About Studio Origami · Perth, Western Australia
Where building science
meets intentional design.
Studio Origami is led by Izabela Katafoni — certified Passive House designer and Western Australia's only specialist combining high-performance building science with healthy home biohacking design.
Izabela Katafoni
A European eye for design.
A scientist's rigour for performance.
Izabela Katafoni founded Studio Origami in Perth in 2014. As a certified Passive House Designer and Western Australia's only specialist in healthy home biohacking design, Izabela brings a rare combination of building science rigour and deeply intentional interior design to every project.
With a European background that treats performance and beauty as inseparable, Izabela designs homes that don't just look extraordinary — they actively improve the lives of the people living inside them.
While others stop at energy efficiency, Izabela goes further — integrating circadian lighting, non-toxic materials, EMF-conscious planning and biophilic design into every home. This is the Studio Origami difference.
View our projects →Our values
What drives every
Studio Origami project
Beauty in Every Detail
Refined material palettes, considered proportions and spatial experiences that genuinely delight. Design that is both rigorous and beautiful — never one at the expense of the other.
Intelligent Performance
Passive House science, thermal modelling, building physics and energy performance — applied from the very first sketch. Homes that outperform standard construction by a significant margin.
Wellbeing by Design
Circadian lighting, clean filtered air, non-toxic materials, EMF-conscious planning — your home as an active tool for health, sleep quality and long-term longevity. Biohack your home.
Site Responsiveness
Every project responds to its specific place — orientation, climate, landscape, neighbourhood. Perth's warm temperate climate demands and rewards considered passive solar design.
Client Partnership
Collaborative process. Authentic communication. Genuine listening. Design that is truly yours — not a style imposed upon you, but a home that reflects how you actually live.
Enduring Quality
Homes designed to last — materially, functionally and aesthetically. We build for the long term, reducing maintenance, energy costs and environmental impact across the life of the building.
Our story
From Perth Hills to
Western Australia's
leading healthy home studio
Studio Origami was founded in Perth in 2014 by Izabela Katafoni, with a clear purpose: to design homes that perform at the highest level and genuinely improve the lives of the people living inside them.
From the beginning, Izabela's European background shaped a fundamentally different approach to residential design — one where energy efficiency, material quality and spatial experience are inseparable from day one, not bolted on as an afterthought.
Between 2020 and 2023, Studio Origami operated as Studio Origami Architects alongside registered architect Javier Ayora, deepening the practice's design systems and processes. Since 2023, the studio has returned to its roots as Studio Origami — focused, intentional and more committed than ever to Passive House and healthy home design in Perth and Western Australia.
Awards & Recognition
- Best Residential Design under $500k — State Winner, HIA Awards 2018
- Best Residential Design under $500k — National Winner, HIA Awards 2018
- Commendation for Best Interior Design WA, 2018
- Green Smart Project Home of the Year, 2018
- Finalist, James Hardie Design Competition
Our approach
Design that works
with your biology
and your climate.
Most Perth homes are designed to minimum NatHERS compliance. Studio Origami designs to Passive House standard — a global benchmark that delivers up to 90% lower energy use, superior thermal comfort and genuinely clean indoor air year-round.
But we go further. We are the only studio in Perth integrating Passive House building science with intentional healthy home design — addressing circadian lighting, material toxicity, EMF exposure and biophilic connection as part of every project brief.
The result is a home that doesn't just perform. It actively supports your health, sleep, nervous system and long-term wellbeing.
Passive House Design Perth
Certified Passive House methodology — HRV ventilation, airtight envelopes, thermal bridge elimination and passive solar design for Perth's climate.
Healthy Home & Biohacking Design
Circadian lighting, zero-VOC materials, EMF-conscious planning, biophilic connection — your home designed to support sleep, energy and longevity.
High-Performance Residential Design
Beyond 7-star NatHERS — homes that exceed energy rating minimums, eliminate thermal bridges and deliver genuine year-round comfort in Perth's warm temperate climate.
Site-Responsive Architecture
Northern orientation, passive solar principles, natural ventilation and landscape connection — design that responds to Perth's specific climate and place.
The Studio Origami difference
We don't just design
energy-efficient homes.
Energy efficiency is the foundation, not the ceiling. While other Perth designers stop at Passive House certification or NatHERS star ratings, Studio Origami layers intentional healthy home design on top — creating homes that are extraordinary on every level.
The air you breathe is filtered and fresh. The light in your bedroom supports melatonin production. The materials your family touches every day contain no harmful chemicals. The spaces you move through reduce cortisol and restore your nervous system.
This is what we mean by biohacking your home. And nobody else in Perth is doing it at this level.
What we offer
A complete design service
for Perth & Western Australia
Concept Design & Feasibility
We begin with a deep listening process — understanding your site, your lifestyle and your goals before putting pencil to paper. Every concept is grounded in passive solar principles and Passive House performance targets from day one.
Design Development & Documentation
Full design development and construction documentation for building permits and construction across Perth and Western Australia. Working with trusted local builders and consultants to deliver well-resolved outcomes.
Passive House Design Integration
Certified Passive House design for new builds across Perth — thermal modelling, airtightness specification, HRV system selection and full Passive House documentation for certification.
Healthy Home Interior Design
Circadian lighting design, material specification, EMF-conscious furniture placement and biophilic design integration — Perth's only complete healthy home interior service grounded in building biology and wellness science.
We design Passive House and healthy homes across Perth and Western Australia — including Cottesloe, Subiaco, Nedlands, Claremont, Floreat, City Beach, Karrinyup, Scarborough, Mount Pleasant, East Victoria Park, Mosman Park, Peppermint Grove, Wembley, Shenton Park, Bayswater, Bassendean, Fremantle, White Gum Valley, Myaree, North Beach, Hillarys, Perth Hills, Kalamunda, Gidgegannup, Darlington, Lesmurdie, Bickley, Swan Valley, Yanchep and the South West region of WA.
Ready to biohack your home?
Start with a Healthy Home Strategy Session. We'll talk through your project, your health goals and what's possible with Passive House and healthy home design in Perth, WA.
Follow the journey
See our work
in progress
Projects, details, materials and ideas — follow Studio Origami on Instagram for an inside look at Passive House and healthy home design in Perth, Western Australia.
@studioorigamidesign
