Established in 1994, PMDL Architecture + Design is an architecture, interiors and masterplanning practice with studios in Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong. Over three decades it has become a recognised specialist in education, designing schools and campuses across Australia and Asia that are clear, considered and appropriate to place and culture, and built on long-standing client relationships.

‍

Ahead of its thirtieth anniversary, PMDL engaged Office D.SHARP to develop a marketing strategy grounded in the views of its clients. The plan's recommendations went on to inform a unified brand for the practice, with a new identity and website designed by JAC AND.

PMDL began working with Office D.SHARP in January 2024, with the completed plan delivered in July. Having built a strong reputation among its existing clients, many of whom had returned over a long period, the practice wanted its marketing to convey that depth of experience to a wider audience.

‍

The directors' aim was to sharpen the practice's message and value proposition, strengthen its reputation for design quality and increase brand awareness. They also wanted guidance on brand architecture, in particular how to present the Victorian studio, which had joined PMDL through the acquisition of the long-established McGlashan Everist and continued to operate under a second name and website.

We began at the practice's quarterly leadership meeting, where we held two workshops with around twenty people to understand the practice's goals, sectors, values and key messages. We then reviewed the identity, website, imagery, social media and client-facing documents, benchmarking the practice against eight national peers.

‍

The practice's long client relationships and depth of experience in education gave it a strong foundation to build on. The main opportunities lay in presenting that experience with greater clarity and distinction, through the identity, website and client documents and a more selective curation of the portfolio. We also found that the PMDL and McGlashan Everist brands had yet to be fully brought together.

‍

To inform the strategy, we surveyed clients in Australia and Hong Kong about the qualities they valued in an architect and how they perceived PMDL against each, and interviewed three long-standing clients. Clients associated the practice strongly with collaborative relationships and the close involvement of its directors. The research also pointed to an opportunity to demonstrate the practice's expertise, research and thinking in education design more visibly.

Drawing on this research, we worked with the leadership group to develop four positioning concepts: distilled, deliberate, mindful and genuine. They describe a practice that brings clarity to complex briefs, designs with rigour and purpose, responds carefully to place and culture, and partners closely with its clients, distinguishing PMDL from its peers while remaining consistent with the existing brand.

‍

The measurable objectives we agreed for the year ahead focused on increasing brand awareness in the Australian and South East Asian markets, improving perception of the practice's design quality and thinking, and growing consideration for education projects across all markets.

‍

On brand architecture, we recommended presenting PMDL as one practice under one name, with the separate McGlashan Everist website replaced by a dedicated page on the PMDL site setting out that studio's seventy-year history.

We then developed a strategic plan that responded directly to the client research, with a focus on demonstrating the practice's thinking in education design. We recommended long-form case studies and research reports, together with a more selective project portfolio and consistent photography of flagship projects.

‍

On brand, we recommended a refresh of the identity, website and client documents. We also recommended a media and awards programme, a regular newsletter, an approach to social media and a client relationship management system for the directors. For each recommendation, we provided implementation steps and suggested creative suppliers, accompanied by a 12-month timeline.

After delivering the plan, we helped PMDL prepare its design brief and introduced the practice to a number of graphic design studios, among them JAC AND. Creative Director Jacinta Lippold and her team designed the new identity, website and document templates, with copywriting by Letterform and website development by Formwork.

‍

The new brand launched in August 2026 under the line 'A shared perspective'. The wordmark has been refined and the original symbol retained, and the work of both studios is now presented together on a single website, with photography of recent schools and colleges.

The strategy we prepared in 2024 provided the basis for a complete rebrand, and the single-brand structure we recommended is now reflected in the practice's new website. We are working with PMDL's team to plan the next stage of implementation, and the plan continues to guide the practice's marketing.

‍

After thirty years, PMDL now presents itself as one practice, with a name, identity and website that are equal to the depth of its experience and the strength of its client relationships.

‍

Brand identity and website by JAC AND. Images by Victor Vieaux, Matthew Jensen and Martin Mischkulnig.