Bill received degrees in geography and visual arts from the University of Victoria, in 1979 and 1981 respectively. After spending a year in Japan, he entered the School of Architecture at the University of British Columbia, in 1982. In his second year, Bill attended a studies abroad program for architecture in Hong Kong and then spent a year living in Manila and Tokyo, working for Rengo Keikakusha on urban design projects for those cities. Bill graduated from Architecture school in 1987 with a thesis project called "The Museum of Sand", a theoretical zone of touristic and therapeutic spaces set in the dense heart of Tokyo. This project spawned a series of small play gardens and domestic objects called "Souvenirs from the Museum of Sand" which he continues to produce today.

After graduation, Bill spent several years working in the offices of Henriquez and Partners, Situ Design, Patkau Architects, and Bing Thom Architects.

Along with his design partner and friend, Stephanie Robb, Bill has developed an ouevre of interests which synthesizes his love of geography, art and, of course, architecture. Their portfolio of projects vary in scale from small domestic objects and furniture, to set design, permanent public art installations and gardens, retail environments, residences, cemeteries and urban design.

Bill is on the teaching staff of the School of Architecture and the University of British Columbia. His design studios reflect the scope of his interests, working with students on such varied topics as investigations into concrete, the architecture of cemeteries, and the development of urban spaces in the contemporary city. Bill Pechet is a member of the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada