Celebrating over 70 years of architecture since 1938

PDT Architects, one of Brisbane’s oldest and most prolific architecture firms, celebrated its 70th Anniversary in 2008.  Still trading under the name of its original founders, Powell Dods and Thorpe, PDT, as it is now known, has grown into one of Queensland’s largest and most diverse architecture practices, making a significant contribution to the built environment of the sunshine state and beyond.

The firm's founder, Lange Leopold Powell commenced practice in Brisbane in 1909.  During his thirty year career, Powell’s work encompassed a wide scope of architecture throughout Queensland, including residential, commercial, retail, industrial, hospital and ecclesiastical projects.  Upon his death in 1938, two of Powell’s employees, Robin Espie Dods and Stewart Turley Thorpe arranged to purchase the practice from Powell’s widow, and the architecture firm Powell, Dods and Thorpe was born. 

Dods and Thorpe continued to work in the practice until the late 80's and over the years, the firm has had three distinct generations of leaders, each contributing to significant milestones in PDT's development.

The early years of PDT saw the firm consolidate Powell's legacy of a sound, commercially based clientele into an established practice with a client base that included the National Bank of Australasia Limited (now National Australia Bank), the Commercial Bank of Australia (now Westpac), G J Coles & Coy Limited (now Coles Supermarkets), the Millaquin Sugar Company Limited (now Bundaberg Sugar) and a range of merchant, warehousing and agency groups.

A testament to PDT's level of client service is that many of these remain clients to this day.

Significant projects undertaken by PDT include:

• United Grand Lodge of Queensland
• St Martin's Hospital
• MacTaggarts Building
• Ipswich Plaza
• Regent Theatre Refurbishment
• Garden Square
• Sheraton Noosa
• Neville Bonner Building
• Suncorp Stadium
• Queens Plaza