Richard Archer has been in architecture for over twenty years. He's designed some of the most impressive homes across the country, and just recently won the Trends International Design Award for Best Apartment in Australia.

We sat down with Richard to find out more about Archer Design, how he led a team to design a waterfront Sydney property with half the home below ground, and what his advice would be to budding architects.

Congratulations on winning the Trends International Design Award for Best Apartment in Australia - can you tell us a little more about the winning apartment?

This large apartment is located in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney in a tightly held 1960's waterfront apartment complex.

It was originally shortlisted for Best Interior Design for the Asia Pacific Region in the International Design & Architecture Awards, London 2018, and has just been announced as the winner of Best Apartment in Australia in the Trends 2018 International Design Awards.

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An extensive renovation was designed by Archer Design to create an open plan, tranquil Sydney harbourside retreat for our busy internationally based client.

We undertook the full architectural, interior design scopes as well as the selection of the furniture and art curation of this glamorous project. Our client required a home within which a uniquely Australian art and modern international furniture collection could feature, with plenty of space for family and friends to gather and relax. 

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Rich ebonized new age veneer and bronze mirrored wall panelling provide a backdrop to the living spaces, capturing glimpses of the surrounding foreshore and harbour, expanding the view and creating a uniquely stylish environment for entertaining and relaxation.

What do you enjoy the most about your profession?

I have always been fascinated by how people live and work, and how they want their homes and workplaces to look, feel and ‘function’. 

Through careful listening and acute observation, as architects and interior designers, my team and I have the skills to create fully integrated environments that can exceed their expectations whilst fully respecting their needs. Seeing their happiness with the end result is immensely rewarding. 

You have designed private residential homes, corporate spaces and multi-unit residences. How would you best describe your aesthetic?

An Archer Design project will always have an elegant, timeless quality that transcends many different client briefs and aesthetic preferences. No detail is overlooked and the stylistic and functional aspects of the space are always equally considered.

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Pictured: 53 Dening Street, Drummoyne which Richard Archer designed. As seen on Luxury List.

We have a classic modern aesthetic based on the belief that (as YSL said so eloquently) “Fashions fade, Style is eternal”.

What advice would you give to new property investors wishing to build or renovate?

Always get the best professional advice you can, as early in the process as possible.
 
Building costs continue to rise so it is important to get it right the first time. You don’t want to go through a complex building or renovation project only to be disappointed in the end result.  

With today’s focus on sustainability, what trends do you see emerging in architecture? 

Environmentally sensitive design need not mean living in a crofters cottage.

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Pictured: 53 Dening Street, Drummoyne which Richard Archer designed. As seen on Luxury List.

These days, many exciting new materials can be sourced that achieve a high-end result, but are produced in a sustainable manner. It is becoming both easier and increasingly important to have ‘the look’ without harming the planet in the process. 

What is the most interesting brief you’ve been given by a client?

One of our more exciting (and challenging!) projects was designing a substantial Sydney waterfront property that had over half of the home below ground/sea level. 

We led a talented team of consultants and contractors that ensured this space never felt like an underground bunker, rather a miraculous extension to what appeared on the surface to be a discretely scaled pavilion.

Did you take on the project?

Absolutely!

What advice would you give to a newly graduated Architect or someone thinking about Architecture as a career?

As an architect, I feel it is critical to develop one's skills as an Interior Designer. The finer points of your client’s home, its textures, details and comforts and how they interact with those will greatly affect their day to day lives. 

Though rarely focused on in an architect’s education it is an area I believe we at Archer Design excel at, as we respect the finer details as much as the overall architectural vision. A fully integrated design is what our clients seek and what we deliver.

Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I live in a small inner city 1880’s terrace house that I am almost constantly altering. You’d think I would have enough of renovations in my ‘day job’ but I find there is always another option worth exploring, worth investigating, and I just love the process of design!

I love living in Sydney, but I’d happily divide my time between the remote Far North of New Zealand (my home away from home) and the busy beating heart of Manhattan. The best of both worlds!

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