One of Australia’s most diverse and successful architectural and design practices, Peddle Thorp Architects provides a multitude of services to an international client base in the disciplines of architecture, planning, interior and graphic design. The company is part of the renowned Peddle Thorp Group – a Group associated with providing excellent service to its clients for over 100 years.
In its own right Peddle Thorp Architects enjoys a worldwide reputation for the creation of first class, innovative and landmark buildings. Projects include design feats such as the groundbreaking Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne. Seating 15,000, the stadium’s world first retractable roof is testimony to Peddle Thorp Architects’s design innovation.
“We’re entirely focussed on finding the best solutions that we can for our clients,” says Peter Brook, Design Director of International Operations at Peddle Thorp Architects. “We approach architecture with a comprehensive rather than artistic philosophy, producing work which is good design, technically competent, delivered for costs – and will both work well and live well into the future.”
Peddle Thorp Architects’s strong international presence began in Asia over 15 years ago.
“The overseas market really started with us opening up a practice in China in the mid nineties,” says Peter. “We perceived there was going to be great opportunity there.”
Large offices in Shenzhen and Shanghai give the company an important South East Asian base and have enabled Peddle Thorp Architects to complete projects effectively throughout China, Malaysia and Thailand. Once in the region, opportunities arose to design sporting complexes, with the company creating the Pisa Stadium in Penang for the Malaysia 1998 Commonwealth Games. In 2004 Peddle Thorp Architects designed and constructed Teda Stadium in Tianjin, specifically for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Described as “a theatre of dreams” this landmark building includes state of the art facilities and won the prestigious 2006 Lo Ban Award.
“When it comes to sports architecture we’ve tended to produce multi-purpose buildings rather than a singleminded stadium,” says Peter. “I think in that sense our design approach is unique. We’re showing people how to get better use and more adaptability out of projects.”
How does a Melbourne based architectural firm manage to handle such complex international projects? By drawing on years of experience, putting in a great deal of effort and investing an enormous amount of time into every project.
“To ensure Teda Stadium was built to specifications and met costs, key people from our Melbourne office were sent to China, to work alongside the construction teams and get the stadium built.”
A few years later Peddle Thorp Architects expanded its operations into the Middle East, with offices now in Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Most recently India has been the focus, with the company working on a range of sporting complexes for the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
“It’s vital to understand all the local nuances when working in India,” says Peter. “We’ve relied heavily on advice from various government departments and have found it a lot easier to work jointly with local people who understand the market place. As a company we now have a much better appreciation of how to do business in India.”
It’s clear that Peddle Thorp Architects is building a solid framework for future international success.
“Architecture is about producing carefully thought out, clever design that offers good value for money. I believe our success has come from always trying to create the very best. We’re always aiming to produce work that’s based on common sense. We’ve never been about producing things that are driven by ego.”
Peter Brook
Director
Ph: (+61) 3 9923 2222
E: pbrook@pta.com.au
www.pta.com.au