Australian practice Matt Goodman Architecture Office makes it into the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2026, our latest annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios.
Who: Matt Goodman Architecture Office (MGAO)
Matt Goodman Architecture Office (MGAO) favours simplicity. The Australian firm, which was founded in 2016, works with robust yet familiar materials to create residential projects across the country that balance function with beauty.
Architect and founder Matt Goodman strips back complex project briefs and injects them with a minimalist simplicity through natural materials and a refined palette. ‘I am driven by my desire to design through construction,’ shares Goodman. ’I came into architecture relatively late. Once I found my passion, I knew architecture was the profession for me. I wake up every day driven by the desire to do good work. I hope this motivation stays with me until the day I breathe my last breath.’
While many a studio tries to distinguish itself from its peers, Goodman is more focused on creating projects that are quiet and considered. He tells Wallpaper*: ‘It seems like most people these days are trying to stand out from the crowd – for one reason or another. I feel I am more focused on trying to fill the space behind the crowd.’
Goodman’s evident sense of peace in finding his purpose seems reflected in MGAO’s works, which exude a considered calmness.
What: Olive Street Cabin
When Goodman designed Olive Street Cabin, he was faced with his most challenging client yet – himself. The house, perched on a hillside in Separation Creek in Victoria, Australia, was designed for the architect’s own family. The design recalls that of ‘fibro’ beach shacks – basic holiday homes popularised during the 1950s and 1960s – a number of which had been lost to local bushfires in 2016.
This contemporary take is robust and bushfire-safe, constructed from Colorbond steel, blackbutt timber, and Barestone cladding chosen for its durability. Inside, it has two bedrooms and a bathroom, while the living spaces open up towards the expansive vista, uniting indoor and outdoor living.
The single-storey rectangular volume unveils itself slowly. The corrugated façade slides back to channel visitors into the main living space, which opens up to the central feature: the windows.
Taking up an entire wall, the back windows frame the ocean. The landscape has always been a main source of inspiration for the architecture firm, as Goodman explains: ‘The contexts in which we practice are my biggest influence. The local context of a specific project has always interested me, and [has led to] a desire to respond sensitively to these sites. We have been lucky enough to work in some stunning landscapes – and I am always drawn back to the power of these places, their character and history.’
MGAO’s cabin is compact and considered. Every detail serves a purpose in a project designed for enjoying the views and the coastal setting.
