MAIN&FRANK is an architecture practice led by Frank Burridge and Bronwen Main. We design buildings, places and things that leave their surroundings better off: through the materials they use, the habitat they support and the everyday life they make possible.
We take four or five commissions a year so we can stay directly involved. The people you meet at the first meeting are the people who carry your project through.
We stay close. You work directly with both of us. We listen carefully, communicate clearly and keep the project moving without waiting to be chased.
The budget is part of the design. We establish a working budget early and use it to guide decisions throughout. When something needs to change, we explain the implications and explore the alternatives with you.
We make each decision work harder. A room can serve several purposes. An existing structure can earn another life. A simpler construction method can reduce both waste and cost. We look for these opportunities before asking you to compromise.
We know what unfamiliar materials require. Our experience includes straw, hemp, bamboo, biochar, limecrete, salvaged timber and recovered plastic board. We bring design, documentation, approvals and construction knowledge to deciding where—and whether—they belong in your project.
A building changes more than its site. Its materials connect it to farms, forests, factories and waste streams. Its roof changes where water goes. Its planting influences what can live there.
We look for decisions whose benefits reach beyond the original brief: a planted roof that also becomes habitat and a place to learn; a material grown in a farming system that rebuilds soil; a building that can change use without being demolished.
These relationships are part of the design from the beginning.
We work with schools, households, businesses, communities, artists and makers, on projects ranging from a piece of furniture to a whole site.
You do not need a finished brief or an interest in unusual materials. We begin with what you want to make possible, what matters about the place and what you can invest.
The strongest projects grow from honest conversations, curiosity and a willingness to work through decisions together.
Frank Burridge — co-founding director
Frank grew up in Tasmania and studied philosophy before architecture. He connects the larger questions of a project with the work needed to deliver it: documentation, consultant coordination, budgets, authority approvals and construction.
Bronwen Main — co-founding director and creative lead
Bronwen brings an artist’s eye, warmth and a strong sense of space. She leads the creative direction, shaping how each project feels and how people inhabit it. Her practice extends across architecture, public art and furniture, including work with hemp, biochar and agroforestry timber.
Most of our projects begin with a conversation. Tell us what you are thinking about—even if it is still taking shape. We will talk it through and suggest a useful next step.