Abigail Lee Portfolio

Perching House

vector drawing of people at a market stall buying carrots, bread and tomatoes

Street Life

animated gif of one brick being placed at a time on top of a recycled brick letterbox

Room With a View

About Me

Diagramatic illustrator of a house showing the different parts of the architecture: extension 01, garden and extension 02.

Gather 'Round House

Sm_art House

Open-Shut House

Speaking Engagements

Offset House

A frame signage with the letters Olympic Legacies.

Olympics 2032 Workshop

A cutout of a green wall containing a window opening.

Treehouse

Collage of a vertical building with people and plants.

Collage Workshop

Perching House

a large stacking timber window which opens up to the front garden and a dining table with views into the house. the house cladding is a sage green timber batten.

external view of an architecturally designed home with large timber awning windows on the rear facade beside a curved concrete stair stepping down into the garden.

Enhancing neighbourly connection

A lift & build under to an post-war cottage in Camp Hill filled with places to ‘perch’: a reading nook tucked under the stair; a balcony breakfast bar with city views; a 2-way bench connecting you to the kitchen & front yard simultaneously.

A fun play with colour, texture and datums.

blackbutt timber stairs in a home with a cozy reading nook tucked underneath with a bookcase and cushions.

2D vector floor plans of a, architectural 2 storey house showing open plan living/kitchen/dining, 4 bedrooms, study, laundry and 3 bathrooms.

warm welcoming kitchen with a large island bench with a green marble bench top and green timber sides with timber and brown leather bar stools. sage green custom cabinetry behind the island bench with timber handles and a green marble splashback.

custom kitchen cabinetry in a light sage green with a green marble benchtop and off-white ceramic up-down wall lights with stainless steel accents.

blackbutt timber residential stair with a timber batten balustrade and handrail.

Project Info

year: 2023-25

practice: maytree studios

builder: eclat building co.

photography: jack gibson

role: project leadinvolvement: concept to completion

Public Space : Public Life in Logan City

Illustrative text about public space and ammenity with illustrations of people walking, driving and shopping.

Urban design section that cuts through a building on the left and right with people playing, trees and sitting in the middle.

Urban design section with a building on the left and right with pavement and a road in the middle with people walking and interacting.

Urban design section of a park with people playing in a playground, a creek bed, trees and lamp posts.

Collage style render of a proposed park with kids sitting and playing on the proposed park structure surrounded by trees.

catalyst intervention: the logan loop

A continuous piece of street furniture that caters to multi-generational preferences.

The 'Logan Loop' addresses the lack of urban spaces that allow different age groups to rest, gather, and move together. By creating a space for them to co-exist, the public space becomes richer in diversity and intergenerational social interaction.

Top down axonometric drawing of the proposed playground structure with kids playing with it surrounded by trees.

conceptual project: 2022 course coordinator: dr kali marnane

Room With a View

View from the back of a house looking at the car port with a brick wall on the left and a large tree on the right.

Top down axonometric of the architectural house showing the planning layout as the roof has been removed.

Demolishing the least house necessary

The joy in this project was the retaining of all existing external walls & structure.

The house didn’t require more internal space, it needed planning that flowed; more efficient storage; and increased connection to the landscape.

Room with an open door, white walls and dark brown timber floors.

Corner of a room looking out at the trees through 5 timber windows with privacy glass.

An architectural bathroom with a window in the middle and dark green tiles wrapping the walls.

Close up of a brick to timber rafting architectural detail.

Project Info

year: 2023-25

practice: maytree studios

builder: momentum building

photography: jack gibson

role: project leadinvolvement: concept design to completion

About Me

Hej!

Min hedder Abby. Jeg er arkitekt fra Brisbane, Australia, bor i København.

I am passionate about design that is directly informed by people’s stories, experiences and needs.

Architecture is an incredible problem solving profession and I am delighted by its diversity and potential.

I am an practiced project lead with 5+ years experience in construction administration, construction detailing, design work and presentations, project management, and client liason.

I live a full life of friends, family, and travelling.

However, I am introverted at heart. I love boardgames and cooking and staying at home with a cup of coffee and a great book.

If you think I could be a good addition to your workplace, I would love to hear from you!

