What archier does

Archier is a Melbourne-based architecture and design studio founded in 2012 by Josh FitzGerald, Chris Haddad, and Chris Gilbert, with Jon Kaitler (2014) and Sophie Gandar (2017) later joining as directors. The practice delivers residential, commercial, government, and public landscape projects across Australia and selectively internationally (Bulgaria, USA), operating a vertically integrated model that combines architectural design with proprietary prefabrication through sister company Candour. Core technology includes an in-house panelised prefab system, a Passivehaus-certified facade system with thermally broken cassettes and triple-glazing options, and use of Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), and modular construction methods, with structural timber windows and exposed rafter ceiling panels manufactured offsite by Candour.

The firm's revenue model is professional-services based: fixed architectural fees calculated from dwelling area at concept feasibility stage, typically 6–9% of project budget — a structure the practice describes as significantly below standard residential market rates. Projects are delivered within a 7–12 month design program with builders appointed at project start for cost oversight, and additional consultant costs (~A$25k) are passed through. Customer segments include high-net-worth residential families, commercial and hospitality operators, property developers (notably MAB Corp and Development Victoria via the LUMA joint venture with Hayball), and government clients (Parks Victoria). Distribution is exclusively direct via a structured website enquiry form and email/phone contact, with no intermediaries.

The practice is an Australian-certified carbon neutral business, has won 30+ industry awards since 2015 (including National Architecture Awards, Houses Awards, Tasmanian Architecture Awards, UDIA, INDE, and Dezeen longlist), and has been featured on Grand Designs Australia. The current operating model is founder/director-owned with five equity-holding directors and four additional staff, no disclosed institutional funding, and ongoing active operations spanning 2025–2026.

Name

archier

Legal name

Archier

Website

https://archier.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Archier is a Melbourne-based architecture and design studio founded in 2012 that delivers residential, commercial, government, and prefabricated projects across Australia and selectively internationally. It serves private HNW families, developers, and government clients via a fixed-fee model (6–9% of budget) backed by its proprietary panelised prefab system and sister manufacturer Candour.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (541310), Prefabricated Wood Building Manufacturing (321992), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

Prefabricated Wood Bldgs & Components (2452), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Modular & Prefabricated Home Construction (IMAFABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

ADU Design, Architecture & Engineering (HSAPAMAF)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Prefabricated construction
• Residential architecture
• Passivehaus building design
• Timber construction systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design and Documentation Services: Core revenue from architectural fees calculated as fixed amounts based on dwelling area (determined through concept feasibility study), typically 6–9% of the final budget/contract price. Fees are fixed and not calculated as a percentage of the final contract price. Additional consultant costs (survey, geotechnical, bushfire rating, structural engineer, energy assessment, building surveyor) total approximately ~25k. Projects span residential, commercial, multi-residential, and government typologies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Archier is an Australian architecture practice that provides full-service architectural design for residential, commercial, multi-residential, government and public landscape projects, combined with a proprietary panelised prefabrication system delivered via sister company Candour. Projects are priced at fixed architectural fees of 6–9% of budget and delivered within a 7–12 month design program, with PassiveHaus-grade thermal performance and reduced waste from offsite manufacturing.

