We're proud to announce that SJB has been recognised in the 2026 NSW Architecture Awards, with Surry Hills Village shortlisted across the Commercial, Urban, and Residential – Multiple Housing categories, and Newmarket South shortlisted in Residential – Multiple Housing.
Both projects are the result of exceptional collaboration, with Studio Prineas and Aspect Studios on Surry Hills Village, and Bates Smart and Neeson Murcutt Neille on Newmarket South. Each with a shared commitment to design that genuinely serves its community.
Winners will be announced at the gala dinner on 2 July. Congratulations to all shortlisted practices!
Surry Hills Village Photography by @tomroe__
Newmarket South by @felixmooneram
#architecture #design #awards
We’re thrilled to share the promotions from the last 12 months from our Sydney studio. Through dedication, achievement and contribution, 29 individuals were elevated across architecture, urban design, interiors and studio operations.
Over a number of years, the Partners and Studio Operations have been developing and implementing team structures across the business to further facilitate expansion and multi-generational leadership, whilst continuing to deliver remarkable projects. Central to this structure is the establishment of the Project Director position, who play a major role in ensuring the oversight and quality across every project.
We’re pleased to announce that Gabby Suhr, Rachel Yabsley and Wes Grunsell will step into these positions. In their roles as Project Directors, Gabby, Rachel and Wes will lead and coordinate the design teams, including front-end architects and designers, championing creative excellence and strong collaboration. They will also oversee delivery teams, steering projects to successful completion with clarity and focus.
You can read more about their positions and other promotions made via the link in our bio.
📸 @katiekaarsportfolio
#promotions #architecture #interiordesign #urbandesign #studio #aboutsjb
Caulfield Place is the latest addition to the Caulfield Village urban renewal precinct.
Opposite the heritage gates of the Caulfield Racecourse, this landmark build-to-rent project rises to 14 levels with a bold, sculptural brick podium with and two distinct towers above.
Delivering much needed density along a major transport corridor, Caulfield Place consists of 351 dwellings with integrated lifestyle and wellness amenities including co-working spaces, a ground floor concierge and lobby to rooftop lounge and cocktail bars.
Designed around walkability, the precinct features activated ground floor retail and hospitality spaces centred around an active pedestrian spine, strengthening connections to the previous and future stages of the Caulfield Village Precinct. Tree-lined boulevards, pocket parks and colonnades expand the public realm, providing space for the community and creating and a fine grain sense of place.
Client: beck_property_group and @reshapedevelopment
Collaborators: @technearchitects and @oculusstudios
Photo: @aaron_puls
#architecture #BTR #buildtorent #multiresidential #housing
This week on Radio Architecture we welcome MICHAEL BIALEK to the @radiocarrum studio!
SJB founding director Michael Bialek started his career working with families wanting to build special homes, with real meaning to them. Houses perched on hills with distant views of the bay, or adjacent to a natural reserve or vineyard – these homes were realisations of people’s dreams. Over his 40-year oeuvre, Michael’s design philosophy is grounded in simplicity, crafting design responses that are unique to their location and generate public benefit. He has fostered a clear design direction and methodology of collaboration that has helped to build the practice we know today. His portfolio of acclaimed and award-winning projects includes multi-unit residential, commercial, hospitality and cultural venues. He is also an active member within the Australian Institute of Architects and Property Council of Australia.
Join @razbash_ and Michael, the 'B' in @aboutsjb this wednesday night at 7pm AEST live on @radiocarrum !
•
@aboutsjb@studiorazbash
#radioarchitecture #australianarchitecture #sjb #aboutsjb #leadership
Sydney Olympic Park is entering a new phase of growth and revitalisation with 15,000 dwellings being supported by new public transport, community and open spaces, schools and supporting services, all of which is captured in the recently finalised Master Plan 2050.
Spanning 650 hectares, the plan takes a unified approach to green spaces and parklands, and surrounding precincts, creating a connected urban environment that supports long term growth across Greater Sydney. More than just an events destination, the master plan reintroduces Sydney Olympic Park as a vibrant community.
Key moves include 430 hectares of protected and enhanced public open space, 10 new playgrounds and 4 sports fields, cultural and community facilities, and dedicated innovation and commercial precincts. Expanded active transport networks and major public infrastructure, including Metro West and Parramatta Light Rail, will further connect the precinct to surrounding neighbourhoods.
“This Master Plan reflects the shared ambition for this incredible site and its potential to balance the ongoing needs of the city, and those of the future resident’s that will call Sydney Olympic Park their home", says Jonathan Knapp, Partner at SJB.
With a strong focus on biodiversity, First Nations heritage, and public life, the finalised master plan sets a clear framework for how people will live, work and gather in what will be Sydney’s beating green heart.
Collaborators: Turf Design Studio, Yerrabingin, SGS Economic and Planning, Cred Consulting, Atelier 10 and WSP
Client: @sydolympicpark Sydney Olympic Park Authority
#masterplan #sydney #urbandesign
Half a century of shaping people, places and possibilities.
Today marks 50 years since SJB was founded. What began as three people in 1976, has since grown into a practice of over 200.
Last night, we celebrated this milestone at the National Gallery of Victoria, alongside clients, collaborators, consultants, friends and the SJB Melbourne team. Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make it such a memorable evening.
To our wider community here, thank you for your continued support. We’re proud of the work we do, and even prouder to share it with you 💕.
We’re not wrapping up a chapter with SJB50, it’s a moment in our timeline. Throughout this 50th year we’ll continue to share projects from our past, alongside projects shaping our future, and stories from the people that have shaped and continue to shape SJB.
