Williams Burton Leopardi

What Williams Burton Leopardi does

Williams Burton Leopardi (WBL) is an Adelaide-headquartered architecture and interior design practice established in 1983, operating from Level 3, 28 Franklin Street, Adelaide CBD. The firm is co-led by Directors David Burton (appointed 2000) and Sophia Leopardi (appointed 2013) and comprises approximately 12 team members spanning Senior Associates, Architects, Interior Designers, and operational roles. Its service portfolio covers architectural design, interior design, heritage restoration, adaptive reuse, and the F.A.W.L. (From Adelaide With Love) Lighting product line launched in 2023.

WBL's work is concentrated in heritage-sensitive residential alterations and additions, bespoke new residential projects, and select commercial and hospitality interiors, with recognized projects including Restaurant Botanic, Iberia Restaurant, Base 64 (Simon Hackett Technology Incubator), The Darling Building, and Advanced Dental. Design philosophy emphasizes tactile materiality, seamless indoor-outdoor transitions, and authentic spatial experiences, supported by a network of local craftspeople, builders, and artists.

The business model is project-based professional services. Revenue is generated through design and consultancy fees on bespoke commissions, with acquisition driven by referrals, publication visibility, and direct client engagement rather than paid marketing. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Geographic scope is regional, primarily Adelaide and broader South Australia, with no disclosed funding, external investors, or parent company relationships; the firm operates as an independent partnership. The practice has accumulated 60+ industry awards across AIA, DIA, HIA, and Design Institute of Australia programs.

Name

Williams Burton Leopardi

Legal name

Williams Burton Leopardi

Website

https://designbywbl.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Williams Burton Leopardi is an Adelaide-based architecture and interior design firm founded in 1983, serving high-end residential, commercial, and hospitality clients across South Australia with heritage restoration, adaptive reuse, and bespoke design services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Interior Design Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Interior design services
• Heritage restoration
• Residential architecture
• Commercial interior design

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Interior Design Services: Project-based fees for residential and commercial architecture, interior design, heritage restoration, and adaptive reuse projects. Revenue generated through design fees, project management, and consultancy services for bespoke projects ranging from renovations to new constructions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Williams Burton Leopardi is an Adelaide-based architecture and interior design practice providing bespoke project-based design services across residential, commercial, hospitality, and heritage sectors. The firm delivers heritage restoration, adaptive reuse, residential alterations and additions, new home design, and commercial interior architecture, supported by a launched lighting product line (F.A.W.L.).

Product overview

Williams Burton Leopardi is an architecture and interior design firm based in Adelaide, South Australia. The firm offers a unified suite of design services centered around architectural design and interior design, with the F.A.W.L. Lighting Collection as a complementary bespoke product. Their portfolio spans residential architecture (including heritage renovations and new constructions), commercial architecture (offices, hospitality), and specialty heritage restoration projects. The practice emphasizes tactile materiality, seamless transitions between interior and exterior, and collaborative design processes with clients and local craftspeople.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• F.A.W.L. Lighting: F.A.W.L. (From Adelaide With Love) Lighting collection - a bespoke lighting range created in collaboration with local artists and craftspeople, inspired by locality and reduced energy footprint.

Products and services

• Architectural Services Comprehensive architectural design services spanning residential, commercial, and multi-residential projects including heritage restoration, renovations, and new constructions across South Australia.
• Interior Design Services Interior design services emphasizing spatial design, materiality, heritage integration, and contemporary occupation of spaces for residential and commercial clients.
• Heritage Restoration Specialized heritage restoration services including stabilization, repair, and adaptive reuse of historical structures while maintaining authenticity and cultural value.
• F.A.W.L. Lighting Collection Bespoke lighting collection (From Adelaide With Love) featuring brass and ceramic pieces with arched geometry, produced in collaboration with local artists and craftspeople, inspired by locality and reduced energy footprint.

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple project recognitions including AIA, DIA, HIA awards across residential, commercial, and heritage categories

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Handmade and FoundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Local Adelaide manufacturer and metalwork partner for F.A.W.L. (From Adelaide With Love) Lighting collection. Collaboration created bespoke lighting pieces combining brass framework with ceramic elements.
• Llewelyn Ash, Ebony Heidenreich, Yuro CuchorcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration with local artists including ceramicists for F.A.W.L. Lighting collection. Each artist contributed individual marks to pieces, integrating design, metalwork, glass blowing and pottery disciplines.
• PACT ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative architecture partnership on Brougham Place multi-story development behind Victorian-era heritage-listed home in North Adelaide. PACT Architects handled architecture while WBL completed interior design.
• HindmarshcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDeveloper and builder partnership on Brougham Place project. Hindmarsh developed and built the multi-story residential development with WBL handling interior design.
• Con Bastiras (Architect)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpansion of 2003 award-winning residential work by architect Con Bastiras for The Esplanade project. WBL additions expanded existing footprint while respecting original design.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Bates Smart: One of Australia's oldest and largest architecture practices, operating across heritage, commercial, and residential work, providing a useful comparison for how an Adelaide heritage-focused practice could scale nationally over decades.
• Hassell: Major Australian architecture and design practice with a broad portfolio spanning workplace, hospitality, and residential, representing the larger-scale end of the segment WBL operates in.
• Woods Bagot: Large global Australian-origin architecture and design firm with broad portfolio across commercial, hospitality, and residential sectors, providing a comparison point for the segment ceiling WBL could aspire to with scale.

Direct peers

• Jolson Architecture Interiors: Australian architecture and interior design firm combining architectural and interiors practices across residential and commercial projects, with a similar boutique scale and material-driven design language.
• Hecker Guthrie: Melbourne-based architecture and interior design practice working across high-end residential, hospitality, and heritage-sensitive projects with a comparable emphasis on materiality and crafted detailing.
• Studio Nine Architects: Adelaide-based architectural practice working across residential and commercial projects at a similar boutique scale, competing in the same local market and project types.
• Kennedy Nolan: Melbourne-based architecture and interiors practice recognized for high-end residential and heritage-sensitive work, sharing the same boutique design-led model and editorial media footprint.
• Luigi Rosselli Architects: Sydney-based practice with strong heritage and adaptive reuse portfolio, similar tactile-materiality design philosophy, and recognized publication presence in international design media.
• PACT Architects: Adelaide-based architecture firm and existing WBL partner on the Brougham Place development; comparable regional footprint and residential/commercial project mix.
• Templeton Architecture: Adelaide-based architectural practice with a strong heritage restoration and adaptive reuse portfolio, directly comparable to WBL's heritage specialization and regional South Australia base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/designbywbl
• Instagraminstagram.com/designbywbl
• Pinterestpinterest.com/designbywbl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/williams-burton-leopardi

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 Williams Burton Leopardi