Contact me at: abigaillee239@gmail.com

Mange tak!

Gather 'Round House

Render of a sunken living room with a large window to the right and a kitchen in the background.

Light & bright spaces for family living

A modest project that provides gathering space for a couple with a large extended family and a love for hosting.

Simple yet thoughtful interventions re-connect this pre-1911 cottage to the surrounding landscape with a central courtyard & rear deck just floating above the ground.

Construction site of the home with power tools on the ground and the roof structure showing.

House under construction of an internal room with all structure exposed.

House under construction of two rooms and a window showing all of the structure.

Project Info

year: 2023-present

practice: maytree studios

builder: momentum building

photography: abigail lee

role: project leadinvolvement: concept design to construction

Sm_art House

Exterior facade of a two-story residential house with a pool on the right.

Large scale drama -
Human scale comfort

A project that pushed the boundaries of my experience with its scale, style & client requirements.

Grand gestures & true craftsmanship come together to create a home that wows, while retaining the domestic scale in the places that matter.

Concrete letter box in golden-hour lighting.

Narrow room with red walls, a comfy chair and a bookcase on the right wall.

Architectural kitchen with an island bench and a large window behind the kitchen counter.

Architectural bathroom with a sink and detached bathtub.

Living room with a large couch, rub and full height glass sliding doors with kids toys scattered around.

Raised living room on a polished concrete floor with artwork on the walls, large windows and a detailed concrete stair on the left.

Project Info

year: 2024-26

practice: maytree studios

builder: petro builders

photography: toby scott

role: 2IC involvement: tender to completion

Open-Shut House

External facade of a blue-greyish timber two story house with a sloped road and a car in front.

Main entrance to the house with a brown slatted door with a brick footpath.

Framed views in a building that breathes

After 10 years living in Switzerland, our clients returned to Brisbane to build their dream family home. The resulting construction was heavily influenced by the thermal sealing and operational-energy efficient construction techniques of the northern hemisphere

This home is built to breathe: with operable windows to capture breezes and ventilate the home; courtyard gardens to cool the home; and a thermal sealing system which keeps conditioned air in, and moisture out.

Living room with dark timber floors, a beige rug, white walls and large windows looking at trees.

Kitchen with dark timber floors, an island bench and stone counter top.

Wall with an opening with horizontal slats looking into the kitchen with an orange

View from the corridor looking into a bedroom with blue-greyish walls and a pitched ceiling.

Wall with timber floors and a red opening looking into the corridor.

Corridor with cabinets on the right hand side.

Bespoke interiors celebrate colour

While the home's structural grid is rigorous and detailed, the interiors inject playfulness and character.

Colour drenching gives each room a memorable identity. Fresh white interiors to the main living areas bring a lightness of relief following the dark and cozy undercroft space.

Bathroom wall with green square tiles, a round mirror and a sink.

Bathroom with square red tiles, a toilet, sink and cabinets with mirrors as the doors.

Entrance to the house with a brick floor, timber rafters, a slatted timber door and timber columns.

Project Info

year: 2024-26

practice: maytree studios

builder: allen brothers

photography: clinton weaver

role: 2ICinvolvement: tender to completion

Speaking Engagements

Speaking

"Regi-frustration" Panel Event : panellist : 2025

"Forge Your Career Path" Panel Event : host & facilitator : 2024

"Entering the Profession" Panel Event : co-orgnaiser & panellist : 2023

"Problems Over Pizza" Mentoring Event: co-organiser & host: 2025

Podcast Episodes

Design Responsibility
with Rebecca Caldwell

Flood Resilient Design
with Libby Ba Pe

Learning by Doing
with Katerina Dracopoulos

Dear Designer, Podcast
host & creator

young woman smiling and holding a microphone infront of a screen

group of young people looking and listening thoughtfully to someone speaking

photo credit: kelton boyter-grant

Offset House

A residential house from the street over a brown low lying fence with a car port and a person walking their dog.

A stepped home to capture the light

What began as a humble 1940s weatherboard cottage has been reconfigured into a compact bedroom wing, with a stepped contemporary extension unfolding behind to meet the needs of this growing family.

Negotiating a sloping site and angled boundary, the new volumes offset in plan. This sequencing fosters connection and enhances passive performance - maximising northern light and cross-ventilation for a home that is environmentally attuned and experientially rich.

