Architecture that begins with your story.
At Studio Sabat, we believe that great architecture starts with people. Your life, your routines, your heritage, your dreams. These are the foundations of every home we design. We don’t begin with a form; we begin with you.
The studio takes its name from the sabat structures of Yazd, Iran. Shaded, vaulted passageways found in the narrow alleyways of the old city fabric. These forms provided relief from the heat, offering both shelter and a moment of stillness as one moved through the urban fabric. The word sabat is rooted in two parts: sa, meaning “to rest,” and bat, meaning “to pass through.” It captures a beautiful duality, pause and movement, protection and progression. This symbolism aligns with our philosophy of creating spaces that support life as it unfolds.
This reference is more than symbolic. It speaks to our love of soft curves and forms, our cultural heritage, and our belief in creating architecture that blends quietly with its surroundings, spaces that feel timeless, intimate, and purposeful. Our work is grounded in the idea that architecture can be both poetic and practical. We design homes that are deeply personal, layered, and timeless. Spaces that quietly reflect the people who inhabit them.
Based in Sydney, Studio Sabat works across a range of private residential projects, including alterations and additions, contemporary new builds, and interior design. We specialise in working with heritage-listed properties and homes within conservation areas, guiding clients through complex council processes with clarity and confidence. Our approach is site-specific and emotionally resonant. We listen carefully, observe intently, and design with empathy and intent.
1. Design Brief Development
We begin by visiting your site, learning about your vision, and identifying constraints and opportunities. This includes measuring existing conditions, reviewing planning controls, and identifying necessary consultants, laying the groundwork for a responsive, informed design process.
2. Concept Design
Your brief is translated into design ideas through sketches, diagrams, and 3D views. We explore options, consider materials, and align ideas with your budget. We also prefer to initiate the ECI process at this stage, engaging a builder to provide early cost feedback.
3. Design Development
Once a concept is selected, we refine it through detailed drawings, material schedules, and consultant coordination. Visualisations are produced to ensure the design is fully resolved and ready for submission.
4. Submission for Approval
We manage all drawings, forms, and coordination required for Development Application (DA) or Complying Development (CDC) submissions. This includes liaising with authorities, attending meetings, and responding to Requests for Information to support a smooth approval. We have extensive experience navigating the complexities of heritage-listed properties and conservation areas, ensuring all approvals are obtained efficiently and in compliance with local regulations.
5. Construction Certificate
Following approval, we prepare technical drawings for Construction Certificate (CC) submission. This includes integrating consultants’ input and addressing all approval conditions to ensure a compliant, build-ready set.
6. Pre-Construction Documentation
This phase focuses on detail. We produce refined documentation for tendering and construction, everything from look and feel packages, cabinetry details and finishes schedules to lighting plans and junction details.
7. Interior Styling
To complete the vision, we offer tailored styling services including mood boards, furniture layouts, 3D perspectives, and a curated list of furnishings and finishes. Our styling approach ensures a cohesive, personal, and fully realised space.
8. Contract Administration
During construction, we remain actively involved. We assist with tender review, builder coordination, site visits, RFIs, and inspections. We work closely with you and your builder to ensure the outcome faithfully delivers the design intent, right through to handover.
Founding Studio Sabat in 2024, Fatemeh has built a practice dedicated to pursuing meaningful, inclusive architecture that tells a story. She graduated from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) in 2017 with a Master of Architecture and became a registered architect with the ARB NSW in 2019.
Over the past decade, Fatemeh has worked across a broad range of project types, including shopping centres, high-rise apartments, adaptive reuse, seniors living, and private family homes.
A pivotal moment in her architectural development was her exchange to the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark in 2016–2017. There, she explored new ways of thinking about space and place, and participated in a range of design projects and international competitions. Her time abroad also included performance art workshops at the Venice Art Biennale, where she examined the relationship between architecture, the body, and storytelling, an experience that continues to influence her approach to design.
In recent years, Fatemeh has led a range of residential projects from concept through to construction, including an award-winning seniors living development and numerous alterations and additions across New South Wales.
Over time, she refined her focus to private residential architecture, which she finds the most rewarding. Working closely with end users from the outset, understanding their hopes, dreams, and vision for their home, and ultimately seeing them live in the space, has been the most meaningful part of her architectural journey. She has worked on more than 30 homes and is passionate about helping individuals and families realise spaces that are functional, beautiful, and full of meaning.
Her belief in architecture as both a collaborative and deeply personal act is reflected in every project she undertakes. Outside the studio, Fatemeh enjoys learning new skills such as photography and videography and continues to follow the intersections of architecture and performance art.
