Brisbane Architects
The blowout happens at concept, not on site.
Wigwam closes the gap between what gets drawn and what gets built, for Brisbane homeowners planning a new home or major renovation.
Every decision comes with what it costs, what it buys, and what happens if you wait.
20+ years of craft
Two decades designing high-end homes and hospitality. Seasoned judgement at every decision, so your Brisbane home feels effortless now and ages beautifully.
Global perspective
Larry spent years managing the interface between design teams and construction on large hospitality projects across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. That experience is in every set we issue.
BOAQ registered architect
Queensland-registered, meeting statutory standards and ethics. We navigate approvals and deliver precise documentation to protect your vision from concept to completion.
Track record
Our documentation is treated as a risk-management product, not the admin that follows design.
Queensland multi-residential work led by Larry Vlad as Project Leader at Think Tank Architects.
Free guide
Your Home Design Roadmap
Prepared for first-time architect clients who want confidence from brief to handover.
Send us a short note and we’ll email you the roadmap. Nothing else follows it into your inbox.
Are we a fit
We’d rather have an uncomfortable conversation in week two than an expensive one in month ten.
A custom home is a series of high-stakes decisions. Settle them early, and changing the answer costs a conversation instead of a variation.
- Client
- Brisbane homeowner planning a modern new build or major renovation
- Budget
- A$1m+ construction (ex-land)
- Scale
- 300 m² or an equivalent renovation scope
- Timing
- Design start in 2–4 months
- Priorities
- Climate-tuned comfort, low running costs, enduring materials
- Not a fit
- Builds under A$1m, cosmetic-only renovations
Our method
Design intent that holds on site: comfort, clarity and longevity.
Contextual elegance
Architecture tuned to Brisbane’s sun, shade and breezes, so the plan feels effortless to live in and is simple for a builder to deliver. We design for a subtropical climate where cooling and ventilation matter most, not just the photo.
Craft & material mastery
Materials that wear in, not out. Robust, low-maintenance finishes and details that suit Brisbane conditions, so the home stays solid, touchpoints improve with time, and the builder’s reputation holds years after handover.
Summer-first performance
Comfort comes from the fundamentals. Orientation, shading and cross-ventilation are designed in early, with glazing kept under control. That reduces reliance on mechanical cooling and keeps interiors calmer in peak heat.
Legacy integrity
Clear decisions. Clear documentation. One team. We front-load the critical choices and document intent precisely, which removes the usual causes of RFIs and variation creep. Poorly documented variations are a common cause of serious building disputes in Queensland.
The experience
A calm, guided path from first idea to keys.
Vision & discovery
We turn the first meeting into a proper design brief covering priorities, constraints, budget cues and decision-makers, so the project starts aligned and stays aligned.
You receive: confirmed brief + site realities summary.
Design & refinement
We test options, then refine the winning scheme (planning, light, shade and ventilation) until it feels effortless day to day.
You receive: concept pack with plans, key views and outline finishes.
Documentation & approvals
We document intent with the clarity a builder can price and deliver: coordinated details where they matter, and fewer gaps left for the site to “interpret”.
You receive: approval set + pricing-ready build/tender set.
Builder collaboration
Select or collaborate with the right builder. We review pricing, value-manage without compromising intent, and attend site to keep execution tight.
You receive: tender comparison.
Legacy hand-off
A home that performs in Brisbane’s climate, wears in beautifully, and reads as one coherent system, so it still feels right years later.
Private design consultation
Clarity in 45 minutes, so every next step is confident.
For Brisbane homeowners planning a new home or major renovation, this session turns ideas into clear directions. We align priorities, constraints, budget cues and decision-makers, so the design phase starts aligned and doesn’t drift into variation creep later.
- Pre-call brief capture: a 10-minute questionnaire.
- 45-minute call with the Principal Architect: scope, constraints, risks and the decisions that must be made early.
- Brief + risk snapshot (PDF): priorities, red flags and the first decision gates.
- Next-steps roadmap: recommended service depth, indicative timeline, and who needs to decide what next.
Eligibility: Brisbane homeowners, modern style, A$1m+ build, who value climate-tuned comfort and enduring materials.
About
Wigwam Architects
Founded and led by Larry Vlad, Registered Architect (QLD).
We bring 20+ years across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, shaped by high-end residential and hospitality standards where clarity, sequencing and performance matter. The result: modern homes that are simple to build, comfortable in Brisbane’s climate, and designed to age with integrity.
Questions we get
Good to know before we talk.
Do you have an office where we can meet?
We’re remote-first and don’t offer office meetings. For Brisbane projects, site visits are reserved for key milestones; everything else runs via a clear weekly cadence online.
Do you take on major renovations as well as new homes?
Yes. We take on new custom homes and major renovations that re-plan how the home works (not cosmetic-only).
When should we engage?
6 to 12 months before building starts, or earlier depending on the approvals required.
What do you deliver for pricing and approvals?
Coordinated, pricing-ready sets with the key details resolved where they matter, so the site isn’t forced to “design it in the field.”
Can we do partial service?
Yes. From concept + brief capture through approvals/tender sets, or full documentation plus builder collaboration during delivery.
How do you reduce RFIs and delays?
By making design intent buildable and unambiguous. RFIs often come from unclear documents and poor coordination, and they can cause real programme delays.
How do you handle changes without chaos?
We front-load decisions, keep a simple decision log, and document changes properly, because undocumented variations are a common source of disputes and blow-outs in QLD.
What style do you design in?
Calm modern: coherent planning, natural materials, and climate-tuned comfort designed for Queensland conditions.
How do you keep summer comfort and running costs in check?
Orientation, shade and overhangs, ventilation and glazing control are resolved up front, then we specify materials that wear in, not out.
Request invite
What you’re signing up for
Send this form and we’ll reply by email with the best next step. If it looks aligned, we’ll invite you to book a short call to clarify scope, timeframes, and how we can support you.
This isn’t a design review. It’s the first step to check alignment and decide the cleanest next move.
Remote-first, site-aware. No office meetings. We collaborate online with a clear cadence; site visits happen at key milestones.
Capacity note: if we’re full, we’ll offer a waitlist or a later start window.