Meet Our Victorian Architects
Experienced, approachable and we come to you!
We want to help you get most out of your project now, to maximise your investment and return, and to make it delightful.
Sarah Hobday-North
FOUNDER OF ARCHITECT GP
Service Area: Melbourne North (VIC)
Sarah is a multifaceted professional wearing many hats—registered architect (Victoria) with her practice Value Architects Group, university tutor and lecturer at Monash University and The University of Melbourne, qualified high-school teacher, chorister, mother, wife, and daughter. Through Architect GP, Sarah brings a unique blend of expertise and empathy to the world of architecture.
She possesses a unique talent for blending technical expertise with a profound understanding of her clients' needs, motivations, and boundaries. Whether she’s talking about solar hot water systems or managing a renovation around a neurodivergent child, Sarah's superpower lies in her people-first approach.
Architect GP comes out of a lifetime of joy and frustration with architecture. The joy is when clients witness their projects take shape in the design phase and again when the completed building brings genuine delight. Her frustration is with the profession itself for letting itself be perceived as a luxury service for “expensive” houses. Sarah dares to question this exclusivity and has created a new kind of architecture service marked by approachability, clarity, and effective communication. Architecture is for everyone.
She has navigated the profession from making coffee in her parents’ practice to managing projects in a multinational design firm in London. Sarah found her calling when she realized that for her, architecture is a people-first profession.
Karen Erdos
Service Area: Melbourne South & East (VIC)
Karen is the Principal Architect of Karen Erdos Architecture, a boutique design practice dedicated to crafting high-performance, energy-efficient residential projects. Karen's passion lies in creating spaces that are not only bright, happy, and healthy but also have a inviting and warm aesthetic.
Karen’s strength comes from being a hands-on architect. Karen meticulously oversees every detail of her projects. Her design philosophy embraces recycling materials, harnessing natural light, and seamlessly blending functionality with beautiful form. Qualified in Passive House design, Karen has studied the world's most rigorous energy efficiency standard and uses that understanding in every project - even the most modest renovation or alteration.
Karen is a registered architect in NSW and Victoria, contributing her expertise as a tutor at RMIT and UNSW. Her journey includes collaborations with renowned architects, including Renato D’Ettorre and Sam Crawford, where her projects received accolades from The Australian Institute of Architects.
Beyond architecture, Karen is a fine artist and a founding board member of Pocket City Farms, a not-for-profit organization championing urban farming and rooftop agriculture in our cities. With Karen Erdos, architecture becomes an artful blend of sustainability, innovation, and community engagement.
Ketsa Jerome
Service Area : Melbourne North-West (VIC)
Ketsa offers clients a safe, fun space to explore their ideas and help them turn them into reality through tangible, actionable, solutions. Her goal is for you to walk away with spaces that are functional, practical and that bring joy.
She has worked in residential design for the past 7 years with projects ranging in scale and complexity, new builds, heritage conservation, renovations & extensions. Ketsa is brilliant at adapting existing spaces so they function beautifully for your needs.
Ketsa has made great connections with builders and trades in the North West over the years. She also has a good understanding of the lifestyles and patterns in the north-western suburbs and wider region, their budgets and the requirements. For example, in Essendon and Brunswick: 40-70 year olds with a mid-life budget looking to make their forever-home more functional. In Ardeer and Kealba Area: 25-40 first-home buyers looking to renovate for the short term and move up the property ladder. In Altona and Williamstown: Older age population looking to renovate established older homes for better functionality.
In her free time Ketsa plays soccer, spends time with family and friends, walks her dog Harry and enjoys trying new places to eat. She is also restoring a later 1800's Miner's Cottage with her husband in Ballarat.
Jake Nancarrow
Service Area : Melbourne Outer East, Dandenongs and Yarra Valley (VIC)
Jake founded ERA Studio after a decade of experience working with award-winning Melbourne practices. He is a compassionate and skilled Architect with practical and hands-on knowledge of building and trade craft.
Jake has the skills and experience to identify problems with an existing floor plan or design. He will identify options that offer a path forward to a better, healthier home that improves both the comfort and performance of the house. Good design does both.
He works closely with his clients to understand their needs are truly addressed and integrated with passive solar design principles and an excellent building envelope.
Beyond practice, Jake teaches architecture and construction at the University of Melbourne and enjoys spending time with his young family.
Brad Hooper
Service Area: Regional Victoria, Central-West (VIC)
Brad is the go-to architect on the main street of Maldon, Victoria. His architectural superpower is his unwavering commitment to making architecture accessible to a broader audience. In a profession that can sometimes be perceived as exclusive or luxurious, Brad defies this stereotype by ensuring that his expertise is readily available to everyone.
Brad handles everything from small alterations and new builds through to expert advice on heritage overlays and building approvals. He is a great communicator and source of anecdotes, stories, and valuable advice. He engages with clients ensuring they fully comprehend the design process and the choices available to them.
Brad believes in designing for clients and context, not to get glossy photographs or awards. Brad's approach includes delivering services in manageable portions according tot he client’s brief and personal circumstances, ensuring clarity and progress at every stage.