Boutique firm Roxby Architects has built a reputation as a retail specialist, but a recent award win for a commercial office project shows Adam and Michael Roxby’s business has developed more strings to its bow.
Boutique firm Roxby Architects has built a reputation as a retail specialist, but a recent award win for a commercial office project shows Adam and Michael Roxby’s business has developed more strings to its bow.
The brothers were lauded for their work on Toyota WA’s $20 million new headquarters in Kewdale, taking home the Australian Institute of Architects’ highest honour for Western Australia – the George Temple Poole Award.
Adam Roxby said the prize was confirmation the firm’s relationship-focused approach was a solid business model.
“You get good, bad and ugly jobs from every source, and you’ve got to do it if you are dealing with the right client, so it’s really about having a relationship with clients you enjoy working with because you learn from them,” he said.
“They all have expertise in their genres and they share that with us.”
Established in 1994, Roxby Architect’s first major contract win was with national shoe retailer Betts Group.
A few years later, Roxby designed 22 retail outlets at Westfield Carousel Shopping Centre in Cannington when the mall opened in 1998.
“Suddenly we were getting calls for more retail projects,” Michael Roxby said.
“Our target was to pick up more multi-store type clients, and that’s hard to do out of Perth, because most of the national groups are based over east.”
Roxby subsequently won the rights to design new restaurants for McDonald’s, with the plans received so well they were rolled-out across Australia.
Other national retail franchises employing Roxby for design works include Red Rooster, Oporto, and Caffissimo, while the company was also instrumental in major CBD centres Enex100, Brookfield Place and the re-positioning of 140William.
“That exposure to the retail world, and doing lots and lots of fit-outs in shopping centres, gave us the opportunity to become tenancy coordinators and retail design managers,” Adam Roxby said.
“That’s been an interesting job and one that means we know the industry, in terms of the physical environment of the retail space, from top to bottom.”
Micheal Roxby said the firm’s retail and fast food success gave it an entry into another growth area – the hospitality sector.
Roxby is working on a new craft beer-focused venue at Hillarys Boat Harbour called Three Sheets, and recently completed fit-out works for Japanese restaurant chain Edosei on the corner of Barrack and Hay streets in the city.
“In terms of ability to put something creative down, that’s where you see it – in the hospitality side of things,” Micheal Roxby said.
