Peter John Lord [commonly known as Peter Lord] was born in London, England, on 1 September 1929 and studied architecture under Robert Furneaux Jordan (1905-1978) at the Architectural Association Schools in London from 1946 to 1951 (Dip. Arch., 1951).
From 1953 to 1956 he worked at with the London architectural practice J. M. Austin-Smith [founded by John Michael and Inette Austin-Smith]. In 1956 he became a partner in the firm, renamed Austin-Smith: Lord, and subsequently senior partner in the practice. Following the retirement of the Austin-Smiths in 1981, he was the sole partner.
Lord was President of the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) in 1969-70, and the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID) from 1985 to 1987. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British architects (ARIBA) in 1952 and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1964.
Lord worked primarily in the field of corporate (e.g. offices and banks), entertainment (e.g. cinema) and restaurant interiors. He also designed the interiors of several bookshops. His clients included W. H. Smith, Lloyds Bank, IBM, the British Museum, London Weekend Television and the Inn on the Park.
Contemporary Designers, edited by Sara Prendergast. Detroit, Michigan: St. James Press, 3rd edition, 1997