About Us
Living life in full colour.
Lindsay Toledo is our Founder and Principal Designer, and has never been your typical holder of a Master in Architecture. As the opposite of most people in her profession, she absolute loves colour, socialising and bringing happiness into her clients when they see the projects she designs for them.
As she would say: 'Projects are like my babies. I've created them from my heart, brain and tummy'
With a combined 10 years work experience in Architecture studios in Brisbane and overseas, she realised that things can be done differently.
After not finding her right fit, she decided to break out of the mainstream and starting her own studio in Brisbane to be able to offer a personalised and unique service to her clients.
Our Approach.
We are a boutique studio with a focus on delivering a remarkable experience to each of our clients. In order to fulfill our mission, we do things differently.
Empathy - Lindsay believes that connecting to our clients in a rational and emotional level is the only way to achieve a project that reflects their visions and needs. And why not, some banter too to make the process enjoyable. After all we will see each other for long time before completion!
Communication - As an extrovert and a people's person, Lindsay values communicating with her clients, stakeholders, consultants, builders and suppliers on a regular basis. She will pick up the phone or go in person to make things happen, because she believes that dealing with people and building rapport with them will make the process of designing and building more enjoyable and attainable. Emails will be the second or third option for her.
Flexibility - We understand our clients must have a busy work life, and that they will prefer to think and review their projects after work or on weekends. This is why we are flexible with our working hours and the strict 9-5 Monday to Friday does not apply to us. We can meet you afterhours or on the weekends on request.
Location - Our services extend to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and any other part of Queensland remotely. We can meet you in person or online.
Meetings - We meet you where is convenient to you, whether is in your office, home, coffee shop or at Tattersall's Club in Brisbane City (Lindsay is a proud member). If you live in other parts of Queensland or prefer to meet online to review and talk about your project, we can do it remotely through Microsoft Teams or Skype.
Excellence - In our studio we do not employ students or recent graduates to do your work, we only hire nice people with experience, and Lindsay will personally review and work on each project. There is nothing more frustrating than seeing inaccurate drawings or people who are rude to workmates and clients/consultants/builders. Lindsay has an eye for detail and accuracy, but also has a zero bullying policy in her team.
Pragmatism - We are creative and passionate, but at the same time we propose designs that are realistic and can be built efficiently and on budget. Our way of dealing with problems or situations is practical not idealistic.
Time and Budget - Lindsay has always been an organised and planning person, and after studying Project Management she took her skills to the next level. You can expect her to monitor your project schedule and budget at all times to make sure your project stays on track.
Priorities - As a business person, Lindsay has a thorough understanding of your project. She can see the full picture and the priorities to achieve each stage of a project. She does not waste time overthinking or in unnecesary details. Being efficient and practical when making decisions is key to her performance.
Work Experience.
Lindsay's work experience has been unusual for someone in the design environment, and spans over different but related industries. This combination has made her a multi-skilled professional with a broad understanding of people's needs, property market trends, construction knowledge and financial investment.
Having previously owned her own Architecture studio overseas for 6 years, she then worked in Brisbane from 2019 until 2023 in different Architecture Practices as a Senior Architectural Graduate.
In these combined 10 years in Architecture practices, she worked for small, medium and large studios. Her greatest learning stem from working alongside the Managing Director and Associate at Cottee Parker Architects. She gained valuable experience working in the design of multiple Commercial, Retail, Education and Residential projects.
Some of the projects that she worked on were IGA supermarkets, Shopping Centres, Industrial projects, TAFE Qld, Schools, Childcare Centres, Retail Shops, Professional Practices and different scale homes.
In between, she also worked as a Real Estate agent for Ray White Spring Hill/New Farm, where she learnt from the best leaders about customer service and getting things done. This experience also gave her understanding of the lifestyle people crave for, what the buyers are looking for when purchasing a property, and above all how to listen and communicate with them in their own terms. Lindsay learnt where to invest, market value and the typology of development appropiate for each block of land, which makes her a handy consultant for investors and developers.
After Real Estate, she then worked as a Sales Associate at Plantation Homes, before returning to Architecture offices. Working for a volume builder, she gained invaluable knowledge about construction methods, materials, finishes and building in different blocks of land and city councils (estates, knock-down & rebuild, narrow lots, small lots, steep and sloping blocks). As well as understanding what are the desirable features that families are looking for when building their dream home, and the total cost of construction.
Education.
Since she was a toddler, Lindsay demonstrated high interest and talent in Arts and Maths. This led her to later on study a Bachelor of Architecture (BArch) at the University of Chile, where she graduated from with Honours.
After arriving in Australia in 2011, her degree was assessed and compared to an equivalent in Australia. The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia recognised her degree as a Bachelors with Honours and Masters Degree in 2014.
Her curious mind and constant desire to improve herself, made her pursue further studies since then.
She has completed the following Diplomas:
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Diploma of Building Design (National Skills, 2024)
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Diploma of Project Management (Tafe QLD, 2024)
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Diploma of Business (Gold Coast Learning Centre, 2013)
