Peter Besley

World events and big ideas have marked transitions in architect Peter Besley’s practice since he left Australia for the United Kingdom 20 years ago.

Employed in 1999 in London by Razorfish (“Everything that can be digital will be”), Besley led the design team for the agency’s new studios and met his future partner, architect Hannah Corlett. When Razorfish’s projects collapsed in 2001’s dot-com crash, both architects sought work elsewhere. Besley joined Allies and Morrison, where he was offered opportunities that inspired his emerging urban design practice. In 2003, Besley and Corlett became partners and co-founded Assemblage, merging their strengths in architectural and urban design. Assemblage grew to include small residential projects and feasibility studies for planners.

Four years later, the global financial crisis wiped out work in London for smaller practices like Assemblage. Whilst looking for