Welcoming the Next Generation of Architects to Peddle Thorp
Last week, Peddle Thorp Architects welcomed members of the DES (Design Students Society) and University of Melbourne students to Peddle Thorp Architects for an afternoon focused on connecting architectural study with professional practice.
We wanted the students to experience more than a studio visit. The program combined a walking tour of several Peddle Thorp projects with conversations in our Collins Street studio, giving students the chance to see completed work firsthand, understand some of the thinking behind it and speak openly with people working across the industry.
Experiencing Our Projects Firsthand
The walking tour gave us an opportunity to share the history and breadth of Peddle Thorp’s work through projects from different periods and sectors.
At Scots Church, we discussed how heritage can be integrated within a contemporary commercial context and some of the design considerations involved in working with an established historic setting.
We also visited the ANZ Gothic Bank, part of Peddle Thorp’s earlier architectural history, before continuing to Le Méridien Melbourne, where the conversation shifted to hotel design, interiors and the experience created for guests.
For the students, seeing these buildings from the inside out created a different understanding of the design process. It allowed us to talk not only about the original ideas, but how those ideas translate into materials, spaces and completed buildings.
Sharing Our Experience of Practice
Back at the studio, Our Director, Rob Page, and the Principal, Socrati Seretis, and shared their experience of working across architecture, project development and the wider industry.
The discussion was deliberately informal, giving students the opportunity to ask questions about professional practice, current projects and the transition from university into the workplace.
We wanted the conversation to reflect the reality that there is no single path through architecture. Hearing directly from people with different experiences and responsibilities within the practice gave students a broader view of where an architectural career can lead.
Creating a Connection Between University and Practice
The afternoon concluded with an informal networking session involving team members from both Peddle Thorp Architects and HSPC Health Architects.
Our team spoke with students about their work, answered questions about the industry and shared their own experiences of building a career in architecture and design.
Working with the Design Students Society and University of Melbourne students gives us an opportunity to strengthen the connection between architectural education and professional practice. By opening our studio and sharing both our projects and our experience, we hope to give emerging architects a more tangible understanding of the profession they are preparing to enter.
