Experts in our field. Years of experience under our belts.
Maxa Design homes are built to last, on time and budget through tried and tested processes we’ve developed through years in the business. With over two dozen awards to our name, we combine great-value outcomes with best-practice sustainable building design. We progress an eco agenda through our practice we designed Australia’s first 10 star rated relocatable home – while ensuring every project is unique and led by our clients’ needs. From humble beginnings as husband-and-wife duo, Maxa Design has grown to a team of seven at our office in Melbourne. Our practice is proudly carbon neutral.
Maxa Design acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live. We pay our respect to Elders: past, present and emerging.
Sven Maxa
Co-Director
Sven Maxa established Maxa Design in 2004 and has developed the practice’s reputation for leading-edge sustainable design excellence. The studio specialises in high-level eco and energy efficient homes built to brief and budget with creativity, a practical can-do approach, and a singular dedication to creating the best possible outcomes for every client and every project. Maxa Design has twice been awarded ‘Design of the Year’ demonstrating that high performance and sustainable homes can also be beautiful. Sven is actively involved in the building design community and is a past member of the Committee of Management for Design Matters National. Sven regularly presents to professionals and advocates for eco homes design to the broader community. Sven was also a judge in the 2017 BDAV Design Awards, is a Registered Building Practitioner in every state of Australia, and is a Certified Passive House Designer. He is a father of 2, husband of 1, and spends more time cycling than he’d like to admit.
Dawn Maxa
Co-Director
Together with Sven, Dawn established Maxa Design and has been instrumental in the growth of the practice through her studies in business, PR and marketing. Currently undertaking further studies in interior design and managing the couple’s young family, Dawn nonetheless remains a vital part of Maxa’s past and current success. She was responsible for the interiors of the couple’s award-winning Nunawading home, featured in Inside Out magazine’s first ever Open for Inspection event.
Matt Missen
Building Designer
Matt is a senior designer at Maxa, running projects from design concept right through to completion, and working directly with clients through each project. Matt has high-level passive solar design knowledge alongside his extensive building design skills. Prior to joining Maxa, Matt worked on a range of projects from small house extensions to large multi-use developments, hotels, and apartment buildings for some of Australia and Asia’s largest architecture firms. He spent two years with Australian Volunteers Abroad in Nanjing, China, teaching energy efficiency and building design, and is a permaculture enthusiast.
Eitan Kabillo
Building Designer
Eitan is a senior designer at Maxa. With over 15 years of industry experience, he has an in-depth knowledge of construction, materials, design and sustainability principles and understands that great design requires careful consideration of the interplay between site context, building form and the people that ultimately use a space.
Eitan has extensive experience in a range of project types and scales including bespoke residential projects, town house developments, renovations, multi-residential, commercial fit-outs and education facilities. He is committed to environmentally sustainable and energy efficient design and is a certified Passive House designer.
Cameron Shelton
Building Designer
Cameron added an Advanced Diploma of Building Design to Fine Art and furniture making studies before joining Maxa Design. Starting life on a farm kindled his love for design and the environment developing in him an enduring attention to detail and innate creative abilities. Cameron shares the Maxa philosophy that good design impacts positively on our physical and mental health, our sense of wellbeing, and that it can connect us better to each other and our environment. At Maxa his time is dedicated to documenting projects to ensure that each design concept is brought to life accurately and efficiently.
Frankie Paigan
Building Designer
Frankie graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Building Design, and with several years of industry experience shaping residential housing and commercial spaces, his portfolio is rich with projects that demonstrate his aptitude for bespoke design, backed by a sound understanding of construction codes and a keen eye for sustainability. He excels in translating complex client visions into tangible, beautiful reality and his transition from mechanical engineering to architecture reflects his versatile skill set and adaptive nature. Frankie loves to explore new places, whether through overseas travel or seeking the next adrenaline rush. Yet, he’s just as likely to appreciate a quiet evening at home or a scenic hike.
Marcelo Haag
Passive House Consultant and NatHERS Assessor
Marcelo is a Passive House Consultant and NatHERS Assessor at Maxa Design. He joined the team in 2023, bringing his expertise as a certified Passive House Designer and his practical skills as a carpenter/builder. With his passion for sustainability and his experience in the field, Marcelo is responsible for the thermal modelling of all the projects designed at Maxa Design. He believes Passive House is a key tool to create energy-efficient buildings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the quality of life for the occupants.
Katrina Rowe
Practice Manager
Katrina is practice manager and co-director Sven Maxa’s indispensable executive assistant. She is essential to the smooth running of the practice and is unflappable with busy workloads and tight deadlines. Katrina provides finance assistance, marketing, diary management, studio maintenance, and client communications. Prior to joining Maxa, Katrina spent 10 years advancing her project management and administration skills while coordinating south and central America tour groups at an adventure travel company (and enjoying the travel perks!)