"An acerbic intellect combined with a great big heart" INDE awards jury
“The exuberance and resolve expressed through the work of Austin Maynard Architects reflects Co-Directors Mark Austin and Andrew Maynard to a tee. When combined, the pair’s contrary dispositions and skill set create an undeniable force, resulting in a portfolio that’s fun and witty but always informed.”
Millie Thwaites, The Local Project
Named Architecture Studio of the Year by Dezeen and Small Firm of The Year by Archello, Austin Maynard Architects create resilient, highly sustainable, beautiful, robust and long lasting architecture. Architecture designed to meet the challenges of the climate crisis. Austin Maynard Architects are recipients of the prestigious Canberra Medallion. Past recipients of the Canberra Medallion have been The National Gallery of Australia, The Australian High Court, The National Portraiture Gallery, Parliament House and the Australian Academy of Science.
With projects all over Australia, and offices in both Melbourne and Hobart, Austin Maynard Architects have the skills, resources and tenacity to undertake a wide variety of complex projects. Happiness, fun, friends, family, ethics, sustainability and reward for effort, these are the pillars of Austin Maynard Architects. Widely renowned for their boundless creative energy Austin Maynard Architects' designs are at once well conceived, playful and edgy.
Since launching in 2002, the team has built-up an exciting and diverse portfolio. The practice is not inhibited by building type, but rather navigates residential, retail and commercial arenas and is rich in envelope-pushing conceptual designs. Austin Maynard Architects explore architecture of enthusiasm. Treating each project as a unique challenge, and working directly with clients and occupants to offer individual possibilities and thoughtful responses to people, brief and place. It is through this collaborative approach that the richness in the work emerges. The studio embraces deliberative design and looks to issues of liveability, housing, culture, heritage, community connection, mental health and cures to modern isolation. Austin Maynard Architects take pride in sustainable design and experimentation. Ideas that are concept rich, left of centre, playful and environmentally conscious; styles and singular themes are avoided. Austin Maynard Architects specialise in objective rather than building type, whether the project is a house in Fitzroy, a library in Japan, a protest shelter in Tasmania or a plywood bicycle.
Practice founder Andrew Maynard was a founding director of Nightingale Housing, a social enterprise that existed to support, promote and advocate for high-quality housing that is ecologically, socially, financially sustainable. Together with co-director Mark Austin and the team, Austin Maynard Architects continue to look beyond the brief and address the bigger picture.
“As architects we seek to make ourselves relevant to the world, to make spaces that engage and are compelling beyond their function.”
At Austin Maynard Architects we ask users to be the authors of their spaces and their city. We work directly with occupants to ensure we understand their wants and needs. It is through this collaborative approach that the richness in our work emerges. We ask for open participation from clients and encourage them to draw, research, question and engage.
Dezeen Awards, jury citation: "There is a lot of interesting architecture coming out of Australia at the moment, and this practice is a leader in this field. The firm has developed an impressive and diverse portfolio"
Austin Maynard Architect’s Leadership
Sophie Whittakers
BA Construction Management (1st class Hons)
BA Interior Design
Managing Director
With a unique background and skill set, Sophie brings years of design, development and construction experience to Austin Maynard Architects. Sophie has worked on a diverse range of projects locally and internationally. These include a bakery in Libya, an aircraft hangar in Malta, luxury hotels across Europe and heritage listed homes in London. But most recently (and the work she is most proud of) Sophie has been at the forefront of delivering ethical and sustainable multi-residential housing in Victoria.
Armed with the knowledge gained from such varied experience, Sophie has dedicated herself to seeking opportunities to work with ethical and environmentally conscious businesses who are aligned in the goal to deliver legacy driven projects. Rigorous, critical, pragmatic and diligent, Sophie is enabling Austin Maynard Architects to apply their extraordinary design skills to a wide range of building types and client groups.
Mark Stranan
BA Environmental Design
BA Architecture
Associate, Architect and furniture maker
Another of the team’s proud Tasmanians, Mark completed his studies at the University of Tasmania in 2005. With over a decade of multi-residential experience in Melbourne and Vancouver, he came to Austin Maynard Architects to escape from the profit-driven world of developer led projects and, as the project architect of Terrace House, he now uses his skills to create homes rather than commodities.
Mark has been integral to Austin Maynard’s adoption and development of the Nightingale housing model, and he continues to thrive in managing complex projects. His detail-orientated nature shines through in his work, which comes from a furniture making background. Woodworking is his main passion and outside office hours he can be found crafting beautiful things in his well equipped workshop.
Andrew Maynard
BA Environmental Design
BA Architecture (Hons)
FRAIA (Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects)
Director and Architect
Andrew Maynard is a Tasmanian now living and working in Fitzroy, Australia. Andrew Maynard Architects was established in 2002 after Andrew won the Asia Pacific Design Award's grand prize. In 2020 Andrew was named Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects for his significant contribution to the architecture profession.
