Emma Butterworth, architect

EMMA BUTTERWORTH ARCHITECTS

RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE, BRISBANE
EMMA BUTTERWORTH ARCHITECTS
RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE, BRISBANE
Architectural plans being discussed around a table

Architects fluent in your design language.New homes · Renovations · Additions

our approach
From feeling to form
We work with homeowners to dissolve boundaries between traditional and modern, inside and outside. Most importantly, I take on the complexity of a building project so you can live the life you want to keep living. Whether your project is reimagining a Queenslander or rethinking how your home works for the way you live now, the design starts with your story.
THE CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP
Good architecture is made in dialogue.
You bring the life already happening inside the home; your routines, references, ambitions and non-negotiables. I bring the experience to test possibilities, navigate constraints and hold the wider picture.You remain close to the decisions, while I keep the process moving and the whole intact.
the eba way
EXPLORE SERVICES →
01 — THE STARTING POINT
I LISTEN FOR WHAT MATTERS, THEN GIVE IT FORM.
You might arrive with a folder of images, one unresolved problem or simply a feeling you can’t quite name.You don’t need a perfectly formed brief. I listen closely, find the thread and turn what matters into a clear architectural direction.
02 — THE CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP
GOOD ARCHITECTURE IS MADE IN DIALOGUE.
You bring the knowledge of your life—your routines, references, ambitions and non-negotiables. I bring the experience to test ideas, navigate constraints and hold the wider picture. You remain close to the decisions while I keep the work moving and the whole intact.
Silhouette of a woman looking out from a balcony at a distant city skyline under a clear sky.
03 — PEOPLE + PLACE
THE RESPONSE SHOULD BELONG.
Every project begins somewhere different: a new site, a house with history, a need for more room or a wish to live differently. Rather than impose a signature style, I work with the particular qualities of your life, the site and what is already there to find a response that feels right—and distinctly yours.
I begin by understanding how you live now and how you want to live, then translate those instincts into architecture that feels particular to you, your home in its surroundings.
emma butterworth
THE PROCESS

LISTEN

01

We begin with your place, your routines and the way you want life at home to feel.

EXPLORE

02

We test possibilities through conversation, observation and drawing.

RESOLVE

03

We refine the strongest direction into something clear, considered and buildable.

REALISE

04

We carry the idea forward with care, keeping the original intent present in every decision.

THE PROCESS

LISTEN

01

We begin with your place, your routines and the way you want life at home to feel.

EXPLORE

02

We test possibilities through conversation, observation and drawing.

RESOLVE

03

We refine the strongest direction into something clear, considered and buildable.

REALISE

04

We carry the idea forward with care, keeping the original intent present in every decision.

AN ARCHITECT FLUENT IN YOUR DESIGN LANGUAGE.
You don’t need to arrive with a perfectly formed brief. You might have a folder of images, a problem you can’t quite name, or simply a feeling that your home could work differently.I listen for what matters, then give it form.
HOW DO YOU LIVE, REALLY?
A brief is rarely just a list of rooms. It is the morning light at breakfast, the place everyone gathers, the door that is always in the way, the breeze through the window on a balmy Queensland night.I’m interested in the productive tension between old and new, indoors and out, memory and possibility. The aim is not to impose a style, but to uncover the right response.
EXPLORE SERVICES →
In their words
“Our home is a reflection of the benefits of collaboration and teamwork”
I have experience with residential developments, and when it came to creating our new family home, I was looking to partner with an architect who would collaborate with me during the design process. Emma worked with me to ensure my vision met the planning and regulatory requirements, and our home is a reflection of the benefits of collaboration and teamwork.
Jenn
Comma Projects
“A home that looked like it had always been there”
We had been struggling to find someone who could translate the ideas in our head into a design for our new home. The thing we loved most about working with Emma was how she created a home that looked like it had always been there, but reflected our families modern needs.
Amy
Camp Hill

IN THEIR WORDS

“Our home is a reflection of the benefits of collaboration and teamwork.”

Jenn — Comma Projects

“Emma made the process feel clear, collaborative and genuinely considered.”

Client name — Project

THE FIRST
SKETCH SESSION

THE FIRST

Whether you have something specific in mind, or simply know something needs to change, the First Sketch Session is a considered place to begin.

We spend around two hours in your home, walking through what works, what doesn’t and what might be possible. I sketch as we talk.

Emma Butterworth discussing a homeArchitectural discussion and sketching
INCLUDED IN THE SESSION
01 —

A CONVERSATION

Time to unpack your ideas and priorities.

02 —

SKETCHES TO KEEP

Hand-drawn possibilities for your home.

03 —

A CLEAR NEXT STEP

Practical guidance on what could come next.

Architectural sketches being reviewed
Emma Butterworth in conversation with a client

FINISHED SPACES ARE ONLY PART OF THE STORY.

VISIT OUR PROJECT ARCHIVE.
EBA STORIES
Notes on architecture and the worlds around it: homes, objects, memory, art and the ways we live together.
EBA STORIES
Notes on architecture and the worlds around it: homes, objects, memory, art and the ways we live together.
Enquire about a project →
COME HOME TO YOUR STORY.
If there is a version of your home you keep quietly imagining, I would love to hear about it.
Emma Butterworth at work
START A CONVERSATION

GET IN TOUCH.

Tell me a little about your place, what you are considering and where you would like to begin.

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FROM THE STUDIO
EBA STORIES
Notes on homes, design decisions and the small observations that shape better places to live.