Founded as a solo studio by Jake in 2017, SBD Studio has grown into a multidisciplinary practice with a team of seven, blending architectural and interior design expertise. Formerly known as Shire Building Design, the studio has evolved to reflect its versatility and focus on crafting luxury homes.

Our purpose is to enhance our clients' lifestyles through spaces that are authentic to their household and style.

Our practice

Core to our practice is collaboration, propelling each project forward with our collective thinking, and as an energetic group of forward-thinkers, a constant drive to push boundaries when crafting timeless homes lives in every moment, whilst modernity exists in our execution.

Our commitment to a seamless journey extends throughout every phase of each project, from planning and design to management and development, ensuring our processes remain flexible to unique requirements and guidance is given to our clients through any complexities.

From a small studio, home to a sole designer in 2017, now to a growing team of seven, we’ve become a place of multidisciplinary expertise, with building design and interiors as a balanced practice. Our experience ranges from town-house dwellings to luxury homes, accommodating small renovations to new custom developments and collaborating with first-time homeowners to adept developers.

As a studio our satisfaction is derived from our clients feeling like their home truly expresses their style, embodies their household, and is a result of a frictionless journey and joint practice.

our TEAM

Jake French

Director & Founder

After 12 years of industry experience working in various architectural firms, Jake founded SBD Studio and grew the practice from a solo venture to a team of seven over a five-year period. This journey reflects a deep understanding of architecture and design, and a commitment to building a unique studio recognised for its expertise and being trusted within the building and design community.

Joshua Smith

Senior Project Designer

With an Advanced Diploma of Building Design from TAFE and 10 years of industry experience in residential design and documentation, primarily within a design-and-construct firm, Josh has developed a highly practical, hands-on approach that he applies to every project.

Josie Potter

Interior Designer & Project Designer

Josie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commercial Interior Design and brings five years of specialised experience in high-end, multi-residential building and interior design.

Katerina Koutsoullis

Project Designer

Katerina holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies and a Master of Architecture from UNSW, with six years of experience in high-end residential building design. Her background includes two years as a part-time architectural assistant and four years in full-time design roles.

Alexa Scotton

Draftsperson

Alexa is our trusted draftsperson with a Diploma of Building Design from TAFE and two years of experience in residential design.

Lucy French

Director and Administration

Lucy, our friendly and dedicated director, brings six years of valuable experience in administration and management. She oversees operations and ensures that workflows run smoothly.

Our studio has earned a strong reputation in the industry, recognised as a trusted partner by professionals across the field.

Many of our collaborators—including developers, consultants, engineers, and construction professionals—have chosen us to design their own homes. We’ve achieved this through a deep understanding of construction and a solid foundation that guarantees our clients practical design solutions backed by a reliable and credible approach.

Shire Building Design has great vision and professionalism. We were so happy with the design they created for our new home renovation - it far exceeded our expectations. They were a joy to work with.

Working with Jake on designing our renovation has been a dream. He has provided us with a number of thoughtful options to choose from and has closely considered our brief and what is going to work best for our family and budget. He’s a great and prompt communicator, works efficiently and is thorough. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for someone down-to-earth, reliable and highly competent to work on their project.”

“Jake from Shire Design Building created an amazing design for transforming a ‘red brick terror’ from the 60’s into a coastal haven. The design has now come to fruition and we are delighted. The soaring cathedral ceilings fill the living space with an abundance of light and enhance the river views. Our home is everything we hoped for and more, thank you Jake for your careful attention to detail.”

Jake was able to achieve our ideal space, all within the confines of our budget and the very strict heritage conditions. Jake pulled together an expert team to get our project over the line and was able to accommodate any challenge that we or the council threw his way. We would highly recommend Jake, he was easy to deal with, proactive in finding solutions and made the whole process a pleasure.”