LINTEL Studio for Architecture, winner of the Emerging Designer of the Year award at the 2023 Interior Design Excellence Awards (IDEA), is a small Sydney-based studio with a bold purpose.

Emerging Designer of the Year is one of the most exciting categories at IDEA. Sponsored by Australian Design Review’s 30UNDER30 program, this award recognises and gives a platform to the fresh talent already making waves across the nation’s design landscape.

Only designers and practices that have been in practice for less than five years are eligible for this category. Any practice that fits this criterion and has submitted work to this year’s IDEA competition can opt to be considered for the Emerging Designer award.

This year’s winner, LINTEL Studio for Architecture, was founded by Emiliano Miranda in 2021 with the goal of contributing positively to Australia’s built environment and its industry’s constituents equally.

“That’s why the studio is called ‘LINTEL Studio for Architecture’,” he told inside in the IDEA 2023 shortlist edition, “because our responsibility is not only to our clients but also to the profession itself and its many moving parts.”

Miranda now works alongside William Xie, Susan Meng and Raphael Newell on mostly single residential buildings. Studio Elroy, which was shortlisted in the IDEA Colour category, helped the team define what a LINTEL project looked like early on and caught the eye of IDEA 2023 jury member, Jade Nottage.

“LINTEL Studio has submitted a project that reflects a sophistication and refinery well beyond its young years,” she said during the judging process. 

“The colour palette and use of rich materiality has been skillfully detailed. LINTEL Studio is certainly a company to watch out for.”

To celebrate LINTEL’s win, Australian Design Review (ADR) caught up with Miranda to find out how he is feeling in the afterglow of IDEA.

ADR: What did it mean for you to win Emerging Designer of the Year? Were you expecting this?

Emiliano Miranda: We were not at all anticipating this! Our team was humbled to be positioned in the company of such an esteemed shortlist, an overwhelming experience in itself. More and more, I notice the world looking to Australian precedents to inspire international design, encouraging local practitioners to continually raise the bar. 

My peers who have founded studios in recent years have done so under very difficult conditions, both economic and social. A lot of hard work and relentless passion has gone into their new practices and ours is no different. To receive this award is a real privilege in these circumstances.

The award feels like a promise in many ways, one that I intend to keep with each of our clients, collaborators and team members – to deliver all of our projects with design excellence and a commitment to furthering our craft.

Do you have a personal favourite among the winning projects of IDEA 2023?

I was pleased to see the Refugee Resource Hub by Bates Smart and Garner Davis Architects awarded in the Community Services category. This project is a powerful reminder of the role of design in providing care for vulnerable Australians. The quality and dignity achieved by this collaborative response provides an insight into the future of socially engaged Australian design.

Why do you think 2023 was LINTEL’s year?

From our earliest beginnings, we were motivated to deliver projects that would bring people into honest conversation and willing collaboration. We invested in these relationships, and in an office culture that team members could feel welcomed into and inspired by. In my mind, this year’s achievement is evidence of the success of these commitments. We’ve attracted the support of remarkable talent and trusting clients as a result, making exceptional outcomes possible.

How do you plan to wrap up the year and celebrate your achievements?

With some forthcoming deadlines in our calendar, we will work steadily until the much anticipated break. We will be sure to take some time out to thank our team, clients and collaborators, and our own families for their care throughout the year. We now have a perfect excuse to celebrate with those that make our achievements possible.

Photography by Luc Rémond.

See who won the IDEA 2023 Designer of the Year.