Ben Waters Architects is an architecture {and design} practice based in south-west Victoria.
We bridge the fields of architecture, landscape design, planning and communication design.
We often work as part of larger design teams, on a variety of projects, from housing to large cultural planning and landscape projects.
We like to facilitate community engagement as part of the design process. We build design briefs, curate
exhibitions and events, and develop renewal strategies.
We publish research, teach, and lecture
publicly. We are invested in the sustainable development of regional and rural
communities, and work within a broad collaborative network, aiming to de-centre
the city and country divide.
Office Locations:
Warrnambool, South West Victoria, Gunditjmara Country
+
Parkville, Naarm, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country
+
Parkville, Naarm, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country
Ben Waters studied architecture at RMIT University and Parsons School of Design, New York, and worked at several of Melbourne's most respected practices before founding Ben Waters Architects. Over the past decade he has developed a design methodology that centres the people a project is for, and holds dialogue and collaboration at the heart of the practice’s design process.
He works across the housing and cultural sectors, with particular experience facilitating and delivering projects for government and community clients. Ben leads projects from initiation through to completion of construction, drawing on a design network built over ten years of practice.
Ben is a registered architect and member of the Australian Institute of Architects and holds a position at the Melbourne School of Design, University of Melbourne, as Lecturer in Architectural Design, Creative Practitioner. He has held residencies at Berlin's Centre for Art and Urbanistics (ZK/U) and, in 2019, in digital innovation at ACMI X, Melbourne. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2023.
Our Past Team Members and Collaborators:
Mitchell Pollard
Belinda Yang
Kevin Wang
Design
Community Engagement and Facilitation
Design Brief Development
Site Renewal Strategies
Gunditjmara Aboriginal Corporation
Southern Grampians Shire Council
Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Cooperative
Orygen Youth Mental Health
Private Clients - Various
Taungurung Land and Waters Council
Architecture Associates
Melbourne School of Design
Gunditj Mirring Aboriginal Corporation
Alpha60
University of Melbourne
REALMstudios
Ample Architecture
NMBW
Robin Boyd Foundation
nohLa
playte
Goolum Goolum Aboriginal Co-operative
Thanks for your interest in working with us. We are continually looking for the best and brightest to join our team - please contact us with a CV and folio or recent work.
Due to the volume of intern and job applications, we regret that we are unable to respond to each individually.
Typography: Diplomat, Source Type
Practice Based Diagram Design: Samson Ossedryver Studio
© Copyright 2026 BWA. The content of this website is protected by copyright. All rights are reserved to Ben Waters Architects. Any use of the content of this site is only permitted with the express permission of Ben Waters Architects.