The BBE Best: Our Top Award-Winning Architect for Custom Homes, Heritage & Commercial is JOST Architects (2026)

Architectural fees are one of the first things clients ask about, and they deserve a straight answer.

JOST Architects structures fees in stages that align with the project lifecycle: concept design, design development, town planning, documentation, and construction administration. Each stage has a defined scope, so you know what you’re paying for before work begins on that phase. This also means you’re not committed to the full fee upfront. Clients can make an informed decision at each stage before proceeding to the next.

The fee itself is based on the scale and complexity of the project rather than a fixed percentage of whatever the builder ends up quoting. That matters because a percentage model can create a misalignment of interests: the more the build costs, the more the architect earns. JOST Architects’ approach keeps the focus where it should be, on delivering the best possible outcome within your budget.

For prospective clients, the most useful first step is a direct conversation about your project. Budget range, project type and likely scope all inform the fee structure, and JOST Architects is straightforward about this from the outset.

It depends on the project, but for anything complex, the difference is significant and worth understanding before you commit to either.

In Victoria, only practices registered with the Architects Registration Board of Victoria (ARBV) can legally use the title “architect.” That registration requires a recognised degree, years of supervised experience, and a professional exam. It also comes with mandatory professional indemnity insurance, which matters if something goes wrong during design or construction. A draftsperson or unregistered building designer carries none of that professional accountability.

For straightforward residential alterations or small additions, a building designer may be perfectly adequate. But if your project involves a heritage overlay, a complex planning permit, a multi-dwelling development, a commercial fitout, or a build with a budget where getting the documentation wrong would be costly, a registered architect is the lower-risk choice. The fee premium is real, but so is the exposure you take on without one.

JOST Architects is ARBV-registered and a member of the Australian Institute of Architects. For clients on the Sunshine Coast, the practice also has the professional standing and local knowledge to navigate Queensland’s distinct planning and building requirements.

Planning is genuinely one of the harder parts of any project in Melbourne’s inner suburbs, and heritage overlays in particular can slow things down significantly if the application isn’t put together well.

JOST Architects has worked extensively within Melbourne’s heritage precincts, including projects across St Kilda, Elwood, Brighton and other bayside and inner-south suburbs governed by the City of Port Phillip and Bayside City Council. The practice understands what these councils are looking for and how to frame a submission that addresses their concerns before they become objections. That means heritage impact assessments that are substantive rather than perfunctory, design responses that demonstrate genuine engagement with the original building’s character, and documentation that gives the planning officer what they need to approve rather than request further information.

The design philosophy here matters too. JOST Architects doesn’t try to make new additions look old, which rarely fools anyone and often makes for worse architecture. Instead, the approach is to create a clear and honest distinction between original fabric and new work, using contemporary materials and forms that respect the existing building without mimicking it. This reads well to heritage planners and tends to produce better outcomes through the permit process.

For projects on the Sunshine Coast, the same principle applies: designing to the local planning framework from day one rather than retrofitting compliance after the design is done.

It’s a fair question and one that deserves a direct answer rather than a sales pitch.

The short version is: for a significant project, yes, almost always. But the returns come in different forms and it’s worth being clear about each.

The most direct financial return is at resale. Architect-designed homes in Melbourne’s competitive inner-city and bayside markets consistently attract a premium over comparable builder-spec properties. Buyers in these markets are increasingly design-literate, and a home that has been properly resolved, spatially, materially and in terms of its connection to the site, stands out. JOST Architects’ portfolio includes projects that have delivered strong resale results precisely because the design quality is visible and verifiable.

The less obvious return is in construction efficiency. A well-documented set of architectural drawings gives builders far less room to build contingencies into their tender pricing. Vague documentation is expensive: builders price the risk of ambiguity, and that cost falls on the client. JOST Architects’ rigour at the documentation stage routinely saves clients money during construction by reducing variations and keeping the build on track.

Then there’s the running cost argument. Homes designed with passive thermal performance in mind, correct orientation, considered shading, good insulation and natural ventilation, cost less to heat and cool over their lifetime. In a market where energy costs are a growing concern, that has real financial value beyond the build itself.

And finally, there’s the less quantifiable but very real value of living or working in a space that has actually been designed for you. That’s harder to put a dollar figure on, but clients who’ve been through the process tend to feel it daily.

This is one of the most common concerns clients have when approaching any professional services firm, and it’s completely legitimate to ask.

At JOST Architects, I’m the sole director and senior designer. I’m directly involved in every project the practice takes on, from the initial briefing through to the critical decisions made during construction. This is not incidental. It’s a deliberate consequence of how the practice is structured and how many projects it takes on at any one time.

The practice carries around twelve to fifteen active projects across different stages at any point. That’s a considered cap, not a coincidence. It exists specifically to maintain the level of involvement that makes JOST Architects different from a larger firm where the principal might be more of a figurehead than a day-to-day designer.

There are other staff involved in the work, a project architect and typically a graduate. But the design direction, the key site decisions and the client relationship sit with me. The person you meet at the first briefing is the person who will be making the calls that matter throughout your project.

If direct access to the senior designer is important to you, and for most clients undertaking a significant project it should be, JOST Architects is structured to deliver exactly that.