Our Story

MDP Architecture was founded in the UK in 1947 by Sam Morrison, architect and army veteran, under the name of Morrison and Partners, and quickly established a reputation for both public and private sector work.

By the early 1950’s offices were established in Derby, Oxford and London, from which a large number of major Hotel and Industrial contracts were undertaken in the Middle East. The firm was also recognised as a leader in the development of prefabricated modular, systems building, pioneering a new Derwent timber frame system for schools and then the Onward concrete frame system for English local authority schools with the renowned engineers Ove Arup & Co.

In 1968, a large international company purchased the rights to market one of these systems in Australia, and, with the opportunity of a very large consortium tender for the development of a new town in the Gove Peninsula, Northern Territory, an office was established in Sydney in 1969; so we now have a proven 50 year track record in Australia.

A wide variety of work was secured in the early 1970’s and, with the continued success of the international practice in the Middle East, substantial feasibility studies were undertaken by the Australian office in Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Malaysia for Educational and Medical/Hospital projects.

Morrison and Partners was dissolved in 1978, and the trading practices of both the UK and Australia reinstated under the company structure of MORRISON DESIGN PARTNERSHIP PTY LIMITED, which are autonomous, but available for partnering across all markets, and particularly in the Indo-Pacific.

The UK practice has a strong track record in Hotels, Civic & Industrial buildings, including for Rolls Royce as an anchor client, and increasingly in Data Centres and Urban Farming.

Morrison Design Partnership Architects Australia is a well-established practice with a proven track record in the design and delivery of high-quality built environments. Since 1969, the practice has successfully completed a diverse range of projects; but the common thread that permeates all our work is a strong focus on the “End User”. Our design solutions are always centred on the people who inhabit and depend on our buildings and so we always strive to create the best possible environment for them.

We have intentionally not concentrated on any single building type, but have developed a reputation in recent years for expertise in Commercial, Industrial, Residential and Mixed-Use Multi-Residential, Health & Care projects, in both the public and private sectors.

All work within the office is under the direct responsibility of one of the Directors, and together with experienced Associates and Senior Architects, we provide an extensive range of architectural design services from feasibility studies, brief preparation and master planning, through detailed concept design and working documentation, to peer reviews, project contract management and construction supervision.

We deploy state of the art design and documentation hard and software tools such as REVIT and BIM, CGI, 3D-printed and physical model-making, fly-throughs and VR along with coordination networks such as ACCONEX.

Our team is led by senior Australian & UK-registered architects, and collectively are experienced practioners of Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape and Urban Design right across the world, with a joint capability of well over 200 years of cumulative experience in the Australian market.

We also increasingly focus on design thinking and networking with industry innovators to pro-actively respond to an increasingly disrupted market, particularly in prefabrication and environmentally sustainable design, to deliver both market-leading CAPEX & OPEX efficiencies and enhanced social licence to all our valued clients.

Our core principles are to continue to provide an exceptional, exemplary design service that responds to the challenges of brief, place and user, with close personalised attention to each and every one of our clients.