A multi-million-pound leisure centre, an ultra-modern yacht club in an historic setting, an award-winning "green" business centre in a town crying out for new workspace.

Any one of these projects would be commissions that an architectural practice would love to have under its belt.

But to win all three such landmark Westcountry schemes in quick succession has helped to push one growing firm into the limelight.

Archial Architects may be an international business but its two Devon offices have roots going back to a homegrown family-run operation.

In 2006, the then offices of Ian Penrose Architects in Exeter and Plymouth became part of the SMC Group – re-branding as SMC Penrose.

Then, early in 2009, came the latest name change to Archial Architects, as SMC took the decision as part of a streamlining operation.

All this in such a relatively short space of time may sound like the kind of upheaval that could have a negative impact.

But the reverse is clearly true in this case, since Archial has flourished under its new guise in the Westcountry.

Ian Hodder, who joined the Exeter office of Ian Penrose Architects when it was still a small family firm and became a director of Archial two years ago, said the difference has been driven by the ability to tap into skills across the whole Archial group.

It has coined the phrase "intelligent architecture" to describe its approach to client demands and has built up teams in different offices with a particular focus.

This was how Archial's Plymouth office was able to win the contract to design the city's new £46.5 million Life Centre, currently under construction in Central Park.

Drafting in help from its Ipswich office, which is rated as one of the top five practices designing leisure and swimming pool facilities in the UK, tipped the balance in its favour.

In a move to strengthen the Plymouth team, Chris Wood moved from the Ipswich office and has been appointed as a new director in Plymouth.

"He was brought in to drive the Life Centre and broaden the geographical potential in the sport and leisure sector," explained Mr Hodder.

On the strength of Archial's success with the Life Centre, which will have an Olympic-size pool once complete, the practice has also been shortlisted as designer for a new indoor swimming pool for Dartmouth.

"We have got the edge with the help and shared expertise of resources we have across the company," Mr Hodder said.

Last year Archial won recognition for its designs for the Okehampton Rural Business Centre, which won the title of Project of the Year over £3 million in the Michelmores and Western Morning News Commercial Property Awards.

Along with "excellent" ratings from the environmental assessment bodies BREEAM and CEEQUAL, it was also named as a local and national winner in the LABC Sustainable Building Awards, received a Considerate Constructors Award and a Green Energy Award in the small building project category from RegenSW.

Mr Hodder was the lead architect for the Archial team at Exeter that produced the designs for clients SWRDA and West Devon Borough Council.

There was a commitment from day one that the centre should contain a whole raft of sustainable building techniques and technologies.

These include a wind turbine, photovoltaic panels on the roof, natural lighting and ventilation systems, a wood pellet boiler and a rainwater harvesting system.

Now Archial is celebrating its latest success, having won planning approval for a £1 million new yacht club building at Mylor in Cornwall.

The club, which has more than 600 members, had outgrown its existing building and was keen to replace it.

But with a Grade I listed 12th century church and a couple of Grade II listed Admiralty buildings in close proximity, a sensitive approach was required.

Working with English Heritage, the agreed solution was to spin the first floor through 90 degrees, creating a terrace area overlooking the harbour.

Work is due to begin on the building in September for a completion date of Easter.