studio
From first sketch to final detail, Place designs contemporary homes shaped by site, light and material.
approach
Place is a residential design studio shaped by site, light and material. We design contemporary homes that feel calm, enduring and intrinsically connected to the place they belong to.
Place Studio designs contemporary homes defined by clarity, material richness, and a strong connection to place.
We balance expressive design with meticulous detail, crafting spaces where light, landscape, and natural materials shape the experience of everyday living.
Our work is guided by four ideas: Place, Light, Materiality and Craft.
- Every project begins with the site. Orientation, topography and the surrounding landscape shape a home that feels grounded in its setting and intrinsically connected to where it sits.
- Orientation & aspect
- Topography & landscape
- Connection to site
- Outlook & privacy
- Climate & comfort
- Threshold & garden
- Sense of arrival
- Indoor-outdoor living
- Grounded in its setting
- Natural light through the day
- Framed views & openings
- Topography & landscape
- Connection to site
- Spatial sequencing
- Aspect & orientation
- Sense of arrival
- Shade & shelter
- Indoor-outdoor flow
- Courtyards & gardens
- Cross-ventilation
- Privacy & outlook
- Indoor-outdoor living
- Timber, stone & concrete, used with restraint
- Texture, warmth & longevity
- Honest, considered detailing
- Natural, durable finishes
- Materials that age well
- Tactile, natural palettes
- Concept design
- Design development
- Council & approvals
- Construction documentation
- Involvement on site through construction
- Interiors, joinery & finishes
- Furniture & lighting
- Close client collaboration
- A calm, considered process
- Detail resolved with care
- Passive solar design
- Energy-efficient systems
- Responsible material selection
- Built to last
- Comfort year-round
people
Jacob Shaw
Founder
Master of Architecture
Jacob has a Master of Architecture degree from the University of New South Wales and has worked on various scale of projects from international football stadiums to tiny homes.
With over 15 years of experience in the construction industry, collaborating with clients is central to Jacob's joy in design, working together through design, certification and construction phases.
Outside the studio, Jacob is caring for his dachshund Ralph, and enjoys surfing, snowboarding, cooking, photography and travelling.
