Studio Polychrome

What Studio Polychrome does

Studio Polychrome is a Melbourne-based architectural practice operating from 54 Fenwick Street, Clifton Hill, Victoria. The firm is the creative collaboration of two principals — Simon Dick (Director, 30 years of practice experience, ARBV-registered, AIA member) and Mel Biggin (Principal Architect, with delivery experience across Councils, Health providers, Childcare tenants, Community groups, and family units) — and operates with a stated headcount of two key personnel. The practice is built around a "conscious design" methodology that prioritizes sustainable solutions through deliberate processes, technology, and materials, and its brand identity is drawn from Polychrome brickwork, a Melbourne architectural tradition of combining bricks of varied colour and quality.

The studio delivers full-service architectural design across four practice areas: masterplanning (feasibility studies, infrastructure projects), commercial architecture (mixed-use, workplace, leasing studies, hospitality), community architecture (education, community living and learning centres, childcare, maternal health, libraries, sports pavilions), and residential architecture (individual houses, apartments, renovations). Service delivery is structured in three phases — pre-design (briefing, feasibility, due diligence), concept and urban design (site analysis, masterplanning, rezoning), and architectural and interior design (schematic design through post-occupancy evaluation and peer review). The portfolio includes active engagements with Yarra Ranges Council (Mooroolbark Library, Chirnside Park Preschool capacity options, Mooroolbark Heights Sports Pavilion), a commercial prototype fitout for Cbus Property at 720 Bourke St Docklands, and a Clifton Hill residential renovation.

The business model is project-based professional services with bespoke fee quotes per engagement and no public pricing. Go-to-market is direct-to-client: a portfolio website serves as the primary lead-capture mechanism via a contact form, supplemented by direct outreach and tender submissions to local councils and commercial property developers. Customers are concentrated in the Victorian market, with no disclosed geographic expansion, no external funding, no parent company, and no subsidiary structure; the firm is a private, independently held practice with ownership concentrated in its two founding principals.

Name

Studio Polychrome

Legal name

Studio Polychrome

Website

https://studiopolychrome.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studio Polychrome is a two-principal architectural practice in Clifton Hill, Melbourne, delivering masterplanning, commercial, community, and residential design services on a project-fee basis for local government councils, commercial property clients, and individual homeowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

akta.pro primary industry

Building Information Modeling (BIM) & Digital Design Services (BPAHAKAK)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Sustainable architecture
• Masterplanning services
• Community architecture
• Residential renovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Clifton Hill

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architectural design from pre-design through construction documentation and post-occupancy evaluation. Revenue generated through project-based fees for masterplanning, commercial, community, and residential projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Studio Polychrome is an architectural design practice delivering full-lifecycle services — pre-design, concept and urban design, and architectural and interior design — across four practice areas: masterplanning, commercial, community, and residential. The practice delivers projects such as libraries, sports pavilions, childcare facilities, workplace fitouts and home renovations for government councils, commercial property developers and individual homeowners, applying a sustainability-led "conscious design" methodology.

Product overview

Studio Polychrome is an architectural practice offering a comprehensive suite of design services organized across four practice areas: masterplanning, commercial architecture (mixed-use, workplace, hospitality), community architecture (education, childcare, libraries, sports pavilions), and residential architecture. The practice delivers projects through three service phases: pre-design (briefing, feasibility, due diligence), concept and urban design (site analysis, masterplanning, rezoning), and architectural and interior design (schematic design through post-occupancy evaluation). The portfolio includes specific projects such as Chirnside Park Preschool, Mooroolbark Heights Sports Pavilion, 720 Bourke Street Docklands, Mooroolbark Library, and Fenwick Street residential, demonstrating expertise across community, commercial, and residential typologies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Masterplanning Services Architectural masterplanning services covering feasibility studies and infrastructure project planning for large-scale urban and site development, delivered for councils, developers and other project sponsors.
• Commercial Architecture Architectural design services for mixed-use developments, commercial workplaces, leasing studies, and hospitality and hotel projects, delivered for commercial property developers and asset owners.
• Community Architecture Architectural design services for community facilities including education facilities, community living and learning centres, childcare centres, maternal health facilities, libraries, and sports pavilions, delivered primarily for local councils and community groups.
• Residential Architecture Architectural design services for individual houses and residential apartments, including renovations and transformations, delivered for individual homeowners.
• Pre-Design Services Pre-project design services covering briefing, feasibility design and pre-design exploration, and due diligence for new architectural engagements across the practice's sectors.
• Concept and Urban Design Services Concept and urban design services covering site analysis, site assessment, urban assessment, masterplanning, site massing, rezoning design, and concept design for projects across the practice's sectors.
• Architectural and Interior Design Services Core architectural and interior design services covering schematic design, design development, contract documentation, site attendance, post-occupancy evaluation, and peer review for projects across the practice's sectors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved energy efficiency, air quality and comfort for occupants
• +2 more outcomes

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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• SJB: Australian architecture and interiors practice with Sydney and Melbourne offices. Overlaps with Studio Polychrome in residential, commercial workplace, and interior design services.
• Architectus: Australian architecture practice with offices across Australia and New Zealand, working on education, community, transport, and workplace projects. Comparable government/community sector exposure to Studio Polychrome.
• Bates Smart: Long-established Melbourne architecture firm with significant portfolio in commercial, residential, and adaptive reuse projects. Established incumbent in the Melbourne architectural market.
• ARM Architecture: Established Melbourne architecture practice with a broad portfolio spanning cultural, educational, residential, and commercial projects. Larger than Studio Polychrome but operates across overlapping typologies.
• HASSELL: Major Australian architecture practice with broad sector coverage including commercial workplace, education, and community projects. Larger incumbent competing for similar government and commercial mandates.
• Fender Katsalidis: Melbourne-based architecture firm known for residential towers, cultural, and commercial projects. Comparable in Melbourne focus but operates at substantially larger project scale.

Direct peers

• Kennedy Nolan: Melbourne-based architectural practice of comparable scale working across residential, educational, and community projects. Closely comparable to Studio Polychrome in typology, size, and Melbourne focus.
• Wardle: Melbourne architectural studio delivering residential, cultural, and public projects with a focus on craft and place. Comparable small-practice profile and sector mix to Studio Polychrome.
• Jackson Clements Burrows: Melbourne architecture practice delivering residential, commercial, and community projects with attention to materiality and contextual response. Comparable in scale, sector mix, and design-led philosophy.
• Elenberg Fraser: Melbourne architecture firm working across residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. Comparable in Melbourne focus and overlap in commercial and residential typologies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studiopolychrome

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Studio Polychrome