Richards and Spence
Richards and Spence is a privately held Brisbane-based architecture and interior design practice founded by Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence, delivering hospitality, retail, residential, and public realm projects across Australia since at least 2005.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBrisbane, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Richards and Spence does
Richards and Spence is a privately held architecture and interior design practice headquartered in Newstead, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The firm was founded by Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence and has been operating continuously since at least 2005, delivering work across four primary segments: hospitality, retail, residential, and public realm (civic) design. The practice operates as a single integrated studio and is geographically concentrated in Queensland with documented work extending into New South Wales.
The firm's core offering is commissioned architectural and interior design services, with a stated design philosophy centred on creating built infrastructure as a catalyst for civic interaction rather than pursuing novelty for its own sake. Beyond core architectural services, the practice produces a custom furniture line (including bespoke lounge chairs, boardroom tables, and daybeds) and maintains a substantial unbuilt projects pipeline (Calile Noosa, Milton Green, Hamilton Residence, Clayfield Residence, Boggo Road Market) that signals forward demand. There is no proprietary software, technology platform, or AI capability disclosed; the firm's product is fundamentally design service hours and creative output.
Commercially, the practice operates on a quote-based engagement model with fees determined by project scope, complexity, and requirements rather than published rate cards. Work is sourced almost exclusively through direct enterprise client engagement and earned media — there is no formal business development or marketing channel infrastructure, and the firm holds no external investment, operating as a founder-controlled partnership.
Richards and Spence firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Richards and Spence
- Legal name
- Richards and Spence
- Website
- https://richardsandspence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Richards and Spence is a privately held Brisbane-based architecture and interior design practice founded by Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence, delivering hospitality, retail, residential, and public realm projects across Australia since at least 2005.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Richards and Spence industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architectural Design Services
- NAICS
- Architectural Services (541310), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Interior Design Services (541410)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB)
Keywords
Where Richards and Spence is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brisbane
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Richards and Spence business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Richards and Spence product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Richards and Spence provides architectural and interior design services for commercial, hospitality, retail, and residential projects, with a practice philosophy centred on creating built infrastructure as a catalyst for civic interaction. The studio also designs bespoke furniture pieces for its projects and operates across Queensland and into New South Wales, with work sourced through direct client engagement, reputation, and earned media coverage.
Product overview
Richards & Spence is an architectural practice committed to the creation of built infrastructure as a catalyst for civic interaction. The practice operates as a single integrated design studio offering architectural services, interior design, and bespoke furniture design. Their portfolio comprises completed built projects (The Calile Hotel, Fish Lane Town Square, LA SCALA, Bianca, retail and hospitality venues), unbuilt design proposals in various stages of approval, custom furniture pieces, and an extensive body of press coverage in international and Australian design publications. The practice has no modular software products, platform architecture, or technology integrations—its offering is purely architectural and design services.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architectural Design Services Architectural design services for commercial, hospitality, retail, and residential projects, with a focus on creating built infrastructure as a catalyst for civic interaction and enhancing the experience of the built environment.
- Interior Design Services Interior design services delivered alongside architectural commissions, covering hospitality venues such as Hellenika, Bianca, SK Steak & Oyster, and sAme sAme, retail showrooms, and other commercial and residential interiors.
- Custom Furniture Design Bespoke furniture pieces designed by the practice, including lounge chairs, boardroom tables, dining tables, and daybeds in materials such as mirror-finished stainless steel, leather, brass, glass, red gum, and American walnut, commissioned as part of projects such as Cloudland's Rainbow Room.
Companies that use Richards and Spence
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Richards and Spence technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Richards and Spence partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Floate ArchitectureminorProject-based collaboration on the Lawless Residence in Dutton Park, Brisbane QLD, completed 2005.
- ArkhefieldminorCollaboration on Brisbane International Terminal Retail Upgrade project for Brisbane Airport Corporation.
- HASSELLminorCollaboration on Milton Green project with AMP Capital, located at 6 Little Cribb Street, Milton, Brisbane QLD. Project also involves Studio Modus for renders.
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Richards and Spence competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Architectus: Australian architecture practice of comparable scale with strong urban design, public realm, and residential work. Direct competitor for civic and residential commissions.
- HASSELL: Major Australian architecture and design practice with hospitality, public realm, and commercial portfolios. Direct collaborator with Richards and Spence on Milton Green for AMP Capital, and comparable in typology (multi-sector Australian architecture firm with strong civic and hospitality work).
- Arkhefield: Brisbane-based architecture and interior design practice with strong retail, hospitality, and civic portfolios. Direct collaborator with Richards and Spence on the Brisbane International Terminal Retail Upgrade, with highly overlapping client base and project typology.
- WOWOWA Architecture: Boutique Australian architecture firm with strong hospitality and residential portfolios and a founder-led brand. Highly comparable in scale, design philosophy, and target client segments to Richards and Spence.
- Pop Architecture: Australian boutique architecture practice with hospitality, retail, and residential work. Comparable boutique scale and similar premium hospitality/retail design positioning in the Australian market.
- Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB): Melbourne-based boutique architecture practice known for hospitality, residential, and interiors. Comparable boutique scale, similar design-led positioning, and overlapping hospitality client base.
Broad incumbents
- Bates Smart: Established Australian architecture firm with significant hospitality, residential, and commercial work. Competes for the same premium hospitality and developer clients in the Australian market.
- BVN (Bligh Voller Nield): Large Australian architecture practice with hospitality, education, and civic portfolios. Comparable in multi-sector Australian architecture focus and competes for similar institutional and developer clients.
- Fender Katsalidis: Australian architecture practice known for landmark hospitality, residential, and cultural projects. Overlaps with Richards and Spence on premium hospitality and multi-residential commissions.
- Cox Architecture: One of Australia's largest architecture practices, with deep portfolios in hospitality, residential, commercial, and public realm. Operates at a much larger scale than Richards and Spence but competes for the same developer and institutional clients across Australia.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Richards and Spence social profiles
Digital presenceRichards and Spence financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Richards and Spence leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Richards and Spence funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Richards and Spence 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 Richards and Spence
What does Richards and Spence do?
Richards and Spence provides architectural and interior design services for commercial, hospitality, retail, and residential projects, with a practice philosophy centred on creating built infrastructure as a catalyst for civic interaction. The studio also designs bespoke furniture pieces for its projects and operates across Queensland and into New South Wales, with work sourced through direct client engagement, reputation, and earned media coverage.
Is Richards and Spence a public or private company?
Richards and Spence is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Richards and Spence founded?
Richards and Spence was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Richards and Spence based?
Richards and Spence is headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, in the Oceania region.
Who are Richards and Spence's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Architectus, HASSELL, Arkhefield, WOWOWA Architecture, Pop Architecture and Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB). Broad incumbents are Bates Smart, BVN (Bligh Voller Nield), Fender Katsalidis and Cox Architecture.
Does Richards and Spence have an API?
No public API is recorded for Richards and Spence.
What industry is Richards and Spence in?
Richards and Spence's product category is Architectural Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAKAA, Architectural Design Services, with a secondary code of BPAHAKAC, Landscape Architecture & Site Design. Its NAICS code is 541310.