“I am both overwhelmed and humbled by the feedback for our 50th anniversary and celebration last night at the NGV. To be supported by so many of our clients , colleagues and friends and family was so special and appropriate for this iconic place. Thank you.” – Michael Bialek, the B in SJB.
#SJB50
📸 @phamstapham
Located in the heritage listed suburb of Ashbury, Ashbury Terraces offers a fine-grain response to the 'missing middle' in Sydney’s housing market. With a diverse range of typologies, the precinct centres on the idea of house-like living, with terrace homes and generous apartments that cater to young families, downsizers, and empty nesters alike.
Lush landscaping is central to the design, shaping shared spaces where residents can gather, connect, and build a sense of community.
Client: @coronationproperty
📸 @tomroe__
In the heart of Sydney’s CBD, York & Co is a compelling example of how adaptive reuse and sensitive contemporary design can coexist within a rich urban fabric. The project unites 32–34 York Street, a nine-storey 1886 warehouse originally built for Robert Reid & Co, with a newly constructed extension at 36 York Street to create a cohesive workplace.
Our approach clarifies the building’s historic layers while introducing new architectural elements that sit comfortably within the city’s Western Heritage Precinct. The project’s new glazed facade references the rhythm and vertical articulation of neighbouring Victorian and Art Deco facades, restoring a sense of proportion and continuity to the streetscape. By demolishing the outdated 36 York Street structure and rebuilding to match the height and alignment of its neighbours, the two buildings are now unified by a consistent floor plate and an architectural language of glass, brick, and fine detailing.
Internally, York & Co supports a hybrid, human centred workplace with flexible spaces for collaboration and wellbeing. The result is a timeless architectural statement, one that breathes new life into Sydney’s Western Heritage Precinct while embracing innovation and contemporary work culture.
Client: Milligan Group
📸 @tomroe__
#architecture #adaptivereuse #sydney #heritage #commercial #aboutsjb
“When we first encountered the site for Richmond Traders, it felt quite disconnected from the energy that makes Bridge Road such a special retail street. We decided then that our goal was to reopen it to the neighbourhood - not as a single building, but as a small piece of Richmond itself.
By introducing laneways and a market hall, the project became porous and active, creating space for independent traders alongside everyday essentials. Above, the build-to-rent community was designed to support shared life, with communal spaces that encourage people to connect.
Inspired by Richmond’s brick warehouses and industrial character, the architecture aims to feel like it belongs here. The most rewarding part is seeing the place come to life - people moving through the laneways, shopping, meeting friends, and living above it all.”
- Nigel Morris, Director, SJB #SJB50
Client: @homeapartmentsau
📸
@diannasnape@aaron_puls@lisacohenphoto
Rhodes Central Stage 01 acts as the retail anchor for the broader Rhodes Central precinct. With varied retail options, a food and beverage market laneway forms the spine and social heart of the precinct, while Woolworths and everyday facilities such as a fish mongerer, news agent and grocer service the day-to-day needs of the surrounding and broader community.
Inspired by traditional markets, the central lane combines cafes, restaurants and specialty retail into a fine-grain, bustling environment beneath the residential towers above. A lightweight open canopy encourages natural ventilation and celebrates Sydney’s climate, giving the space an inviting outdoor feel.
Positioned beside Rhodes Station, a network of pedestrian entries and through site links connects Walker Street to Marquet Street, supporting Rhodes Central as a vibrant 18-hour destination servicing the local community.
Client: @billbergiagroup
📸@tomroe__
#retail #architecture #aboutsjb
Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore Precinct- A place that connects community with Country, a precinct of parks and places.
Property and Development NSW, on behalf of the NSW Government, is progressing with the next phase for the revitalisation of the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore Precinct.
“The revitalisation of the Coffs Harbour Jetty Foreshore Precinct demonstrates State Government’s commitment in regional communities. The approach taken ensures that the regionally significant parkland, between Jordan Esplanade and the water, is protected and designed through sensitive and respectful connections with ecology. The design recognises and preserves Gumbaynggirr cultural connections to Country,” says Associate Urban Designer, Jordan Mathers.
Since 2018, SJB have provided urban design services to prepare a draft illustrative master plan, reference scheme, and visualisations that reflect a potential outcome possible within the precinct. The indicative design response was developed through close collaboration with Property and Development NSW, who have undertaken extensive community consultation. In response, the master plan addresses the sites capacity to better serve the community by including a diversity of mixed-use outcomes across the precinct, and better connections between land and water.
The community is and always has been at the heart of creating a thriving regional economy and destination for Coffs Harbour. Ensuring that future outcomes will be aligned with community expectations has always been paramount to the design process.
#aboutsjb #urbandesign #masterplan #masterplanning #coffsharbour #urban #design
Inspired by 1950s and 60s Italian design, Emilio Pucci and the Memphis Design movement, The Adge is a rich explosion of colour, pattern and texture. The rooms are designed in a psychedelic mauve and green colour scheme with patterned carpet, considered loose furniture and joinery and lacquered bed heads.
The curved glass bathrooms read like futuristic pods, lined with glossy black tiles and silver fixtures. Throughout the hotel, restrained but clever design moves create a vibrant sensory experience in one of Sydney’s most well known precincts.
“I designed The Adge during Covid lockdowns, when we were all stuck at home feeling a little restricted and flat,” says Andrew Parr, SJB Interiors Director. “Like the Memphis movement’s reaction against the order of mid-century modernism and 1970s minimalism, the design became a colourful, joyous escape.”
#interiordesign #interiors #hotel #hoteldesign #aboutsjb