Product overview

Archier is an Australian architecture practice offering a unified service combining architectural design with proprietary prefabrication capabilities. The core offering spans residential, commercial, and government architecture with public and private landscape design. A key differentiator is their in-house prefabrication system—designed and manufactured through their sister company Candour—enabling faster project delivery with sustainability benefits. The practice also designs and manufactures furniture, lighting, and fabrication products available through their store.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Thermal performance: every home achieves minimum 7 star NCC rating and PassiveHouse certification through external sustainability consultant assessment
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• CandourcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerSister company of Archier that manufactures all prefabricated panels required for individual projects in their Melbourne facility. Candour also handles structural timber window systems and exposed rafter ceiling panels, enabling Archier's offsite construction approach. Archier directors Jon Kaitler and Chris Gilbert now exclusively work within Candour.
• HIP V HYPEkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIP V HYPE provided the Collaborative Development Model that created the legal and financial structure for the Davison Street project in Brunswick, enabling three homeowners to pool resources and professional experience. Archier provided architectural and sustainability design within this model.
• Harrison and WhitekeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for the Parks Victoria Albert Park project. Harrison and White worked with Archier as the core architectural team alongside Accuraco Project Management and Openwork landscape architecture.
• OpenworkminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLandscape architecture firm providing specialist landscape design services on Parks Victoria Albert Park project and Corner House courtyard design.
• Accuraco Project ManagementminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProject management firm that formed part of the core consultant team for the Parks Victoria Albert Park project in joint venture with Archier and Harrison and White.
• MAB CorpkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeveloper client for Oakover Preston — a large scale residential precinct of 26 townhouses in Preston, Victoria, completed 2023. Represents Archier's engagement with major property developers for volume residential projects.
• HayballkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner with Archier for the LUMA project — a large scale development of 300 townhouses for Development Victoria, currently under construction. Hayball brings architectural volume housing expertise to the partnership.
• Development VictoriakeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment development authority client for the LUMA project — a 300-townhouse joint venture between Hayball and Archier. Under construction in urban Victoria.
• Rakumba LightingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRakumba Lighting engaged Archier to design their trade fair stand at DENFAIR 2016. Archier designed a suspended lantern installation using translucent fabric. The stand won Best Large Stand award. Rakumba's manufacturing skills in lampshades were leveraged in the design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fender Katsalidis: Major Australian architecture firm with landmark residential towers and developer-led projects. Comparable high-design positioning and Australian footprint, though operating at significantly larger scale and predominantly in multi-storey rather than prefab residential.
• Bates Smart: One of Australia's largest and longest-established architecture practices with broad typology coverage across residential, commercial, health and education. Overlaps with Archier on commercial and developer-led work but at much larger scale and without prefab specialisation.

Direct peers

• Hayball: Major Australian architecture firm and JV partner with Archier on the LUMA 300-townhouse project for Development Victoria. Both firms operate in residential and education sectors with comparable scale and Australian volume-housing ambitions, making Hayball the most directly comparable Australian peer.
• Kennedy Nolan: Melbourne architecture firm with a similar bespoke residential and multi-residential portfolio and recognised awards profile. Comparable client tier and design-led positioning to Archier within the Australian residential market.
• Sean Godsell Architects: Australian architecture practice known for prefabricated and innovative residential architecture (e.g., Future Systems House). Direct conceptual peer in exploring prefabrication within a high-design residential practice, with similar awards profile.
• dKO Architecture: Melbourne-based architecture practice with a strong sustainability and residential/multi-residential portfolio. Similar typology mix and Melbourne base to Archier, and shared focus on design quality at scale, though without Archier's in-house prefab system.
• Jackson Clements Burrows (JCB): Australian architecture firm with parallel residential, hospitality and adaptive-reuse practice. Comparable design-led positioning and award profile, and overlapping clientele in bespoke residential and developer-led multi-residential work.
• HIP V HYPE: Sustainability-led property developer and strategic partner with Archier on the Davison Street collaborative housing project. Comparable overlap in multi-unit residential, sustainability targets and Melbourne focus, though operating on the development side rather than architecture.

Emerging players

• Modscape: Australian modular/prefabricated home builder with a proprietary panelised system. Direct functional peer on the prefab manufacturing and delivery side, though positioned more as a builder/product company than as a design-led architecture practice.
• Archiblox: Australian modular/prefabricated home builder using sustainable materials including CLT and hempcrete. Comparable prefab and sustainability positioning, with overlapping technology stack (CLT, modular) but operating as a builder rather than an architecture firm.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/archierstudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/archier_
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archier

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 archier