Director Ian Briggs is one of the longest serving members of the Plus team and – with a milestone rebrand complete and a Sydney event just yesterday – he walks us through the state of play at the practice in 2025.

Timothy Alouani-Roby: First things first – please tell me all about the rebrand!

Ian Briggs: This is really an exciting moment for us. After 27 years as Plus Architecture, we felt it was time to evolve. The name Plus Studio just feels right; it really reflects who we are now. The rebrand is built around ‘Where Creativity Meets Precision’ – this idea that we thrive in that challenging space between creative vision and making sure projects are practically viable.

What I’m particularly proud of is how we’re challenging architecture’s traditional ‘starchitect’ model. Instead of celebrating individual genius, we champion collective talent. Our new logo embodies this perfectly – the studio name literally comes together to form a single ‘P’. It’s a visual metaphor for how we bring different ideas, skills and perspectives together to create singular solutions. We’re co-creators who work as one, and we leave our egos at the door to get the best outcomes. 

Why now?

With 11 studios across Australia and New Zealand, and work happening all over the globe, we needed to inject new meaning into Plus. We started as a joint venture, and we wanted the name to mean more than that. It needs to represent how we truly work and the impact we have.

We’ve really grown from being just an architecture company to a solutions company for the built environment. We’re tackling major challenges – from health/wellness initiatives and sustainability to addressing the housing crisis through build-to-rent developments, modular design and housing affordability. Our work spans everything from residential and hotel developments to airports, healthcare facilities and entire city masterplans. The rebrand captures this transformation into a global design powerhouse.

And you’re planning to mark it with a celebration/event?

Absolutely, we are hosting a celebration at our Sydney studio ahead of our public launch on Friday 22nd August, when our new website at plusstudio.co will go live. We’re excited for the opportunity to share this new identity, showcase our latest projects and give people an insight into our design philosophy.

Related: Patric Przeradzki on housing in Scandinavia

How have you been working with Frost*collective on the rebrand?

Our Head of Marketing, Caroline Caneva led the partnership with Frost*collective, and it’s been a two-and-a-half-year journey. They did a ton of research, including interviews with over 50 of our team members and clients across Australia and New Zealand. The feedback was crystal clear: our clients love the combination of our creative imagination and our ability to actually deliver on it.

Cat Burgess, Head of Place at Frost* was instrumental in the ideation and execution of our rebrand as we reposition ourselves in the market with output including a new visual identity system, website experience and brand guidelines. It’s been a very thorough, collaborative process that feels like a perfect fit for who we are and where we’re headed. 

How does the rebrand engage with the practice’s history?

The shift from ‘Plus Architecture’ to ‘Plus Studio’ signals our evolution beyond traditional practice boundaries while leveraging nearly three decades of built equity in the Plus name. We’re not abandoning our heritage – we’re building on it. Acknowledging our 27-year journey, we’re pleased to position ourselves to continue to attract clients seeking imaginative solutions across diverse project types and scales.

What are you most excited about for the future at Plus Studio?

I’m excited about the future because it’s a chance for us to keep pushing boundaries. We get to deliver solutions that balance big-picture thinking with a deep understanding of the practical details. We truly believe the best design comes from collaboration – it’s a celebration of collective creativity that genuinely works in the real world. Our new positioning allows us to continue making a real impact while staying mindful of budgets, timelines and all the other real-world constraints we deal with every day.

Plus Studio
plusstudio.co

Next up: A Plus project in New Zealand