One Team. One Contract. One Luxury Home, Built Exactly as You Imagined It.
Design-build delivery for luxury residential projects in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs.
What is design-build?
In the traditional model, you hire an architect, they design a home, you take the drawings to builders for quotes, and you discover the design costs twice what you planned. Then the redesign begins. Months are lost. Relationships fray.
Design-build collapses that. One team handles architecture, interior design, landscape, engineering, construction, joinery, and stone. You have a single point of accountability from concept to handover. The design is costed in real time as it’s drawn, so what you see is what you build.
The Journey
How Albert Living delivers design-build
Our transparent, streamlined five‑step process to bring your vision to life.
Discovery
Understanding your site, lifestyle and aesthetic. (2 weeks)
Concept Design
Every sketch is priced as it’s drawn. No surprises at tender. (6–10 weeks)
Permits and Documentation
We handle planning and building permits. (8-16 weeks depending on council)
Construction
Project management by the team from day one. (14–24 months typical)
Handover and Warranty
12 months on finishes, structural cover per Domestic Building Insurance.
Why this matters for your project
The clear advantages of a single-team approach.
Price Certainty
Your budget is tested against every design decision, in real time. No $800k surprise at tender.
Design Integrity
Because the builder's cost engineer sits in the design room, no one "value engineers" out the detail that made you choose the design in the first place.
One Relationship
You work with one team from the first meeting to the day you get your keys.
Active work in Kew
Current Luxury Home Projects
Two homes in delivery, alongside the in-house capability that ensures every detail is built exactly as designed.
Who this is for
We take on 2–4 design-build projects per year. We're the right fit if:
Your project budget is $3M–$20M.
You want one team accountable from concept to handover.
You care about design integrity and material quality more than lowest-bidder pricing.
You're building or substantially renovating in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.
If that sounds like you, let's meet.
Luxury Homes in Kew — Explore More
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Cost to Build Luxury Home Kew
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Luxury Home Builder Kew
ExploreWork with a design-led luxury home builder in Kew, Melbourne delivering architecturally designed custom homes with integrated interiors, construction, and premium finishes.
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Building Luxury Home Guide
ExploreA complete guide to building a luxury home in Kew, covering land, planning permits, architectural design, construction timelines, and project delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Straightforward responses to the questions homeowners ask before starting a design-build project with Albert Living.
Comparable on line items, more predictable on the total. The architect-then-tender model carries hidden cost in the redesign cycles that follow tender, the specification erosion that happens during pricing, and the timeline drift through separate procurement. Under one roof, the number we land on at the end of design is the number we build to — because the people costing the build are the same people who drew it, and the design is never handed to a stranger to price.
You do. Drawings, specifications, and design documentation transfer to you on completion. Albert Living retains a reference right to include the project in our portfolio, which is exercised only with your permission.
Yes. Design and construction are separate agreements, and a pause between them is a decision you can make at any point. Homeowners commonly use the gap for finance settlement, final site preparation, or timing around a sale or move. There is no obligation to proceed into construction — if design shows the project isn't right, that is a legitimate outcome.
We take on two to four design-build projects each year. 2026 capacity is limited. The surest path to a build slot is to begin the design engagement early — drawings, engineering, and council approvals typically run six to nine months, and construction is scheduled around that timeline.
Our focus is Melbourne, particularly Toorak, Hawthorn, Kew, Camberwell, Brighton, Malvern, South Yarra, Richmond, and Balwyn. Projects beyond Melbourne are considered case by case, weighing travel, supply-chain logistics, and whether we can hold the same delivery standard we hold in the city.
Variations are a normal part of a high-end build. Each one is documented, priced, and approved before work proceeds — no surprises in the final invoice. Because the team designing your home is the team building it, a mid-construction change is assessed against the original design intent, not just costed against the quote. When a variation strengthens the home, we find a way to hold the design integrity; when it doesn't, we say so.
Begin With a Conversation.
A 15-minute consultation, no fee, no obligation. We'll talk through your site, your brief, and whether our studio is the right fit for your project.