SALBASHIAN ARCHITECTS

Apartment & Townhouse Specialists

Since July 2021, NSW regulations have required apartment and townhouse renovations (Class 2 buildings) to be designed by registered Design Practitioners, ensuring specialist expertise, compliance, and accountability from design through to construction.

NSW Registered Architect

Featured in Forbes

15+ Years Experience

As a mother of three and apartment specialist, I understand that great design isn't about creating a showpiece - it's about creating a home that supports everyday life.

Specialist Architect for Class 2 Buildings

Most apartment and townhouse renovations fail not because of design; they fail because of what wasn’t considered early.

Hello! I’m Linette Salbashian, a registered architect and Class 2 Design Practitioner. I help apartment and townhouse owners navigate design, strata approvals and construction with confidence - so they can focus on creating a home that works better for the way they would like to live.

After years working exclusively in multi-residential buildings, I've seen how easily projects can become delayed by strata requirements, building regulations, consultant coordination and unforeseen construction issues.

That's why my team and I focus on identifying opportunities and risks upfront - before they become costly problems. Focus areas:

Apartment renovations
Apartment amalgamations
Balcony enclosures
Airspace developments
Townhouse upgrades

Our Clients

Many of our clients are at a transition point - downsizing, right-sizing, upgrading, or preparing a home for the next phase of life, often investing significant money into their properties.

At this stage, the goal isn’t only to renovate or design something beautiful.

It’s knowing where to invest - and where not to - without getting it wrong and without over-capitalising, so the project adds real value.

Apartment renovations come with hidden constraints that can impact approvals, buildability, and ultimately, how much value you add. That’s where we come in.

“Linette is a pleasure to work with and we have found her to be reliable, conscientious, enthusiastic and respectful.

She listens to her clients and is full of ideas in order to get the best outcome. She is very skilful especially in the interior design aspect. We are glad that she was recommended to us.”

Sylvia Watt, Co-founder & Managing Director of the Bush Chemist, Cremorne Pt Townhouse

Lavender Bay Townhouse Project (Class 2)

Start with Clarity.

Start Here.

project fundamentals

A suite of distinct services designed to

reduce risk, improve decision-making, and help you move forward with confidence.

1

Strategy

Apartment & Townhouse Project Fundamentals

We guide you to make informed decisions before committing significant time and money to design, approvals, or construction.

2

Design & Approvals

We transform ideas and opportunities into approved designs while navigating council and strata approvals needed to bring them to life.

3

Construction Documentation

You receive detailed documentation that gives builders, consultants, and certifiers the information needed to accurately price, approve, and build with confidence.

4

Build Support

We support you through builder selection, construction queries, and site decisions so your renovation stays aligned with the approved design.

Engage us for a single service or partner with us throughout the entire journey - from initial feasibility and strata approvals through to construction and completion.

Cremorne Point Townhouse Project (Class 2)

Our Difference

Builders involved early at project milestones

We collaborate with trusted class 2 builders and building practitioners from the start not at the end. This ensures:

Realistic cost expectations
Buildable design solutions
Value management to meet budgets
Fewer surprises during construction
Smoother, more efficient process

How we work

Experience & Qualifications

Registered NSW Class 2 Architect / Design Practitioner

Architect with interiors specialisation - 15 years apartment design experience for property developers and homeowners
Top Australian Universities Educator
Experience in Innovation Projects and Training
Through my past experience, I have developed a specialty in increasing the value of residential properties to live in, lease or sell through designing functional and efficient spaces, maximising the space available (more storage!), reducing wasted areas, and bringing knowledge in cutting-edge design and specification of materials and products.
Click here to find out more about the new Class 2 Compliance Declaration Scheme aimed at restoring confidence in the residential construction industry.
Featured in Forbes Magazine
Full article Link: SALBASHIAN ARCHITECTS: Redefining Apartment Living In Sydney - Forbes

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“…is also notable for its cross-dicsiplanary structure. With in-house town planning expertise and coordination with builders during the design process, the firm delivers designs that are aligned with budget constraints and construction feasibility from the onset.”

What Our Clients Say

To access our real-time 5-star Google reviews, visit this link

Click on the arrows below to read some of the reviews:

Testimonials

We had an outstanding experience working with Linette and Salbashian Architects. They designed a truly amazing new home for us-beautiful, functional, and perfectly suited to our lifestyle. Their innovative thinking and creative vision set them apart, and they were always professional and a pleasure to work with. They also guided us expertly through complex council regulations and secured development approval. Communication was clear and consistent throughout the entire process. We’re absolutely thrilled with the design and couldn’t recommend them more highly to anyone looking to build or renovate with confidence and style. A top-tier architect in every way!

