Wednesday 4 November 2026 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM (UTC+10)
GML Heritage : Level 17, 323 Castlereagh Street Sydney, Haymarket NSW 2000
Join author Kathryn Franco to celebrate the launch of her new book ‘Pettit & Sevitt The Modernist Project ‘ Docomomo Australia is hosting a talk by author Kathy Franco and architect Tone Wheeler, with Q&A to follow.
Glimpse inside the new book, revealing the stories, architecture and previously unseen archival material behind Pettit & Sevitt. Introductions by Colin Sevitt & architect Tone Wheeler followed by Q&A.
Pettit + Sevitt: The Modernist Project is the story of one of Australia’s most influential project home companies and the remarkable collaboration between builders Brian Pettit and Ron Sevitt and five of Australia’s most notable architects: Ken Woolley, Michael Dysart, Neil Clerehan, Russell Jack and Harry Seidler.
Founded in Sydney in 1961, Pettit & Sevitt brought architect-designed modernism to the middle classes in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond.
They produced houses, townhouses and residential developments that responded to landscape, climate and post-war ideas about Australian domestic life. Most strongly associated with the Sydney School vernacular of architecture, their work offered an alternative to the conventional triple-fronted bungalow and established an important model of collaboration between architects and builders that raises questions about how housing is designed and delivered today.Author Kathryn Franco will discuss the research behind the book, drawing on previously unpublished archival material, photographs, plans and film footage, and provide insight into the people, ideas and circumstances that shaped Pettit & Sevitt.