A Collaborative Vision – Where Design Meets Function.
Blackwood was founded in 2020 by Architect Phil Tillotson who has lived and practiced on the Sunshine Coast for over 20 years. We are a design focused practice avoiding the confines of a single field or uniform style. Instead, we collaborate closely with our clients, stakeholders & communities weaving a project brief with each unique sites constraints and opportunities, providing carefully crafted architecture.
Project: 22 Grant
Our Services
Feasibility Studies & Pre-Sale Site Investigation
We assess the potential of a site before you commit. Through detailed feasibility studies and site investigations, we identify opportunities, constraints, and risks — providing clarity from the very beginning.
Concept Design
This is where ideas come to life. We explore form, function, and feeling — creating bold, intelligent concepts that align with your brief and celebrate the site’s natural and urban context.
Construction Documentation
With precision and clarity, we prepare comprehensive drawings and specifications tailored to your builder and project type, ensuring efficient pricing, approvals, and delivery.
Project Leadership
From early sketches to completion, we remain your trusted advisor — coordinating the team, protecting your vision, and ensuring the project stays on track, on budget, and beautifully executed.
Masterplanning
Whether for a large residential community, commercial precinct, or civic space, we approach masterplanning with strategic thinking and contextual awareness to deliver integrated, future-focused solutions.
Design Development
We evolve the concept into a fully resolved design. Every material, proportion, and detail is refined and coordinated with consultants to ensure your project is both beautiful and buildable.
Tendering
We manage the tendering process to help you select the right builder, offering advice, facilitating comparisons, and ensuring the scope is clearly understood.
Why Us?
We Listen First
Great architecture begins with great communication. We listen closely, respect your brief, and build trust from the first conversation — ensuring the journey is as strong as the outcome.
Transparent Budgeting
We unpack the budget early in the design process to align ambition with reality, helping you make confident, informed decisions every step of the way.
Interactive 3D Design
See your design before it’s built. Our interactive 3D models allow you to explore and understand the space in real-time, making the design process immersive and collaborative.
Tailored Documentation
No two projects are the same. We produce detailed, high-quality documentation that reflects the specific needs of your site, brief, and builder — reducing guesswork and risk.
Unlocking Potential
We don’t just design for what’s there — we design for what could be. Our strength lies in uncovering hidden opportunities and unlocking the full potential of your site.
Sustainable by Design
We embed sustainable principles into every project, not as an add-on, but as a core design value — improving comfort, reducing impact, and enhancing the long-term experience of your space.
Let’s start talking.
Our Team
Phil Tillotson
Director
Registered Architect, (QLD #5386) B.Arch (Hons1)
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Phil Tillotson is the Director and founder of Blackwood Architecture and brings 21 years of professional experience and an astute design eye that continues the studio’s vision of contemporary, timeless
design. As a leader at Blackwood, Phil ensures that all projects align with our practice and clients’ aspirations. Phil's extensive experience covers architecture and interior design of residential, community, commercial and mixed used projects culminating from years working on the Sunshine Coast as a contributor to the growth of the region. Phil is a hands-on practicing Architect who’s design philosophy is driven by site, context and the unique needs of the intended occupants balanced with the constraints of each site. He adopts a meticulous approach involving detailed analysis, robust briefing and collaborative goal-setting with stakeholders and clients to ensure project success. Under Phil’s guidance, an inclusive atmosphere of excellence is cultivated where successful projects are created in partnership with our clients and collaborators.
Adam Haines
Senior Building Designer
Lic. 1091610
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Adam Haines is a Senior Architectural Technician at Blackwood. He has 20 years of architectural experience through which he has seen many complex and diverse projects from industrial complexes to unit developments.
Adam’s experience and knowledge of the National Construction Code and Australian Standards allows him to see and resolve issues during the design phase allowing a smooth transition from sketch design to the built form. His real strength is in multi classification projects and enjoys the challenge of bringing a vision to reality.
When not busy doing architectural work, Adam indulges in his love of sailing and motor racing.
Amos Shirreff
Senior Building Designer
B.Design (Hons) M.Arch
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Amos is a graduate of architecture with a deep love for all things design—especially when it comes to residential architecture and interiors. Originally from Noosa, he has a strong connection to the coastal landscape that continues to inspire his work. After years of gaining experience and a global perspective in Brisbane, Melbourne, and London, Amos returned to the Sunshine Coast in 2015 to put down roots and contribute to the place he’s always called home. He’s not big on small talk—unless it’s about buildings, unsolicited renovation advice or the perfect chair. Outside the office, Amos is often found working with wood (cursing tools), collecting beautiful (and often unread) design books, or searching for the perfect pastry. His interests in art, travel, cooking, and graphic design all feed into a rich, multidisciplinary approach to life and practice.