25 years of design: Surry Hills studio celebrates major milestone
Sherif Saad has just notched up 25 years designing residential and childcare projects across Sydney. As the Founder of ArtMade Architects, he has much to celebrate.
From Egypt to AUS — exploring global design perspectives
Born and bred in Egypt, Sherif began his career working for local firms as a project architect on residential, hospitality and commercial projects. He and his young family made the move to Australia in the late ‘90s, at which time he worked as a joinery designer whilst preparing for his Australian registration to practice as an architect in Sydney.
“It was a very intense and stressful process,” Sherif recalls. Familiarising himself with Council approval processes, and Australian legislation and building codes, was all-consuming. “I was very determined and hungry to learn. Even now, I am always open to learning new things. I consider myself a life-long student!”
ArtMade — blending creativity & communication
The moniker for Sherif’s studio, ‘ArtMade’ was borne out of his love for both art and architecture. He considers communication as its own artform. “There is a real art to communication and translation,” Sherif says. How so? Well, pivotal to his design process is translating client briefs in sometimes surprising ways. “I always strive to elevate clients’ initial ideas in a way that surpasses their expectations, and that can only happen if we collaborate and communicate effectively.”
Evidence of the success of this process are the three Client Choice Awards (by Beaton Research + Consulting) Sherif and his team have notched up over three consecutive years for Best Architecture Firm (<$30m revenue).
Sherif says his impressive success rate in the New South Wales Land and Environment Court (as an expert witness in architectural and planning matters) is another of his career-defining achievements to date. “I definitely feel the weight of responsibility when it comes to advocating on behalf of my clients,” Sherif says. “I commit to it one hundred percent.”
Future directions for childcare & residential sectors
From sole operator to now heading up a design team of 13, in the years ahead Sherif looks forward to ArtMade building upon its already significant portfolio of childcare projects. Back in May, he was invited to join other industry experts as a presenter at the Childcare and Early Learning Real Estate Summit in Sydney.
“It’s a competitive marketplace and will continue to be,” Sherif says. “As childcare centre designers it’s incumbent upon us to keep prioritising design considerations that help support children’s safety and wellbeing,” he says.
When it comes to consolidating childcare briefs, Sherif is adamant operations managers should be at the table. “We also have to design with educators and other staff in mind — it’s imperative we understand and help deliver the types of spaces they need to facilitate their best work.”
Meanwhile, in the new year and beyond, ArtMade will continue to meet increasing demand for a wide range of residential work — spanning high-end prestige homes, as well as residential flat buildings and designs borne of the New South Wales Housing Pattern Book.
Advice for emerging architects
For architects considering launching their own studios, Sherif readily shares this advice: “Don’t be scared of competition, just believe in yourself and always be willing to learn.”
Additionally, he offers some forewarning with regards to the challenges of balancing ‘business’ and ‘architecture’. “You have to become two people concurrently — an architect and a business person. If you focus solely on the architecture, the business may suffer. But if you only focus on the business, the architecture may suffer. Finding the right balance is not easy, but it’s not impossible.”
