Having crossed paths at several awards nights recently, I caught up with the Director of Architect George – whose name, by the way, is Dean. (There is no George). This fact alone hints at the kind of architecture practice that Architect George is. The sense one gets by landing on their homepage and meeting Seinfeld’s George Costanza is of not taking themselves too seriously, or at least eschewing the tiresome kind of self-importance that architects are all too closely associated with.
“We’re representing individual clients rather than ourselves,” explains Dean Williams, who founded the practice. “Back to that lack of self-importance – we’re not designing projects to satisfy our own interests; we’re taking the brief really seriously and seeing how far it will go. We find those elements of a client’s brief that are quite unique, and that creates the identity of a project.”
So, how exactly did the name, Architect George, come about? “There are so many people involved in an architectural project, so I knew that I didn’t want to ever work on my own – I wanted to work in a very collaborative environment,” says Dean. “The whole ethos of the practice is not about one person; it’s not about me, not about my name on the door. In jest, we picked a somewhat generic, unisex name that represents everyone.” There is also, of course, the subtle link to Costanza and his propensity to pretend he was an architect.
Based in Sydney, the studio comprises a team of four and was established just three years ago. Quite remarkably, they are already being recognised for their work at the Dulux Colour Awards and the NSW Architecture Awards. Then, of course, there is Winnings x Habitus House of the Year 2024, for which Apartment in Double Bay II has been shortlisted.
It means that Architect George is mixing it with some of the design industry’s heavy hitters, such as Greg Natale and Arent&Pyke. Habitus is teaming up with Winnings and Rogerseller as Major and Silver Partners respectively to present the House of the Year program, with winners – and the chance to vote in the People’s Choice category – to be announced later in the year.
The architectural language for this second Double Bay project is a continuation of what previously existed, and Architect George’s team were challenged with accentuating the residences’ authentic character rather than altering it. Drawing inspiration from 1980s architecture and furniture design, bold-coloured carpets, mirrors, chrome accents and the extensive incorporation of granite textures were chosen to pay homage to the era.
The design, while simple, was lacquered with a contemporary aesthetic without compromising the memory and heartiness the clients had loved for years. The team extended and modified the existing layout to create additional space and improve functionality, transforming it into an intergenerational home.
At this stage, the practice’s focus is very much residential, though there is plenty of potential for branching out into hospitality, retail and other design sectors in the future. “We love the idea of experimentation and starting afresh with every new project,” says Dean. “Everyone in our team has a different background and went to different universities, and I think we thrive on that diversity.”
