Billy Maynard Architecture
Director Billy Maynard
The esteemed 10 recognises 10 Australians for their excellence in residential architecture and design in 2026. Each recipient has their own legacy-building approach to homes that enrich and sustain the lives within them, centre those who create them, and magnify design’s indelible impact on the landscape and community.
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My design work is best summed up in the phrase:
Billy Maynard: Materially rich minimalism.
What aspect of your work are people most curious about?
Billy Maynard: One theme that people are consistently curious about is the ongoing collaborations with artists in our projects. We find that working with artists loosens up and enriches our design process.
What has recently challenged the way you think about design?
Billy Maynard: Having a child. It has allowed me to see smaller details in the world that were previously invisible.
What person, building, product, or art piece has had a lasting impact on your work?
Billy Maynard: There are many, of course! If I were to pick just one in each category, then today I would say the person would be Martino Gamper, the building would be Altana Palazzo Pucci by Gae Aulenti, the product would be Eucalyptus plywood, and the artwork would be Harts Range, one of Billy Benn Perrurle’s delicate landscapes of the Artetyerre.
Billy Maynard Architecture director Billy Maynard
The three words I would most like people to attribute to my work are:
Billy Maynard: Generous, open and inventive.
What is the one piece of advice you would share with an emerging designer?
Billy Maynard: Be unashamedly curious.
Where do you go to appreciate exceptional design?
Billy Maynard: Exceptional design is all around us constantly—it just takes attentiveness to see it. Travelling to new cities consistently sparks curiosity, opening fresh ways of seeing. Outside of Australia, I have been inspired by time spent in Dili, Milan, Mexico City, Porto, Tokyo and Addis Ababa.
What’s one thing you’d like to see more of in design? Less?
Billy Maynard: I’d like to see more soul, risk and re-use in how we design buildings. I think we have all had enough of gratuitous curves, shiny architecture and realtor-come-AI-driven designs. Less of this, please!
This piece originally appeared in our special print edition of est magazine, issue 60: ‘Design Instinct’.
“I’d like to see more soul, risk and re-use in how we design buildings. I think we have all had enough of gratuitous curves, shiny architecture and realtor-come-AI- driven designs. Less of this, please!”
– Billy Maynard
