People

Peter joined Keppie in 1989 and during his time with the company has gained experience in a wide variety of projects including learning, health and wellbeing and secure living accommodation.  He has been instrumental in the expansion of the education and learning sector within the practice and in 2005 became the Director responsible for the development and implementation of the learning strategy within Keppie.  In the last decade alone, this development has resulted in the design and construction of over fifty new schools, with almost forty thousand children now being educated in buildings designed by Keppie. Peter has also developed an expert knowledge of the complex design standards associated with secure residential accommodation for young persons and has been responsible for the design of more than half of the secure bed spaces currently available in Scotland.

Peter studied architecture at Strathclyde University between 1983 and 1989, graduating with an Honours Degree and Bachelor in Architecture before joining Keppie. He believes that good architecture is the result of strong relationships between the architect, client, design team, contractor and wider stakeholder group.

As the Director responsible for the learning strand within Keppie, Peter is interested in the influence that the spaces we create can have on the daily lives of the people who occupy them. However, this is only successful when architects listen to their clients and understand what is important to them. He is especially interested in the input that children, as users, can have in the design of school buildings and has spoken on this subject at several conferences in the UK. “The children of today will be the teachers of tomorrow and we must include them in the design process at the earliest opportunity.”

Peter says:

“I am particularly interested in the evolution of school design and the role of the school within the learning community.  I foresee a time when we will no longer build schools but buildings for learning.  Flexible, adaptable buildings at the heart of the learning community, designed to embrace changes in pedagogy and capable of accommodating a variety of users on a regular basis.”