About

15^th July ,2026

We had the pleasure of working with Andy on our renovation in 2021–2022, and we couldn’t have been happier with the experience.

From our very first meeting, conducted over Zoom during COVID, Andy impressed us with his calm, thoughtful approach. As complete novices to the building process, we interviewed several architects, but Andy stood out immediately. When we shared our initial budget—which, in hindsight, was unrealistic—he never dismissed our ideas or simply said, “That’s not possible.” Instead, he explained that he would incorporate all the design elements we wanted, cost the project, and then work through a process of refining the scope to bring it within budget. It was a respectful, collaborative approach that gave us confidence rather than discouragement. In the end, we educated ourselves and adjusted our budget before moving forward.

Andy’s design demonstrated a real appreciation for the character of our hand-built mudbrick home, where there are virtually no straight walls, level surfaces or perfect right angles. Rather than fighting against these quirks, he embraced them, creating a design that felt both sympathetic to the original home and practical to build.

One of Andy’s greatest strengths is that he is not only a highly skilled architect but also a qualified builder who has built his own home. That practical experience gave him a deep understanding of the realities, complexities and nuances of construction, making him an invaluable member of our team.

Looking back, Andy was an integral part of what we affectionately called our “A Team.” He worked collaboratively with everyone involved and helped make what could have been a stressful renovation into a genuinely enjoyable experience.

If we ever decide to renovate or build again, Andy would be our first call. We would have no hesitation in recommending him to anyone looking for an architect who combines exceptional design, practical building knowledge, and a genuinely collaborative approach

Cheers!

Jenny & Kevin Cato

Jenny and Kevin Cato

Working with Andy was a wonderful journey of exploration, discovery, planning and being walked along a path to find a wonderful destination. The consideration and skill required to bring our vision into focus with such diligent integrity will never be forgotten. 10 Years on and we still love our house, natural light abounds, it is a breath of fresh air on a hot day and a cost shelter in winter – it’s passive solar design at it’s finest. When our house was finished, I stood and thought – now I understand the value of an architect – putting the art into design.

Lucy Young Murnong Castlemaine

Lucy Young

I love working with Andy. He is totally authentic and deeply soulful. And fun. He has real knowledge of how to make a building feel good to live in. And not just the building, also its surrounds and the connection it has with the earth. His dedication to sustainable architectural design is profound. He actually knows how to build and he’s not afraid to get down and dirty with whatever he designs with you. If you are looking for brilliant design skill and a genuinely good building experience, I totally recommend inviting Andy to work with you.

Helen Kelly •Director •unqualified – art without bounds •helen@unqualified.com.au

Helen Kelly

Andy’s design for our Grail Chapel was truly inspired. A floor plan of two interlocking circles and tapering walls give this building an extraordinary timelessness. It looks both ancient and modern, and sits in it’s bush environment as though it has always been there. From the outside it has a certain citadel quality, it looks tough, imposing and inviolable. From the inside it is womb-like and protective, a place of peace, a safe place, a sacred space. We could not have hoped for a better building. Andy has given our community a gift.  We are immensely grateful.

Ken Killeen – Convenor of the Castlemaine Johannine Community

Ken Killen

Alison and David Woodgrove

Andrew St Castlemaine

Andy was a delight to work with during the design and building process on our ‘low energy’ renovation. We spoke with several other architects before going ahead with Andy. The decision to go with Andy was easy because we could progress stage by stage, he was happy to listen to our ideas and he is a great communicator. Knowing that Andy had managed building projects and had lots of hands on building experience gave us confidence that his designs would be practical, cost effective and straight forward for our builder to interpret. He has lots of knowledge of new materials, design and construction techniques to guarantee maximum solar gain, thermal mass, insulation and other characteristics which have all resulted in greatly reducing our energy bills. The design is terrific and we love the living spaces and the flow of the building.

Andy, keep up the great work. Regards,

David & Alison Woodgrove

David and Alison Woodgrove

We are extremely satisfied with the process, the attention to detail, and to the way his designs met our wants. The position and orientation of the extension is something we would never have thought of, and it has given us the extra living space and features that we wanted. After all that, we have no complaints, no alterations necessary, nor things to fix.

We have no hesitation in recommending Andy to any client. Read more

Beryl and John Leavesley

Andy Mcleod has done an excellent job of designing an addition to our 1950’s cream brick residence. From an original East facing aspect, the house is now North facing and is flooded with sunlight during winter and deep eaves provide protection during the summer. The attention paid to insulation and thermal masses has already been noticeable in an increase in comfort and a decrease in utility bills (!). We truly believe Andy is ahead of the pack by 10 years with his energy efficient designs and will use his services in the future if we ever rebuild or renovate. Thanks Andy!

Aaron and Shann Anderson