External sliding door with green horizontal weatherboards, two metal chairs and a lush garden.

Living room with a full height tv unit and bookshelf on a concrete floor, a ceiling fan and a brown leather couch.

Corner of a room with a reclining char, a fireplace and a tall window with louvers.

Outdoor room from the garden looking down onto an outdoor dining table and chair set surrounding by plants and trees.

Close up of an external window with timber shutters.

Project Info

year: 2021-24

practice: maytree studios

builder: eclat building co.

photography: toby scott

role: construction administrationinvolvement: construction to completion

Small Scale Legacies Workshop

Extior of a building with green weatherboards, an orange banner, an A-frame sign and a crowd of people sitting and looking to the left beyond the door.

Abigail Lee presenting and pointing to a TV on the wall with a crowd of people in the foreground watching.

Joining the brisbane olympics conversation

The purpose of this event was to use the 2032 Olympics as a trojan horse for permanent positive change to Brisbane's public space. This collaborative workshop focused on:

quality of public space at the human scale
river connections + structures
vacant space activations

Sketches on tracing paper layered on top of each other.

5 sketches of different urban design interventions.

Designing small scale legacies

As part of my involvement with EmAGN, I hosted and prepared the workshop's format, prompts and tasks.

The workshop produced urban design interventions which will be published and shared with the Brisbane City Council.

Two groups of people around tables sketching, talking and concentrating.

A group of people presenting their ideas holding paper with people infront sitting and listening.

industry workshop with EmAGN role: event organiser, host & tutor date: feb 2026

Treehouse

Exterior of a residential house with a large timber staircase leading to the backdoor with a woman sitting on the steps.

32 steps down from street to backyard

Placed on a steep sloping site in Toowong, Brisbane this home floats above the site amongst the trees.

The design approach for this project was to reconcile the site’s challenging slope with a family home where connection — rather than disconnection — drives the experience of living.

Green wall with openings looking out into the tree tops with a brown timber decking.

Kitchen with an island bench in the middle, the counter on the left and a staircase on the right looking out to the back garden.

Close up of the kitchen island bench detail where the concrete top meets the tiles.

Timber staircase leading up to the first floor with timber slats.

A recognition of the importance of home

Our home environment can directly impact our wellbeing.

This design aims to provide an overall sense of calm with a palette of earthy, moody interiors and strategic framed views to greenery.

Wall of joinery with cupboards and draws and a window with a deep sill lined with timber.

Corner of a room looking at a small window which frames the tree tops.

Entrance to an old Queenslander-style home with a tin roof and cream walls and timber doors.

Project Info

year: 2024-26

practice: maytree studios

builder: petro builders

photography: jack gibson

role: construction administrationinvolvement: construction to completion

'It Takes a Village' Workshop

Two women standing in the middle with a glass wall behind them with collages stuck to the wall.

It takes a village to create the extraordinary

It takes a village to recalibrate the everyday and reimagine city life.

As part of Brisbane Open House 2024, Lily and Abby ran an architectural collage workshop. The call was for Brisbanites to together & reimagine their idea of a city.

Each individual collage was stitched together to create a larger mural- creating a diverse and vibrant collective artwork.

community workshop w. Brisbane Open House role: event co-lead & organiser with Lily Jiang date: july 2024

Perching House

Enhancing neighbourly connection

Project Info

Public Space : Public Life in Logan City

catalyst intervention: the logan loop

Room With a View

Demolishing the least house necessary

Project Info

About Me

Hej!

Gather 'Round House

Light & bright spaces for family living

Project Info

Sm_art House

Large scale drama - Human scale comfort

Project Info

Open-Shut House

Framed views in a building that breathes

Bespoke interiors celebrate colour

Project Info

Speaking Engagements

Speaking

Podcast Episodes

Offset House

A stepped home to capture the light

Project Info

Small Scale Legacies Workshop

Joining the brisbane olympics conversation

Designing small scale legacies

Treehouse

32 steps down from street to backyard

A recognition of the importance of home

Project Info

'It Takes a Village' Workshop

It takes a village to create the extraordinary

Large scale drama -
Human scale comfort