Babcock i Tacoma, Washington, USA. Russell var utdannet blant annet i Glasgow og Paris. Amundsen arbeidet i USA til han fikk ansettelse i den nyopprettede stillingen som stadskonduktør i Tromsø i 1914. På det tidspunktet var broren Theodor allerede etablert i byen, som murmester for flere av byens markante murbygninger.

Peter Arnet Amundsen was the first professionally trained architect to set up practice in northern Norway. He initially trained for the baptist ministry in the USA before returning to Norway and the building industry, first in Trondheim and then as an architect during the rebuilding of Ålesund following the great fire in1904. In 1906 he again went to the USA and gained further training working for Russell &

Babcock in Tacoma, Washington. Russell had trained in Glasgow and Paris. Amundsen also worked for other practices until he once again returned to Norway, this time taking up the newly established post as "stadskonduktør" (a now historic post heading planning, surveying, planning permissions, building regulations etc) in Tromsø. At this point his brother Theodor was already established in town as the master bricklayer for several noticeable brick buildings.