Stewart Architecture shapes connected, inclusive cities with generosity and invention.

For us, citymaking, architecture and interiors are all parts of the same idea, and our aim is to achieve a more succinct conversation between them. All should be connected, and all are better for being delivered in an integrated way, with urbanists sitting alongside architects and interior designers.

Our founder, Colin Stewart, advocated that even the smallest projects could benefit from a greater depth of field. Thirty years later, we still take design responsibility beyond the boundaries of the brief, considering every project – whatever the scale – in terms of its place in the city, and as part of a continuous, dynamic civic experience.

We believe that by adopting this thinking we can preserve the quality of civic life as pressure increases on public space. As a result, we design places that have a generous, invitational quality. They are robust and sustainable, connected in spirit and expression to both city and country, and free to become what their users want to make of them.

Born in Australia, we’re at the leading edge of the climate emergency. Designing spaces that range in scale from city neighbourhoods to domestic rooms, we are finely placed – and fully committed – to improving the long-term environmental, economic and social impact of every place we make.

We embrace the universality of indigenous knowledge, always looking beyond a gestural acknowledgement of our nation’s first inhabitants to explore how their custodianship of the land can help us gain a more meaningful understanding of place and climate.

Architects have a central role to play in reinforcing the concept of the social, especially at civic scale. As pressure increases on public space in cities, our work prioritises people, focusing on considerations of authenticity, connection and ownership.

Design grows out of dialogue. As committed communitarians, we know that good places only come about through a well-orchestrated set of relationships, whether physical, social or commercial, so participation and inclusivity are central to our process.

We are a progressive, inclusive workplace with a fully integrated design team of urbanists, architects and interior designers, and studios in Canberra and Sydney. We’re highly collaborative, and believe that by building our practice around teams rather than hierarchy we can reclaim space for ideas, enthusiasm and energy.

Our values of generosity, invention and responsibility apply as much to the studio environment as they do to the places we create. We empower teams to own their work, presenting it at weekly sharing sessions and at regular workshops and get togethers. We strive to create an inclusive, energetic and friendly studio environment where all ideas are welcome. All staff are given annual allowances for wellbeing and professional development.

Stewart Architecture has been shaping cities for 35 years. We are a full-service design office working at all scales of the built environment – from the detail to the city. Our core services include:

Concept Design
Feasibility
Master Planning
Urban Design
Architecture
Interiors