no bow-ties here!

Troppo is a practice of regionally based studios aiming to develop regionally responsive architectures.

For the place of each project, let’s promote a Sense of Place: through an architecture that responds to climate and the local setting: a dynamic architecture of adjustable skins; that connects the indoors with the out (or should it be the outdoors with the in?): a non-constant architecture that responds to the morning, the evening, the season, the heat, the cold, the sun, the rain the moment that will never pass again.

Troppo embrace the informality that is the Australian lifestyle, both in our approach to design as well as our enjoyment of practice: NO BOW-TIES HERE!.

We believe that architecture should express a certain poetry, its users’ personalities, and the uniqueness of the mix of place, people and the day; but also some basic logic…

We believe that a building is foremost a structure. From this standpoint only rational design decisions can flow – with consequent robustness, ‘buildability’ and economy. And we believe that a building should be fun, friendly and forever adaptable.

We are committed to the notion of environmentally sustainable, responsible architecture. Which leads to a whole-of-site approach (and beyond).

Building is a verb, too: we enjoy thinking about the (human) process of building, through incorporating local materials and trade-skills, artist and community resources: an event that might add to a community’s social and cultural fabric.

troppo architects: 40 years and on...

Our story began with the publication of ‘Influences in Regional Architecture’ in 1978 – Australia’s first history of architecture outside the urban arena. The registered practice commenced in Darwin in 1980 with the aid of an NT Government history grant to research (and eventually define and publicise) the History of Tropical Housing in Australia’s Top End.

This knowledge has in turn enabled us to create a new and relevant contemporary architecture for the local climate and cultural setting: a contemporary architecture with a traditional base. In the meantime this regionally responsive approach has also been applied to projects in the Kimberley, Perth, Esperance, and inland WA; Adelaide, coastal, rural and far-northern SA; Melbourne and Victoria; Alice Springs and the Centre; Townsville, throughout Queensland, in Sydney and up the NSW coast. Overseas work includes Uganda, Tanzania, Vanuatu, Samoa, Malaysia, Tel Aviv and Bali... And the public promotion of environmentally responsive design still remains a driving focus.

Troppo is nationally and internationally recognised, and is Australia’s 3rd most awarded practice (ever).

We maintain regional practices in 5 Australian locations:
Adelaide | Darwin | Sydney
and we have visiting offices in Byron Bay, Launceston and Perth.

Through joint venture experience, Troppo maintain connection with and share the intellectual resources of a network of national practitioners that are diverse but always excellent.

We are experienced in working in Aboriginal Australia, and have a developed and refined ways of practice to guide a cross-cultural conversation.

Our practice is fully resourced with the latest digital technology but we still like to draw/ think by hand! We model (really well) digitally, as well as in good ol' card and balsa. We can communicate graphically well.