Press and studio notes
Renovating a heritage home in Melbourne
What a Heritage Overlay really controls, what you can usually change, and how to plan a period home renovation that council and your budget can both support.
Habitus Living features Glass House by Ardo
Glass House, our transformation of an 1890s cottage in Richmond, as featured in Habitus Living.
.jpeg)
Domain on Cloud Dancer, Pantone’s 2026 Colour of the Year
Ash Roberts on why a soft, natural white like Cloud Dancer works, with Thomas House as an example.
New Norm features Glass House by Ardo
Glass House, our transformation of an 1890s workers' cottage in Richmond, as featured in New Norm.
.jpg)
Marshall White in conversation with Ardo
Ash Roberts on starting Ardo, and what “design that lives with you” means day to day.
The architecture of privacy
Domain on the move away from homes that show off, towards privacy, calm and everyday comfort.
.jpeg)
Bringing a global perspective to Australian residential design
A profile of Ash Roberts, from London practice to a more personal scale of architecture in Melbourne.
.jpeg)
Ash Roberts on designing for daily rhythm
Ash Roberts on shaping homes around the rhythms of everyday life.
.jpeg)
Designing townhouses to Clause 55
What Clause 55 asks of townhouses and dual occupancies, and how designing to it from the start led to a quick approval at Manning Residences.
Why we design architecture and interiors together
How designing the house and its interiors as one gives you a calmer home, better joinery and fewer compromises.
.jpeg)
Bringing light into a narrow Melbourne home
Courtyards, skylights, height and pale materials: how we draw daylight deep into terraces and cottages.
Renovate, extend or knock down and rebuild?
How to compare renovating, extending and rebuilding on space, planning and cost, before you commit to one.
.jpeg)
Materials that age well
Why we favour stone, timber and honest finishes that look better with time, not worse.
.jpeg)
Setting a realistic budget for an architect-designed home
What drives cost, what a full project budget includes, and how we keep design and budget aligned from the start.
Choosing a builder: how tender works
How we help you find the right builder, compare prices fairly, and look after the design through construction.
.jpeg)
What a feasibility study tells you before you buy
The questions worth answering before an auction or contract, and what they can save you later.
.jpeg)
Planning permits in Melbourne: what to expect
When you need a planning permit, how the process works, and how to keep it moving.
.jpeg)
How to write a good brief for your architect
What to put in a brief, what to leave out, and why how you live matters more than a list of rooms.
Share your vision
Tell us about your project, what you have in mind and when you'd like to begin. Every project starts with a conversation.