Dion Seminara
Principal Architect, Licensed Builder, Fellow of AIA
With over three decades of hands-on experience in design and construction, Dion has established himself as a leading Brisbane architect. Dion is also a registered builder – a qualification which has given him a practical edge when designing.
His exceptional skills have been recognized with numerous awards, including 12 ArCHdes Residential Architecture Awards, the LJ Hooker Flood Free Home Design Award, and the 2016 AIA Regional Commendation for Public Architecture.
After becoming a registered architect in 1991, Dion began his professional journey working for reputable firms, before he started his first private practice in 1993. During the time spent running his first practice with 2 partners, Dion successfully completed two significant residential projects: Glentworth, renovation of a National Trust house (a project worth $25M when adjusted for inflation), and a renowned $4 million contemporary new home at Mt Nebo ($16M when adjusted for inflation).
In 2003 Dion established dion seminara architecture as a sole director, and the firm quickly flourished into the prominent name it is today. Dion’s mastery in both residential and commercial design has solidified his reputation as one of Brisbane’s most sought-after architectural specialists, excelling in lifestyle, interior, and landscape design. Although Dion’s focus is typically on residential projects, he has also undertaken select unique non-residential architectural projects over the years, such as renovating and restoring the interior of the Sts Peter & Paul’s Church in Bulimba – a historic church which was originally opened in 1926, the design of a 12-storey apartment building in Coolangatta, and a small number of boutique multi-residential complexes.
Over the last 30 years Dion has designed over 1000 homes and counting, so you can rest assured that when you work with Dion you are gaining the benefits of experience and expertise!
Dion’s difference in approach, and the difference that makes his clients choose him over other architects, is his focus on 5 key aspects of design:
- Enhancing street appeal
- Maximizing each home’s livability
- Creating good room relationships
- Ensuring homes are climate responsive
- Designing homes with a good flow
Along with his lifestyle-focused design style, Dion’s practice has grown due to his interest in working on different residential design styles – an interest which helps to ensure each home he produces is perfect for the client who commissioned it, as well as the site it is placed on.
Overall, Dion has a holistic approach to architecture, with his primary focus being to create homes which have an effective relationship between landscapes and buildings. His focus is not just to design homes, but also to enhance lifestyles.
Dion loves working with clients who find themselves excited about the prospect of improving their spaces to improve their lifestyle.
Along with this holistic approach to design, Dion also likes to make sure his clients have a realistic understanding of their project costs, their project’s lifestyle benefits, and the direction their design is heading in at every stage of the process. He ensures clients stay realistic with their project in ways such as explaining how their design ideas might affect resale value for better or worse, and suggesting alterations to ideas that would help them maintain the benefits they want their design to give them, while also protecting future resale value.
Dion’s firm is his expression of his passion for architecture, so one of his biggest passions in life is taking care of his business, clients, staff, and any other stakeholders who trust him to provide high quality architecture – and he always works his hardest to provide the best possible outcomes for everyone involved.
Outside of work, the things that make Dion happy are his wife and 2 kids, undertaking personal home projects, and staying at home to relax and enjoy his personal home – a space which he has made work for himself and his needs.
