first house in 1949 when still a student, and the project became a major part of his studies. He took a year off to construct it in 1951. By the time it was habitable, he and Lilian were married. That house was still their home 57 years later. As a student, Dickson successfully applied for part-time work in the office Claridge, Hassell and McConnell where he was mentored by another student, Brian Claridge, and Ron Gunn, the associate. He and Claridge became close friends. After a few years, the firm split into Claridge and Gunn, and Hassell and McConnell, with Dickson going with the latter because of the projects he had been working on at the time. He continued at that office after he graduated, whilst participating in part-time post-graduate studies in City Planning and Illuminating Engineering. By 1954, Dickson was getting more and more dissatisfied with the direction contemporary architecture was taking, feeling that the post-war architecture was becoming stagnant and cliché. This was what prompted him to start looking at work being done in Europe, more specifically, Italy. A firm in Milan, Mangiarotti and Morassutti, granted him an interview. Robert and Lilian Dickson both went to Milan, stopping first in England to visit relatives and making their way from there. The two returned to Adelaide in 1957, and their son was born within weeks of their return. Dickson started his own practice, as well as taught part-time and wrote for the paper, before entering a partnership with Newell Platten that lasted from 1958 to 1973. Architectural philosophy Dickson shared a practical design philosophy which flat-out rejected the idea of architectural "style". It was based on principles that design should respond to the surrounding environment, respect human values, aspire to direct solutions to problems and integrate the parts in the simplest possible form. His work displays a sensitive relationship to site, intuitive use of materials and care about design and craftsmanship. Dickson's work revolves around sustainable design and environmental concerns, which filters into his architecture, from construction methods and materiality to the extensive involvement with the local community. Selected works The Arkaba Projects (1950) Dickson House, Rostrevor, Adelaide (1957–67) Linked Town Houses, North Adelaide (1966) Mylor Youth Camp, Mylor (1969) Adelaide University Union Redevelopment (1967–75) Architect's Office, North Adelaide (1970) Hackney Neighbourhood Renewal, Hackney (1971) Cluster houses for West Lakes, West Lakes (1972) West Lakes Primary School, West Lakes