Peter McIntyre AO's career as an architect spans 70 years. Starting in his father's architecture office at the age of only seven, McIntyre today looks back on a career of huge successes, a broad portfolio of work, close family collaboration, and influence.

He spoke to WILLIAMS MEDIA a few days ago.

What do you enjoy most about your profession?

Designing buildings… all types, from hospitals to resorts, and, of course, private homes. Our clients are drawn to us because we are known to specialise in design.

I have one foot in the grave, the other’s on a banana skin, but my hand’s still firmly on the drawing board.

Related content: Great Ocean Road beachfront, 'Storm Point Cottage'.

I notice that RH McIntyre established your practice in 1920, and there are other McIntyres in your practice, can you tell me a bit about that?

My father established the practice in 1920 and then my uncle, who was ten years his junior, joined him in 1930. I started in 1949 after graduating but had been working in the practice as an office boy from the age of seven.

After winning the Melbourne Olympic swimming pool award, I started my own practice and then took over from my father when he retired. I think it is a good idea to gain experience on your own without just stepping into an existing firm.

I married an architect, Dione McIntyre, and then our son and one of our daughters also worked here, although my son now has his own practice.

You have been granted many honors, including Officer of the Order of Australia in 1982. You've won countless architecture awards, including Building of The Year in 1956 for the Melbourne Olympic swimming pool design, and the Architect’s Gold Medal for the Seahouse at Mornington. You've even directed a movie! What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Winning the Olympic swimming pool really started things off for me, but having almost 70 years of work to consider, there are others: formulating the Strategic Plan for Melbourne in 1970, designing an entire 5,000 bed alpine village for Dinner Plain near Mt Hotham in the 80s, and, possibly the most outstanding building I’ve designed, the Trinity Grammar School Library.

My favourite building is The Seahouse in Mornington which I still enjoy going to.

How have you influenced architecture?

After completely designing the entire Dinner Plains alpine village I noticed that my designs had definitely had an influence on the character of other alpine architecture being built.

What advice would you give to a new Architecture graduate?

Take up medicine!

Where do you live now, and where would you live if you could live anywhere in the world?

I have lived on the Yarra River in Kew since 1947, but if I lived anywhere else I would love to live in Sydney… on the harbour of course.

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Great Ocean Road beachfront, 'Storm Point Cottage'

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Get to know Lisa Merkesteyn, architect at Carter Williamson