At Carabiner we work to improve lives. We believe that the way public buildings are designed and built should empower the people who visit, work and live in them to thrive, grow, and succeed.
We achieve this by engaging in genuine collaboration with our clients and their stakeholders to deliver simple, value-for-money solutions to complex project briefs.
The stereotypical image of an architect is that of a guru, sitting on high. So high that the voices and opinions of others (especially the client) are often just a faint whisper. We believe in taking a far more collaborative approach. An approach where a more apt metaphor for the architect is that of the Sherpa, not a guru.
A Sherpa lives for climbing great heights. But they use their skill to help others reach the top, not to seek solitary glory for themselves. They use all their natural ability and experience to guide their client, to help them overcome obstacles and exceed their own expectations of what is possible.
The most critical piece of equipment in this relationship is the carabiner, an ingenious self-locking clip that connects the Sherpa’s climbing rope to their client’s.
We named ourselves after that clip because we promise we’ll be more closely connected to you than any other architectural firm.
Yes, our people have the skill and experience to reach new heights of architectural excellence, but their role is to get you there. In one piece. To guide you every step of this long complex process, to anticipate the problems that inevitably arise, to react to the unexpected in ways that are creative, helpful and ego-free.
So that in the end, we can achieve something extraordinary, together.
Our history
Carabiner has evolved into the practice it is today over a period of more than 25 years. Formerly Sandover Pinder, we rebranded in 2018 to reflect our relationship-based service offering.
Sandover Pinder was founded in 1995 by two highly regarded practitioners, Patrick Pinder and Grayam Sandover. The merger of their two practices created a firm foundation of experience in public buildings, featuring major projects for local and state government and international clients. Pinder’s affinity for institutional architecture combined with Sandover’s formidable commercial expertise to form a diverse, broad-ranging portfolio of notable buildings across WA and internationally.
Today’s directors and senior team had the privilege of developing their careers under the guidance of Patrick and Grayam. They have been members of Sandover Pinder since its inception and part owners since 2000, leading a number of prominent, large-scale and culturally significant built works over the last 25+ years.
Our directors David Karotkin and Peter Giangiulio have been at the helm through both good times and bad, cutting their teeth in their leadership roles just as the GST was introduced and through the economic downturn that followed it. They are conscious custodians of the practice’s prolific professional legacy, both within the built environment and internally, continuing our strong in-house culture and cultivating meaningful relationships with colleagues and clients.