Frequently Asked Questions

We are friends and we are architects. We began exploring, celebrating, attacking, sharing, talking, and walking about the city in 2000, because – frankly – someone in Sydney had to. We love cities, what they house and what they reveal but we also want to understand what drives them, what makes them tick. We use architecture to open up other conversations – political, cultural, environmental. So architecture becomes our lens to unpack and re-pack the city. More info on us here.

Yep. They’re truly awesome!

Yep. Try this one on for size:
– A skeleton walks into a bar and asks for a glass of milk … and a mop!

Nope. The conversations are about the city from an architectural point of view. They are not tours-for-architects. That kind of conversation is generally pretty dry and full of jargon and archi-mumbojumbo. Our conversations are full of small, simple words but big ideas. They are full of life. We reckon, when it comes down to it, city-making is not that complicated and city-making is a conversation everyone should be engaged with. If an idea is any good it should be easy to communicate. No archi-jargon. Promise!

Yep. If you’re an architect then all our tours earn formal CPD points – 1 point per hour. At checkout you will be asked if you are eligible and we will send you details if you say “yes”. More info on CPD here.

We program dates seasonally – usually three months in advance. Tours generally fall on a Wednesday or Saturday morning. Public tours take a break through winter but we do Custom Tours at any time.

We sure do.

Yes. Generally they are high school groups but we have also taken tours for primary kids as well. Tours range from 90 minutes to multiple-day itineraries though the majority are 2 to 3 hours long. See Groups for more information and email us with your request. The more information you can give us the easier it will be to plan something super-special.

Yes, you can. But you will have to pay cash (and bring the right money please). And we can’t guarantee that there will be spaces or that the tour will run if you haven’t booked. Safer to call or text first.

100%. If you’re not completely satisfied, we’ll do pretty much anything – within the laws of physics – to satisfy you. If all else fails, we’re happy to give you a refund.

We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Stripe, Google Express, and hugs. Only kidding. We don’t do Google Express.

You can change or cancel any order up to 72 hours before the tour online. If you can’t work out how to do it then email us with your alternate date.

Give us a call or send a text message. If the tour has already started then we probably won’t be able to answer the phone. Most tours begin with a 10-20 minute introduction at the meeting point so if you’re fashionably late you will see us.

We offer Gift Cards on all tours. If you’re having any issues with Gift Cards please email us and let us know what the problem is.

If you found us then you probably know what you’re looking for. We’re not professional guides and we haven’t learnt a script. We’re design professionals, architects who spend their days designing bits and pieces of the city and these tours are our passion and public research project rolled into one. They’re also our chance to moonlight a little and share the things we love with the design-curious public.

SAW tours are carefully crafted urban narratives hidden beneath a guise of informality. They’re not touristic or aimed at a mid-market, lazy audience that wants to be hand fed a bunch of amazing facts. We explore ideas through architecture and try to get to the bottom of what makes our dreamy, grimy emerald city tick. They are both a celebration and a critique, celebrating contemporary architecture, art and design but they’re also about our politics, culture, history, and environment. They’re like a crash course in architecture and urbanism with a sharp focus on what is special and unique about Sydney.

Seniors, full-time students and children are Concession tickets. Everyone else is General.