installations and collaborative creative projects including the Daydream Exhibition (Melbourne Design Week 2020), Modulations Art Installation (Melbourne Design Week 2022), and gallery/retail space designs in partnership with artists and design collaborators.
• Techne Shelves Series A locally-crafted shelving series launched in 2018 in collaboration with Grazia&Co, featuring sleek powder coat finish, square section metal frame, shelves enclosed in curved aluminium mesh, brass connections, and customization options including stone or timber panel tops.
• Waratah Hills Cheese Trolley A highly bespoke drinks trolley designed by Techne and expertly crafted by Tuckbox, featuring reclaimed Douglas Fir timber, marble cutting surfaces, Mud Australia ceramic bowls, and a polished copper finish frame. Originated from an internal design competition.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shortlisted for 2024 Interior Design Excellence Awards in Hospitality category
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Naomi TroskiminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Art collaboration for Melbourne Design Week 2022. Modulations art installation transformed the Carlton studio with multi-level display exploring subtle changes in form and colour expressed through movement of light. Included Collectivity Talks panel discussion.
• Yan Huang & Design by StormminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Collaborative installation for Melbourne Design Week 2020. Daydream exhibition created spaces offering retreat for the mind - a respite from daily life stress and disconnection. Multi-sensory design combining visuals, soundscapes, textured materials and relative spaces.
• Grazia&CocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaborative partnership with Australian furniture company Grazia&Co to create the Techne Shelving Series. The locally-crafted collection features sleek powder coat finish, square section metal frame, and shelves enclosed in curved aluminium mesh. Customization options include stone or timber panel tops.
• TILT Industrial DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaboration with TILT on Village Belle Hotel project, producing custom-designed roof and counter-weighted vertical sliding doors for the double-height beer garden. The partnership created entirely operable roof systems enabling climate control throughout changing weather and seasons.
• Eleisha GrayminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Styling partnership on Hotel Esplanade project. Eleisha Gray provided styling services for the venue's distinctive spaces.
• Ayus BotanicalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing landscaping partnership across multiple projects including Village Belle Hotel, Astor Hotel Albury, and various residential projects. Ayus Botanical provides landscape design services that complement Technē's architectural vision.
• Sand Hill RoadflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner15-year partnership with Sand Hill Road on Hotel Esplanade project - Technē's largest and most complex hospitality project. The Espy includes 12 bars, 2 restaurants, numerous discrete spaces, and 3 separate performance areas, the biggest F&B project in Melbourne.
• TuckboxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Tuckbox to craft and assemble the Waratah Hills Cheese Trolley. This highly bespoke drinks trolley project began as internal design competition and resulted in finished piece featuring reclaimed Douglas Fir timber, marble surfaces, and polished copper frame.
• Holzrausch (German Office)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational collaboration with German office Holzrausch on Leica Melbourne Flagship Store project. The four-storey retail space including gallery, photography studio, academy room, and rooftop terrace is the world's largest and most extensive Leica store.
• Moya DelanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom lighting design collaboration for Kinross Woolshed project. Luminaires made from vintage banners, gymkhana ribbons and antique French fringing create playful nod to site's rural roots.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• BVN: Australian architecture and design practice with strong hospitality, education, and commercial portfolio. Competes in the broader Australian architecture market with significantly larger headcount and project capacity.
• Fender Katsalidis: Established Australian architecture firm with portfolio spanning residential, hospitality, and large-scale commercial projects. Overlaps with Techne in Melbourne hospitality and residential markets at the upper end of project scale.
• Cox Architecture: Major Australian architecture firm with extensive hospitality, residential, and commercial portfolio across Australia. Represents the larger, more established end of the Australian architecture market where Techne competes for premium commissions.
• Hassell: Major Australian architecture and design firm with broad sector coverage including hospitality, workplace, and residential. Functions as a broader incumbent rather than direct competitor but competes in the same premium design market for enterprise hospitality and corporate clients.
• Bates Smart: One of Australia's oldest and largest architecture practices with extensive hospitality, commercial, and heritage portfolio. Competes with Techne for premium hospitality and heritage restoration commissions but operates at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Studio Tate: Melbourne interior design practice specializing in hospitality, residential, and commercial sectors with similar boutique firm profile. Comparable in target customer (premium hospitality operators, developers) and project complexity.
• Hecker Guthrie: Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio of similar boutique scale with comparable hospitality, residential, and commercial portfolio. Highly comparable in client caliber, project types (boutique hotels, premium residences, retail), and design philosophy emphasizing materiality and craftsmanship.
• WOWOWA Architecture: Melbourne boutique architecture firm specializing in hospitality, residential, and commercial projects with bold, award-winning design approach. Comparable in boutique scale, hospitality specialization, and Australian market positioning.
• Kennedy Nolan: Melbourne architecture practice of similar boutique size focused on residential, hospitality, and commercial projects. Comparable in design philosophy, sector mix, and Australian design awards profile.
• Jackson Clements Burrows: Melbourne-based architecture firm of comparable scale with award-winning portfolio spanning residential, hospitality, and commercial sectors. Direct peer in Australian design community recognition (multiple AIA awards) and project typology overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/techne_albury
• Xx.com/TechneA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Techne