Hill Thalis

What Hill Thalis does

Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects Pty Ltd is an independent Australian architecture and urban design practice established in 1992 as a partnership between Philip Thalis and Sarah Hill. Headquartered at Level 4, 15 Foster Street in Surry Hills, NSW, the firm operates with a team of approximately 15 professionals and delivers consulting, architectural, and urban planning services across residential, public, commercial, and adaptive reuse sectors. Its client base is anchored in Australian government at federal, state, and local levels — including the City of Sydney, ACT Government, Parramatta City Council, Centennial and Moore Park Trusts, and the University of NSW — supplemented by private developers such as The Trinium Group, Consolidated Properties, and Charter Hall.

The firm's service portfolio spans medium- and high-density residential architecture, public domain and civic projects, commercial fitouts, master planning and structure plans, development control plans, heritage adaptation, design advisory services (design review panels, peer review, Land and Environment Court appeals), and research/publication work. Differentiation rests on domain specialisation in urban design, heritage adaptive reuse, public domain design, and affordable/multi-residential housing, supported by published works including Public Sydney Drawing the City. Practice operations are certified to ISO9001:2015, Climate Active carbon-neutral since 2019, and bound by the NSW Register of Architects Code of Professional Conduct.

The business model is professional-services fee-based, with project-based pricing determined by scope, complexity, and contract type, typically structured as multi-year engagements. The firm generates revenue through direct client commissions, competitive public tenders, and design competitions (it has won over 100 awards, including the 1992 Olympic Village competition, 2006 Barangaroo international competition, and 2016 K2K competition). Marketing relies on a reputation-led approach — awards, publications, academic teaching (Philip Thalis as Professor of Practice at UNSW), podcast appearances, and an active project portfolio website — rather than paid acquisition channels.

Name

Hill Thalis

Legal name

Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects Pty Ltd

Website

https://hillthalis.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hill Thalis is an independent Australian architecture and urban design practice founded in 1992, serving government and private developer clients with residential, public domain, heritage, and master planning services from its Surry Hills, NSW studio of approximately 15 professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Surry Hills

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for architectural services including design, documentation, and contract administration for building projects across residential, commercial, civic, and public use categories.
2. Urban Design Consultancy: Fees for urban design services including master planning, public domain design, policy review, and design advisory services for government and private sector clients.
3. Design Competitions: Revenue from winning design competitions that lead to commissioned projects.
4. Publications and Research: Income from publications such as Public Sydney Drawing the City and the Hill Thalis Mini Mono monograph.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hill Thalis is an independent architecture and urban design consultancy providing professional services including residential architecture (medium and high density housing, apartment refurbishments), public projects (civic buildings, public domain, recreational and educational facilities), commercial architecture, urban projects (master plans, structure plans, development control plans, infrastructure), heritage adaptive reuse and conservation, design advisory services (design review panels, peer review, policy review, competition juries, court appeals), and research and publication.

Product overview

Hill Thalis Architecture + Urban Projects Pty Ltd is an independent architecture and urban design practice offering a comprehensive suite of professional services. The practice operates as a single unified consultancy rather than a platform with modules. Core services span residential architecture (medium and high density housing, apartment refurbishments, aged housing, individual dwellings), public projects (places of public entertainment, recreational facilities, public domain works, educational buildings), commercial architecture (mixed use developments, commercial fitouts), urban projects (master plans, structure plans, development control plans, public domain improvement plans, infrastructure projects), adaptive reuse (heritage studies, conservation plans), design advisory services (design review panels, peer review, competition juries, court appeals), and research and publication (documenting Sydney's public spaces). The practice has completed over 100 award-winning projects including the Sydney Olympic Village, Barangaroo, Pirrama Park, and various residential complexes across Australia.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Architecture Medium and high density housing design, apartment refurbishments and interiors, aged housing, and individual dwelling design for developers, community housing providers, and private clients.
• Public Projects Design of places of public entertainment, recreational facilities, public domain projects, and educational buildings with campus planning for government and institutional clients.
• Commercial Architecture Mixed use developments and commercial fitouts and interiors for private developers, commercial tenants, and property owners.
• Urban Projects Urban design consultancy including master plans, structure plans, development control plans, public domain improvement plans, infrastructure projects, and estate plans and subdivisions for government and developer clients.
• Adaptive Reuse Adaptation, heritage studies, conservation plans, urban research, and historical interpretation services for heritage buildings and precincts.
• Design Advisory Services Design review panels, peer review, policy review and advice, competition juries, and Land and Environment Court appeals provided to government and other clients.
• Research and Publication Urban research, historical interpretation, and publications including "Public Sydney: Drawing the City" by Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill, and the Hill Thalis Mini Mono monograph.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 professional awards and competitions won
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture (JILA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic collaborator on numerous urban design, public domain, and landscape projects including Constitution Avenue (ACT), Campbell Section 5, Lennox Bridge Portals, Lemur Forest Adventure, Thomas Street Cloud Gate, and Merewether Beach. JILA is a primary landscape architecture partner across major projects.
• CKDS ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on multiple residential projects including Verve Towers/Newcastle (awarded Blacket Prize for Regional Architecture, Bolot Award, and Newcastle Medal) and Horizon Apartments (awarded NSW AIA Award for Multiple Housing).
• McGregor Westlake ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Parramatta Escarpment Boardwalk (awarded multiple 2022/2023 awards) and The Arc Apartments (Sydney).
• Aspect StudiosmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Pirrama Park (won AIA Walter Burley Griffin Award 2010, AILA National Award 2012) and Pirrama Park Master Plan (AILA NSW Planning Excellence Award 2007).
• Clare DesignmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWon 2014 competition for Yeerongpilly Green master plan project in Brisbane with Consolidated Properties.
• Candalepas AssociatesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Little Bay Cove Master Plan (published in Landscape Australia 2017).
• McGregor CoxallmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Little Bay Master Plan and Narara Ecovillage master plan.
• Paul Berkemeier ArchitectsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWon international competition for Barangaroo (East Darling Harbour) in 2006 - 22 hectare urban design project for NSW State Government.
• SMECsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consultant on Constitution Avenue project and Linking Canberra to the Lake.
• CardnosupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering/planning consultant on Campbell Section 5 urban project.
• AECOMsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPart of team for Constitution Avenue project in Canberra.
• Design 5 ArchitectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerHeritage consultant on Lennox Bridge Portals project.
• Taronga Conservation SocietysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for Lemur Forest Adventure project at Taronga Zoo.
• Lindy Lee (Artist)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Thomas Street Cloud Gate public art project in Sydney Chinatown with JILA.
• OLSSON Architecture + Urban ProjectssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Height of building and FSR alignment study for City of Sydney Strategic Planning, receiving Australian Urban Design Awards 2024 Commendation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HillThalisAUP
• Instagraminstagram.com/HillThalisAUP

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Hill Thalis