Welcome to BCA
We are a small studio based in Thornbury, Victoria on Wurundjeri land.
We provide bespoke architecture specific to our clients’ needs and responsive to their site.
Our team loves working with like-minded people and we develop strong relationships with our clients and builders.
The positive energy this creates pervades our design process and is embedded in all of our homes.
The majority of our work is in Melbourne and coastal and regional Victoria, but we also work across Australia and currently have projects in Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.
Our practice is registered with The Architect’s Registration Board in Victoria. We are A+ members of the Australian Institute of Architects and members of ArchiTeam Cooperative. We are also members of the Australian Passivhaus Institute and are certified Passive House Designers.
Sustainability is an issue that we take seriously. While we know that that true sustainability is hard to achieve in anything we humans do, we have taken steps to make our operation in our studio as environmentally responsible as possible: We are signatories to the Architects Declare movement, and are committed to operating carbon neutral.
Our studio and vehicle are powered by our on-site solar and supplemented by 100% Green Power.
Meet the team
Ben | Director
Ben is passionate about architecture, building and environmentally sustainable design and loves to create beautiful buildings. Since graduating from The University of Melbourne’s Masters of Architecture in 2003 Ben has designed and project managed many houses for happy clients. His buildings have won awards including The Sustainability Awards, Australian Timber Design Awards, City of Yarra Sustainability Awards and City of Bayside Sustainability Awards.
Ben started this practice in 2014 with the aim of designing buildings that are delightful for our clients to occupy with minimal environmental impact and in 2019 we won the Architeam Emerging Architect Award. Ben regularly presents at The University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Architecture’s Environmental Building Systems course and has also shared his experience at events including Green Magazine’s ‘Green Talks,’ The Australian Institute of Architects Small Practice Forum and The Sustainable Living Festival.
Outside work, Ben loves spending time with his young family and enjoys running, snowboarding and, somewhat tragically, following the Saints in the footy.
Mat
Mat has a passion for all things timber and sustainability.
Having graduated from Monash University he has gained experience across a variety of residential scales. From small and intricate heritage extensions to new off-grid homes on rural properties.
In his work, Mat most enjoys details where he is able to combine the technical with the tactile to create idiosyncratic moments of joy.
Outside of the office Mat pursues the craftsmanship involved in designing/making furniture and woodturning.
Carmel
Carmel cares deeply for the environment and the way we live in our world, informing her considerate approach to architecture.
A Dean’s Honours List graduate from Melbourne University, Carmel also draws on her experience in high-end residential architecture, heritage extensions, and interior design to deliver thoughtful projects.
Outside of work, she enjoys spending time in nature, playing tennis, baking sweet treats and painting (walls + canvas alike!).
Bec
Bec is drawn to environmentally responsive architecture - homes that create a strong connection between people and place.
Beginning her career in landscape architecture, she brings a thoughtful awareness of ecology, materiality, and site character to her work. Her experience spans a range of residential projects across both regional and urban settings.
Beyond the studio, Bec enjoys spending time outdoors, where her connection to nature continues to inform her approach to design.
Nada
Nada is deeply passionate about designing buildings that positively impact both the environment and those who inhabit them.
She began her journey by studying Interior Architecture before completing both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Architecture at Monash University. Her final studio was based in Italy, an experience that broadened her perspective on how diverse communities live and how architecture can meaningfully contribute to society.
Nada is committed to creating buildings that are designed to last throughout their life cycle, ensuring that people can live in well-designed homes.
Outside of her architectural work, Nada also has a strong passion for arts, often spending her spare time drawing and painting.
Shreya
Shreya is a passionate architecture student currently pursuing a master of architecture at the University of Melbourne.
With a deep commitment to design that fosters meaningful connections between people and place, her work explores sensitivity to existing conditions, thoughtful use of materials, and opportunities for the project to regenerate ecologies beyond the site over time.
Outside of architecture, she enjoys reading, painting, and spending time outdoors with friends and family.
- Finalist: Little Brick House
- Finalist: Silvertop House
- Finalist: Wakanui Trail House
- Winner: Emerging Architect Award
Sustainable Category
- Shortlisted: Elemental House
Heritage Category
- Winner: Beyond House
- Finalist: Callery House
(Vic Chapter) Sustainable Architecture Award
- Shortlisted: Brunswick Lane Solar House
- Winner: Brunswick Lane Solar House
- Winner: Young Designer's Award
- Green - issue 107
Oculus House
- The Design Files - issue 03
Little Brick House
- Home Beautiful - issue Mar 2025
Habitat House
- Green - issue 97
Habitat House - Grand Designs Australia - issue 12.4
Waratah Stables
- Grand Designs Australia -
issue kitchens & bathrooms #7
North King - Grand Designs Australia - issue 12.1
Rise House
- Grand Designs Australia - issue 11.4
Wakanui Trail House
- Dream Home - Foxtel
Elemental House
- Country Style - October issue
Elemental House
- Habitus - issue 51
Through the Looking Glass
- Sanctuary - issue 55
Wongi
- Habitus - issue 51
Through the Looking Glass
- Sanctuary - issue 55
Wongi
- Green - issue 75
Paperback House
- Green - issue 67
Elemental House
- Sanctuary - issue 49
Townhouse Turnaround
- Grand Designs Australia - issue 8.1
B&W House
- Sanctuary - issue 41
- Green - issue 59
Curvy House
- Sanctuary - issue 36
Beyond House
- Green - issue 40
Callery House