Andrew was also a founding board member of Nightingale Housing - a non-for-profit organisation creating ethical, socially sustainable and cost effective housing, whilst also revolutionising the developer-dominated housing market.
Andrew is an innovative and inspiring architect whose work has been published globally and exhibited worldwide - from New York, Budapest and Osaka; to Milan, Sao Paulo and Tokyo.
THE AGE newspaper says of Andrew: “His concepts include a man-eating robot, a bicycle made of plywood and - a structure made from human excrement. Images of the archetypal mad scientist spring to mind, but architect Andrew Maynard, like his designs, comes across as measured and eloquent.”
David Robinson
Master of Architecture (High Distinction.)
BA Sc Environmental Design
Senior Architect
David Robinson is an accomplished senior architect with extensive experience in large-scale developments and urban design. Over his career, he has built a diverse portfolio of significant projects across various sectors, earning a reputation for delivering innovative, thoughtful, and meticulously executed architectural solutions.
At Austin Maynard Architects, David brings a sharp focus on detailed delivery and leadership, driving impactful multi-residential and large-scale projects. His approach combines design excellence with a deep understanding of community needs and client goals, ensuring meaningful and enduring outcomes.
David’s expertise and commitment to innovation play a pivotal role in refining processes and enhancing project delivery. His work exemplifies Austin Maynard Architects’ dedication to creating spaces that inspire, connect, and elevate the way people live and interact.
Mark Austin
BA Environmental Design
BA Architecture
FRAIA (Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects)
Director and Architect
Mark Austin is also a staunchly proud Tasmanian. He joined Andrew Maynard Architects in 2007 and become a director of the practice in 2009. In 2016 the name was changed to Austin Maynard Architects to officially recognise his contribution.
Mark has enjoyed a diverse career since graduating from the University of Tasmania in 1993 and Melbourne University in 1996. He spent six years working in London, as Production Designer for the English National Opera and for a number of commercial firms specialising in a variety of building types and project scales (from urban redevelopment in the West End to co-ordinating the redesign of a large Park Lane hotel).
Throughout his career Mark continues to show a incredible balance between design talent and rigorous, pragmatic, technical and organisation skills. Mark has a fine-eye for detail and is respected by clients, consultants and builders for his management and his diplomacy skills.
Mark's Instagram - mork_austin
Ray Dinh
BA Architecture (First Class Hons.)
BA Architectural Science
Associate and Architect
Ray studied architecture at University College Dublin and Ecole Nationale Supérieure d' Architecture de Nantes, graduating in 2012 with First Class Honours. Ray’s final year thesis was featured in The Architect’s Journal and his dissertation on social housing was published in the Irish Archizine 2ha. Ray has since worked in Dublin and New York and is now based in Melbourne, completing his professional registration in Victoria in 2016.
Since joining Austin Maynard Architects Ray has worked on a number of projects including My-House, the mental health house, King Bill and the award-winning Dorman House. Ray is happiest when working on 1:5 details. He’s currently working on some “really good stuff” including a metal shingle house in Canberra, a timber cylinder house in St. Andrews Beach and a very nice roof in Port Melbourne.
Kathryne Houchin
BA Sc Environmental Design
BA Architecture (Hons)
Senior Associate, Architect
Kathryne is a highly accomplished senior associate at Austin Maynard Architects. After graduating from the University of WA, she gained valuable experience working on a diverse range of educational and commercial projects in Perth before relocating to Melbourne in pursuit of new challenges. Joining the team at Austin Maynard Architects in 2014, Kathryne quickly established herself as a pivotal member of the practice, applying her extensive expertise to deliver exceptional results on every project. As a self-proclaimed documentation know-it-all, Kathryne is dedicated to ensuring that every aspect of a project is meticulously planned and executed. Her exceptional attention to detail and unwavering commitment to quality have earned her a reputation as the "queen of details." Kathryne is particularly passionate about ensuring that every drawing and document is both creative and practical, working closely with her colleagues to deliver projects that meet the highest standards of excellence.
Claire Ward
Master of Architecture (High Distinction.)
BA Sc Environmental Design
Associate and Architect
Claire started her career in residential architecture as a student over a decade ago and hasn’t strayed far from this typology since completing her studies at the University of Western Australia in 2015.
Upon moving to Melbourne in 2018, she continued to adminster building contracts in Perth remotely, honing management and organisational skills. Claire joined Austin Maynard Architects in July 2020 and quickly became a key member in delivering projects on site. Her design talent is paired with pragmatism and a wealth of building knowledge that facilitates collaborative working relationships with clients, consultants and builders.
Whilst Claire has enjoyed a focused career in delivering bespoke homes across Australia, she has been able to leverage her skills into both commerical and multi-residential projects. She also has first hand experience of the benefits of an Austin Maynard designed apartment, as a resident of ParkLife.