Luxury is an experience.

About Us.

Archbuild is the brainchild of Mike Movaffaghi. He started the company with a clear purpose in mind: to help people get their luxury houses designed and built within their budget and through a pleasant experience.

Before establishing Archbuild in 2020, he had worked on large-scale commercial and public government buildings for 19 years, delivering over $1 billion in projects, some of which were shortlisted as finalists for Australian Institute of Architects awards. On the side, Mike Movaffaghi was designing and building houses and multi-units for living and investment.

During all of these years, he came across many people with painful experiences dealing with homebuilders. He noticed a significant gap between the commercial and housing sectors in terms of quality and client experience. Compared with the commercial sector, the housing industry seemed to him like a wild jungle.

The irony is that a bricklayer, carpenter, or even a scaffolder with a few years of experience on-site potentially can forge references from a few builders and get licensed as a homebuilder. Compared with some other countries that require engineering plus site experience to get a builder's license, this seems ridiculous.

Mike Movaffaghi noticed that, in general, trades such as bricklayers and scaffolders are focused on one trade, dealing with a builder as their client for most of their professional life. A builder client is a B2B (business-to-business) relation, whereas a homeowner client is a B2C (business-to-client/customer) relation. Hence, the trades generally lack the critically important home client relations experience for the successful delivery of a project.

Mike also found that the majority of trades do not possess the required systematic thinking in relation to project management and delivery. They usually are hands-on with a few workers or apprentices on their side. They are focused and head down to their only trade - as they have to in order to deliver their job. This is different from the heads-up bird's-eye view approach required for a successful home project delivery, which requires dealing with sometimes over 30 trades, a few consultants, site safety, and a range of authorities (councils, private certifiers, utility services authorities, etc.).

Mike Movaffaghi found this glitch in the housing market and decided to establish a home design and building company that can make a difference: a systematic client-centered custom home builder in Sydney."

About Mike.

About Mike Movaffaghi

Mike Movaffaghi is the co-founder of Movarasi Architects and founder of Archbuild. He started his career in 2001 after his bachelor's and master's degree in Architectural Engineering. He delivered over $1 billion of building projects in a wide range of commercial, residential and government sectors before founding Archbuild and Movarasi.

A number of Mike's projects have been shortlisted or finalist for Australian Institute of Architects Awards.

Mike is a licensed builder (since 2013), registered architect (since 2012), and accredited project manager, PMP (since 2013). He is a member of Australian Institute of Architects and Master Builders Association. He has a bachelor and master degree in architectural engineering and project management.

Architect &
Custom Home Builder

Currently, in the housing market, people have been left with mainly two choices: either work with an architect, take the design to a builder and face an overprice quote, or go to a house & land package builder, which gives them only a few choices from their existing copy-paste plans.

We have noticed how the words "architect design" and "custom design" have been manipulated by the industry. If you want to change the house & land copy-paste plans, even a little bit, this gets called "custom design" and charged massively extra. Some project builders claim they have an in-house architect, however our experience shows they largely fail to deliver a true "architect design" home. A true architect design home must result in uniqueness, 100% custom spaces, and provide a sense of identity to the family who wants to live in their very own home.

The other major flaw we have noticed in the project builders house & land industry is their marketing. They display a full specification of their highest range of finishes but price tag it with the lowest-end finishes with lots of "exclusions" to lure the customers into signing a contract. This leads to many variations and disputes between clients and builders, hence causing major headaches for clients.

Project builders largely provide limited selection of finishes to the customers to select from the "builder's range"- if clients want something else they need to pay substantial amount of extra costs called "variations".

With all of these, at the end of construction, the majority of the customers are not only left with a very high cost but also with a house which is merely another copy of many others and not meeting what they exactly want.

Mike Movaffaghi, the founding director of Archbuild, noticed this gap in the market and decided to take action. He noticed if he wants to close this gap he needs not only to be an architect but also a builder. He went through a challenging endeavour of moving between industries for years to acquire firsthand experience in both fields and obtained a full builder licence on top of his architect registration.

At Archbuild, we believe good architecture is for everyone, not just the elite. Everyone deserves a bespoke architect design home, a true custom design home, which meets 100% of their needs. We believe the architect design homes do not necessarily need to be expensive. If properly designed and managed, they can be delivered within budget, and offer great value for money.

Archbuild is committed to delivering not only marvelous 100% architect design homes, but also to ensure they are delivered within clients' budgets. We are committed to offering the best value for our clients' money.

A floor plan sketch by Mike Movaffaghi for a true custom design home on an irregular shape land in Gladesville, Sydney. See our Contente home page.

A true custom design home not only meets all client's needs, also takes advantage of site potentials and values. This results in a responsive design which adds significantly to the property value without necessarily adding to construction costs.

At Archbuild we do not start construction before we have fully satisfied the client needs within their budget as well as maximising site potentials for added value to the property.

Our Custom Houses

Architects who build homes.

We distinguish ourselves from the typical home builders. We are architects who build homes. We are university educated, holding bachelor's and master's degrees with a systematic approach. As per Mike’s notes: "Archbuild, a True Custom Home Builder."

Our perspective is holistic, prioritising our clients' needs for space, quality, and style.

We offer a comprehensive solution, guiding clients from land acquisition to design, approvals, construction, and obtaining occupancy certificates.

Archbuild architects who build custom houses in Sydney

Our Construction Method

Our Design Approach

Archbuild custom home builders follow environment sustainability policy

Sustainable Homes

Archbuild is committed to design and build environmentally sustainable homes that use less energy to heat and cool, and leave zero or low carbon footprint.

We create robust homes that withstand forces of the harsh Australian environment and need minimum maintenance for decades to come.

As a custom home builder, we at Archbuild understand that building your desired home is a significant and exciting journey, and it all starts with the design. That is why we take pride in our design process and are committed to delivering the best possible experience for our clients. Our team of experienced architects and home builders are dedicated to ensuring that your house is not only functional, but also beautiful and uniquely tailored to your needs.

The design process is an important step in the building a custom home journey, as it sets the foundation for the construction of your house. Our home architects and builders will work closely with you to understand your requirements and preferences, ensuring that your new home is designed to your exact specifications. Our process is designed to be transparent, collaborative and stress-free, so you can feel confident that your custom house is in good hands.

The first step in our design process is to schedule an initial consultation. During this consultation, we will get to know you and your family, and understand your vision for your new home. We will discuss your lifestyle, design preferences, budget and any specific requirements you may have. Our team will also take this opportunity to assess the site and make recommendations for the design of your home.

Once we have a clear understanding of your vision, our designers and architects will create a fully tailored design proposal for your house. This proposal will include sketches and drawings of your new home, as well as a cost estimate. Our team will work with you to refine the design, ensuring that all your requirements are met.

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