A sneak peek into the studios of Sam Crawford Architects

Sam Crawford Architects (SCA) is a design-driven architectural firm formed in 1999 in Sydney, Australia. Over the previous two decades, they have completed over 200 projects. The chief architect of this studio is Architect Sam Crawford, who founded it. SCA has established a national reputation for design excellence, as evidenced by the volume, quality, and breadth of projects executed. Sam’s design ethics guarantees that SCA provides ecologically and socially responsible architecture, attracting like-minded individuals to the firm. Over the previous two decades, they have earned a well-deserved reputation for design excellence in residential, cultural, and public buildings. Aside from their experience in these areas, they have begun working with both commercial and public clients in the education sector. The Australian Institute of Architects, Australian Timber Design Honors, Local Government Heritage, Conservation, and Urban Design, as well as other industry honors and commendations, have all recognized this studio on a local, state, and national level. 

Office Design

One would be astounded by the modern style and minimalist atmosphere of the Sam Crawford Architects office upon entering. One may sense the welcoming atmosphere of this office by standing on the wooden floor. The mechanical and electrical equipment is visible but not visibly so, and the walls and ceilings are also white. Everyone is seated at a workstation working, while architectural scale models and experiment samples can be seen everywhere. There is a sizable primary workstation where all staff are quietly working. A meeting room is also available for various types of conversations. This office is intriguing and interesting for all. A group of 22 very skilled individuals working together to make SCA a more efficient and profitable architecture business.

Core Values

Sam Crawford Architects appreciates its clients and assists them in defining their requirements. A fundamental strategy of this company is to provide a creative and adaptable solution while working within a budget and delivering on time. They are recognized not just for being client-focused, but also for working closely with experienced consultants, builders, suppliers, and artists. Through their design approach, research and development play a key part, and they are extremely strategic in all of our projects. They approach design difficulties with an openness and rigor that motivates them to explore both expected and surprising solutions. They design solutions that accomplish several tasks at once; doing as much as possible with as little as feasible.

They hold the following core values:

1. Sam Crawford Architects creates places that are unconventionally about the limitless possibilities of experience and occupation for people, for our customers, and for others to occupy, experience, and enjoy. They consider the unlimited possibilities of experience and profession in an unorthodox manner.
2. Their design is inspired by its surroundings, whether it is a crowded metropolitan area or a beautiful nature location. They try to design structures and places that respond to and enrich the physical and intangible characteristics of location; of site and its surroundings.
3. SCA makes the client the primary generator of the design from concept design to project completion by working together to establish the intended uses of a structure or space.
4. They strive to define the space from the inside and the outside, form expression, qualities of location and space, daylight, airflow, emotions, and sense of delight in our structures, among other things, throughout the design process.
5. They can function as a source of innovation while working within budgetary constraints. To become more efficient throughout the design process, they collaborate with their clients and cost consultants from concept to detailed design, documentation, and construction to ensure this reality.
6. They adopt a long-term perspective on sustainability and operate under the premise that passively planned, and built for long life are more sustainable than those that rely solely on high-tech environmental solutions.
7. From the beginning of the design process to completion, Sam Crawford architects continue to bring value to their projects.

First Work

A tiny, dilapidated 1950s beach cottage was given to architect Sam Crawford Architects in 1999 to be converted into a spacious, luminous 4-bedroom residence. They provided their loyal customers with an attractive, flexible, and useful home that suited their financial needs and, in some tiny way, enhanced their quality of life and feeling of a place. SCA used the manipulation and articulation of light, space, material, color, and texture as an opportunity to investigate their design ethos.

Latest Work

Recently, Sam Crawford Architects is engaged with several projects. They have created a curving bridge in Sydney’s Centennial Park. This 40-meter-long bridge, known as Bara Bridge, was inspired by the curving shape and migration patterns of the “bara,” or long-finned eel, which are significant in the customs of the nearby Dharawal people. With the construction of this bridge, the pedestrian and bicycle routes between the park and the nearby suburb were once again connected.

The Canvas Factory, a mixed-use residential development, was designed by Sam Crawford Architects. In this design approach, they were influenced by four themes: context, community, activation, and variety. As a result, two buildings are separated atop a podium level and linked by the main access stair and elevator. A taller apartment building faces more developed Mitchell Road, while a smaller terrace-style construction faces the finer grain, but nonetheless crowded urban area along Belmont Lane. The courtyard promotes social interaction by providing a place to relax for a peaceful talk or a cup of tea in the sun. When not in use, the alley functions as an active laneway with passive surveillance and direct connectivity to residences. The environment created on the property invites a variety of non-human inhabitants to visit or live inside a protected landscape setting, while also providing an overview and buffer to Belmont Lane for human occupiers. Window boxes link to the interior manicured patio.

They employed exposed brick as a billowing brick canvas woven into the fabric of Mitchell Road in their design. Glazed bricks above the bottom level retain and increase the original building’s datum. An arch in relief above the apartment doorway is a whimsical homage to the rendered arches of the original structure and its immediate neighbor. This material character is carried through to the back alley, where a more restrained shape responds to the terrace typology seen in this section of Alexandria. The structure fits into the lower scale environment to the rear with a stronger vertical language and pitched roof.

Reference

Sam Crawford Architects. (2022). North Bondi Amenities [Photograph]. (North Bondi Amenities: https://samcrawfordarchitects.com.au/project/north-bondi-amenities/)

Boardman B. (2016). Marks Park Amenities [Photograph]. (Marks Park Amenities: https://samcrawfordarchitects.com.au/project/marks-park-amenities/)

Boardman B. (2000). Avalon Beach House [Photograph]. (Avalon Beach House: https://samcrawfordarchitects.com.au/project/avalon-beach-house/)

Boardman B. (2016). Bara Bridge Centennial Park [Photograph]. (Bara Bridge Centennial Park: https://samcrawfordarchitects.com.au/project/bara-bridge-centennial-park/)

Sam Crawford Architects. (2022). The Canvas Factory [Render]. (The Canvas Factory: https://samcrawfordarchitects.com.au/project/the-canvas-factory/)