More Than Blueprints: How Sarah Hobday North Built Architect GP From the Ground Up

A Life Shaped by Architecture

It started, not in a boardroom or a brainstorming session, but somewhere much quieter at a kitchen table, in between career burnout, early motherhood, and a pile of thoughts that refused to settle.

For most of her life, Sarah Hobday North had been surrounded by architecture. She grew up in the thick of it with two architect parents, a home full of drawings, and a business that doubled as her childhood environment. From an early age, she understood not just the technical craft of architecture but the unspoken rhythms of professional practice: client meetings, deadlines, budgets, and the balancing act between creativity and delivery.

So it might seem like a natural path, stepping into the profession herself. And at first, it was.

The Hidden Problem Inside the Practice

Sarah studied architecture, worked on both residential and urban design projects, and even relocated to London to join international planning teams. But over time, she realised something: the problems that held most practices back weren’t design-related.

They were operational.

Firms weren’t struggling to be creative. They were struggling to run sustainable businesses. Systems were fragile, burnout was normalised, and no one had time to fix things because they were always reacting.

Eventually, Sarah hit that same wall. She stepped away from the field and moved into teaching, seeking a different path. That didn’t stick either. She found herself in limbo, where she was burnt out, unsure, and newly pregnant. That moment of stillness, though, offered a surprising kind of clarity.

Starting Again, on Her Own Terms

With no roadmap, Sarah returned to what she knew. She started offering architectural advice, just simple consultations for friends, family, and local community groups. She wasn’t designing big homes or drawing glossy plans. She was just helping people make better decisions.

For her, it felt refreshing. She was able to be helpful to people.

And slowly, she began to realise: maybe this was the business.

Through these small conversations, she uncovered a major insight, which was that people didn’t know how or when to work with an architect. They felt overwhelmed, intimidated, or assumed it wasn’t for them.

What if architecture felt less like a luxury service and more like everyday support?

The Birth of Architect GP

That question sparked something big. Sarah envisioned a new model: a national network of registered architects offering short, approachable consultations with no long contracts, no massive fees, just clarity.

She pitched the idea to a handful of likeminded peers. The response was immediate and validating. People wanted this. Professionals needed this. The industry was ready.

So she built it.

Architect GP was born. A business that lets homeowners and renovators book a session with an architect as easily as they’d book a GP appointment. It’s now a growing community, and it’s helping demystify architecture for people across Australia.

A Business Built on Purpose

What makes Architect GP so powerful isn’t just the service, but really it’s the intention behind it.

Sarah didn’t want to scale a traditional firm. She wanted to support people. She wanted to create something that aligned with her life, not worked against it. And she wanted to prove that business success doesn’t require burnout.

She now works with other architectural practices, helping them improve systems, strengthen culture, and build businesses that don’t rely on sacrifice. Architect GP is not just for homeowners but it’s also a mirror held up to the profession itself.

What BYOB Founders Can Learn From Sarah

At Build Your Own Business, we champion stories like Sarah’s because they reflect a deeper truth: your career doesn’t have to be linear to be successful.

Sarah didn’t start her business with a logo and a pitch deck. She started with a few hours, a few clients, and a deep sense of what was missing in her industry.

She followed the signs. She listened. She built.
Not the way others expected, but in the way that worked for her.

And in doing so, she didn’t just stay in architecture, she’s really reshaping it.

Ready to Hear More?

🎧 Catch Sarah’s full interview on the BYOB Podcast with Andrew Ford