Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop
Our PHILOSOPHY is simple: we believe in functional, efficient, structurally expressive, sustainable design.
Our APPROACH is equally simple: meet the client’s brief, budget and timeframe and create a beautiful and poetic place.
ABOUT US
Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop is a leading architectural practice in Victoria, offering a full range of architectural, interior and urban design services. The practice is breaking ground as a contemporary, multi-skilled design firm with a strong reputation for delivering innovative, sustainable projects which emphasise quality and client service. The firm has a rich portfolio of national and international work encompassing government and private clients, urban scale, infrastructure and regional community projects.
The merger in 2008 between Whitefield McQueen and Irwin Alsop architects has given rise to a unique combination of contemporary vision and energy, supported by 105 years of knowledge and experience. The growing practice of 20 is led by two Directors and four Associates, and is made up of Architects, Interior Designers and Project Managers supported by full time Technical, Finance and Administrative staff.
HISTORY
Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop has a long history and formidable legacy, with antecedent practices which have made a significant contribution to Australian architecture over more than a century.
This history begins in 1902 when Rodney Alsop started his firm with the design of a house for his parents in Kew. He quickly developed a significant practice designing major houses in Melbourne, country Victoria and New South Wales, and a limited number of commercial buildings. His work was rooted in the Arts & Crafts movement, but he adopted a more Mediterranean style after an extensive study tour of Europe in the 1920s, seeing this as better suited to Australia’s climate. One of Rodney’s most significant achievements was winning the competition for the design of the University of New South Wales and Winthrop Hall in 1926, which later won the RIBA Gold Medal.
Leighton Irwin started his practice in 1922 in Melbourne, designing a number of significant houses before soon turning his focus to health projects. Leighton became a respected hospital architect, with a prolific career which spanned more than 40 years and included hospitals in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart, Launceston, and numerous towns across regional Victoria and New South Wales. Perhaps his greatest triumphs were Prince Henrys Hospital in St Kilda Road (demolished in 1994), and the Royal College of Surgeons, which won a RIBA Gold Medal.
Leighton was a pioneer in that he introduced engineering services as a separate discipline to the architectural practice - this in response to the practice's undertaking of Health buildings which have a high technical content. He also led the way in being one of the first architects to incorporate his practice and to develop interstate offices, the Sydney practice growing significantly with the development of health projects in the city.
Garnet Alsop, Rodney's nephew, did his articles in the practice before starting his own firm in 1937. His work was based on the design of aviation buildings, and the practice flourished in the Second World War. This work quickly spread to other industrial building types - significant clients including LM Ericsson, Carnation Milk and Benge International - later developing into educational and institutional work, including the University of Melbourne.
In 1982 the Leighton Irwin and Garnet Alsop practices merged to become Leighton Irwin Garnet Alsop, with two offices, one in Melbourne and one in Sydney. In 1987 the practice split, the Sydney office becoming Leighton Irwin, and the Melbourne firm continuing as the Irwin Alsop Group.
Whitefield McQueen Irwin Alsop was formed in 2008 when Irwin Alsop was absorbed into Whitefield McQueen architects, an emerging young firm of 10 years. The contemporary practice continues this architectural legacy with a rich portfolio of national and international work.
A selection of historical newspaper and magazine clippings can be found under ‘A History of Health' in our HEALTH projects category.
