Peter Thomas Dunican
Encyclopedia
Peter Thomas Dunican CBE FICE FISTructE FiEI was a structural engineer
and former chairman of Ove Arup & Partners
.
from its early days, and becoming a partner in 1956, Peter Dunican is widely regarded as the right-hand man of Ove Arup
, the firm's founder. In the words of Jack Zunz and Peter Hobbs, other senior parters from the firm, after his death in 1989:
Dunican became chairman of the Ove Arup Partnership
, a trust which owned Ove Arup & Partners
on behalf of its staff, in 1977.
As senior partner at Arup Dunican is credited with overseeing much of its growth from a single office in London
in 1946 to a firm of over 7000 staff now. He also worked on many of the firms most iconic projects, including the Sydney Opera House
, Coventry Cathedral
, Centre Pompidou, the Barbican Estate
and others.
He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers
in 1977 and 1978.
He died in 1989.
in 1977.
Structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants...
and former chairman of Ove Arup & Partners
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
.
Life and career
Involved in ArupArup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
from its early days, and becoming a partner in 1956, Peter Dunican is widely regarded as the right-hand man of Ove Arup
Ove Arup
Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, CBE, MICE, MIStructE known as Ove Arup, was a leading Anglo-Danish engineer and generally considered to be one of the foremost architectural structural engineers of his time...
, the firm's founder. In the words of Jack Zunz and Peter Hobbs, other senior parters from the firm, after his death in 1989:
- “If Ove is the architect-philosopher, Peter is the builder, the doer who moulded the philosophies into workable arrangements whereby so many hundreds of talented people have come together to work under the Arup banner.”
Dunican became chairman of the Ove Arup Partnership
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
, a trust which owned Ove Arup & Partners
Arup
Arup is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom which provides engineering, design, planning, project management and consulting services for all aspects of the built environment. The firm is present in Africa, the Americas, Australasia, East Asia, Europe and the...
on behalf of its staff, in 1977.
As senior partner at Arup Dunican is credited with overseeing much of its growth from a single office in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1946 to a firm of over 7000 staff now. He also worked on many of the firms most iconic projects, including the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
, Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral
Coventry Cathedral, also known as St Michael's Cathedral, is the seat of the Bishop of Coventry and the Diocese of Coventry, in Coventry, West Midlands, England. The current bishop is the Right Revd Christopher Cocksworth....
, Centre Pompidou, the Barbican Estate
Barbican Estate
The Barbican Estate is a residential estate built during the 1960s and the 1970s in the City of London, in an area once devastated by World War II bombings and today densely populated by financial institutions...
and others.
He was president of the Institution of Structural Engineers
Institution of Structural Engineers
The Institution of Structural Engineers is a professional body for structural engineering based in the United Kingdom. It has 27,000 members in 105 countries. The Institution provides professional accreditation for structural engineers...
in 1977 and 1978.
He died in 1989.
Awards
Peter Dunican was awarded a CBECBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
in 1977.