Testimonials

A practice can describe itself; it is better described by others. Collected here are the letters and citations written about Jean-mic Perrine and Architects Perrine across three decades — by the Institute, by the Parliament, by the City, by the academy, and by the juries of the profession’s own awards.

Each letter is reproduced in full from the original held in the practice archive. Nothing is paraphrased; dates, titles and letterheads are as written.

The correspondents: Warren Kerr FRAIA, WA Chapter President and National President-Elect of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects; John Hyde MLA, Member for Perth; Lisa Scaffidi, Councillor of the City of Perth; Peter Monks, Director of Planning and Development, City of Perth 1999–2012; and Patrick Beale, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Visual Arts at the University of Western Australia.

I have known Mr Jean-mic Perrine professionally, for over 4 years, in my role as a Perth City Councillor.

I believe Mr Jean-mic Perrine’s work is very visionary and yet extremely functional. Jean-mic is able to view a project in its entirety by realizing the (often equal) importance of the surrounding precinct(s), and the significance of the adjoining streetscape in relation to overall scale and context.

Jean-mic is a person of high integrity and a man who values good family and social principles. He is a good listener and observant of the ideals of others. I also know Jean-mic is very passionate about our lovely city of Perth.

As a very well-respected Architect and Property-Developer in the Western Australian community I would have no hesitation in recommending him to a group or consortium as a true-professional who ‘can deliver’, and one who will also deliver with all the appropriate attention to detail required on a major public project with many, varied stakeholders.

I have known Jean-mic du Buisson Perrine by reputation and professionally since I arrived in Western Australia in 1995 to take up an academic position at the School of Architecture Landscape and Fine Arts at UWA. I have understood Jean-mic’s reputation to be that of an innovative design professional with a particular understanding of the economics of architecture both in production and in lifecycle value.

He is a practitioner who has executed his most significant projects within and close to the Perth CBD, many of which most citizens will be familiar with — the Cinema Paradiso complex in Northbridge (RAIA Commercial Award 1993), the Colonnade Hay mixed use complex at 388 Hay Street Subiaco (1994/5 Subiaco Centenary Award for Built Form), and the Leederville GPO heritage redevelopment complex (RAIA Heritage Award 2004 and Town of Vincent Heritage Award) are among the most notable.

The innovative BOX building redevelopment at 918 Hay Street launched the high quality high density re-invigoration of the Perth City Precinct in 2001 (City of Perth Inaugural Heritage Award), demonstrating that heritage values and modern design and development were not only compatible, but highly complementary. In 2007, the Sunday Times nominated Jean-mic as one of the 50 most influential West Australians.

“Architects Perrine expanded the client brief to explore thinking about architecture and the way we live, structure that changes with changing needs and conditions, flexibility to respond and take advantage of seasonal changes, innovations in material systems — a matrix of possibilities prevalent at the time we live. The jury were captured by the originality of the forms, the attention to detail and the skill in delivery of this intelligent project. A standout for residential design in 2020.” — Australian Institute of Architects, Marshall Clifton Award jury citation, June 2020.

“The Box Building is a notable project by Architects Perrine, located in Perth. Completed in 2001, it played a significant role in the revitalization of Perth’s West End. The project received the City of Perth Heritage Award in 2004 for its successful adaptation of a heritage building to contemporary use, and is considered a seminal moment in high-density residential architecture in Western Australia.” — Sandy Anghie, President, Australian Institute of Architects WA Chapter, 2024.

“Think of Perth’s coolest exemplars of architectural excellence and chances are Jean-mic Perrine designed them.” — Jan Walker, insite Magazine, March 2005.