Benedict Jones, COO Manulife, Seaforth Project

Linette is a pleasure to work with and we have found her to be reliable, conscientious, enthusiastic and respectful.

She listens to her clients and is full of ideas in order to get the best outcome. She is very skilful especially in the interior design aspect. We are glad that she was recommended to us.

Sylvia Watt, Co-founder & Managing Director of the Bush Chemist, Cremorne Pt Townhouse

Currently in the early phase of Renovations. Due to recent changes to regulations, it difficult to Navigate the correct process. Salbashian Architects came highly recommended. They agreed to undertake the whole process inclusive of Plans etc. Linette thinks out of the box but does listen to the client. To date progress has been excellent, living in Victoria and the Project being in NSW, Linette makes the process fairly simple and explains all the Acronyms' etc.

More than pleased with the service to date.

John Anthony Channon, Fairlight Apartment

Linette from Salbashian Architects is incredibly knowledgeable and helped my husband and I work through some upcoming renovation plans. Highly recommend her approach to design, great ideas and personable approach throughout the process.

Laina Leuenberger, Digital Designer, Destination NSW, Adelaide House

In our search to finding our perfect home, Linette has always given us great advice on what improvements and changes can be made. She has made the whole process stress free!

Francesca Masocolo, Founder of Sleep By Francesca, Pre-purchase Consultations

Professional, high-quality service and fantastic communication.

Steve Granger, Sales Director Roadshow Films

Linette is wonderful to deal with and fantastic ideas and suggestions. Follows through with everything and is very informative.

Heather Tyler, Relocation Consulting Manager, St. Leonards Apartment

In my capacity as a town planner I have worked with Linette from Salbashian Architects on a number of projects. I have been impressed with Linette's architectural knowledge and expertise and her ability to come up with innovative solutions that produce great outcomes. Her clear communication, consultative approach and, friendly and engaging personality makes working together a pleasure.

Ian Arnott, Town Planner

Fantastic Architect, really understands how to make a home a better place to live through great design ideas.

Kim Merlino, Senior Architect Tzannes

Linette brings a vibrant energy and enthusiasm to every home she designs, while taking the time to truly understand the owner’s needs deeply.

Nora Hyasat, Co-founder of handcrafted jewelry & bags - Enem Design

I can't help but share how impressed I have been working with Linette Salbashian recently, she is incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and engaging. I truly appreciate her positive energy and the valuable insights she shared with me.

Patil Sarkissian, Sustainability Consultant

Why choose SALBASHIAN ARCHITECTS?

As principal of SALBASHIAN ARCHITECTS, I am a registered architect and have 15 years of experience in Australian residential architecture, having worked in the property development industry, mostly in small spaces and interiors.
I offer a full scope of design services; architectural concept, design practitioner services, town planning, detail interior design, project management, liaison with engineers, builders and authorities, and adding finishing touches with furniture and accessories. I have a small but mighty team who assist in bringing it all together.
This means that clients do not need to hire separate interior designers, town planners, building code consultants and project managers, which if done would push design fees up due to minimising economies of scale.
Builders are involved from the very early design discussions and I can help you find one if you require.
This helps with receiving good cost estimates through each stage of the design process and also ensures the buildability of the concepts. The builders involved could help create efficiencies and discuss construction methodologies suited to your budget. ⁠
This also helps you get to know your builder rather than hire one right at the end of the design process that you haven’t tested before.
I pass on my trade discounts in materials, fixtures, products and furniture to my clients instead of taking the full commission from suppliers. I believe in transparency with clients of involved costs and commissions when specifying their home.
Rest assured that you will not be palmed off to anyone else on my team, as I will focus on going along the whole journey with you. This way, you work with the same person from start to end.
Unfortunately, a lot of larger design firms start with the principal architect winning clients over and continue with the projects getting passed down to juniors, and you are not guaranteed to work with the same person throughout the entire process.
At SALBASHIAN ARCHITECTS, you will receive a boutique design firm experience of personalised care and attention to your project. To achieve this, I choose projects carefully instead of working with anyone and everyone.
As I work in a highly specialised area in architecture, I have made great connections with consultants that can be involved in your project, such as class 2 engineers, builders, certifiers, town planners, BCA consultants, and more.
Some of my clients live hours away and own properties in Sydney that require designing, I am able to work flexibly through situations like this. I provide 3D digital mood boards, 3D building perspectives, and we can have video calls and organise project milestones and consultations around clients’ availabilities. I also work with a builder who provides imagery access of the construction progress to clients from the comfort of their home away from Sydney.

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