What to Look for When Selecting an Architect for Your High-End Home

Commissioning an architect for a high-end home is one of the most significant decisions you will make during the design and construction process. The right architect will translate your vision into a built form that exceeds your expectations. The wrong one will cost you time, money, and the opportunity to achieve something genuinely exceptional.

Here is what to look for when making that choice.

Registration and Credentials

In NSW, only registered architects may legally use the title ‘architect’. Always verify your architect is registered with the Architects Registration Board of NSW (ARBNSW). This is not a formality — registration confirms the architect has met rigorous educational, professional, and ethical standards. Emanuel Solomovic holds NSW Architect Registration No. 7154.

Relevant Portfolio and Experience

Ask to see completed projects that are similar in scale, material quality, and programme to your own. High-end residential architecture requires a different sensibility than commercial or institutional work — an eye for proportion, material selection, joinery detail, and the spatial qualities that make a home feel genuinely considered rather than merely constructed.

Communication and Process

A high-end project will involve months — sometimes years — of close collaboration. The architect you choose must be someone you can communicate with clearly and honestly. Ask how they manage the design process, how they handle changes, and what their approach is to contractor selection and site administration. The answers will tell you as much about their character as their portfolio.

Understanding of Cost and Construction

Good design and good value are not mutually exclusive — but achieving both requires an architect who understands construction costs and buildability, not just design intent. Ask how they have managed budgets on comparable projects, and whether they have experience working alongside builders and contractors during the construction phase.

Emanuel Solomovic is a registered architect in NSW (Reg. No. 7154) with over 20 years of experience designing and delivering high-end residential and mixed-use projects across Australia and internationally. If you are planning a significant residential project and would like to discuss your brief, contact us to arrange a consultation.