1. Sir Ian Charles Athfield was a New Zealand architect who designed distinctive and innovative houses that challenged suburban norms, as well as celebrated commercial, public and institutional projects.
18 Facts About Ian Athfield
1. 2.
Ian Athfield was born in Christchurch and graduated from the University of Auckland in 1963 with a Diploma of Architecture.
3.
In 1965 Athfield started work on his first major project, Athfield House, for his family and a studio.
4.
Ian Athfield's designs incorporated finials, steeply pitched roofs, timber weatherboards, verandahs and double hung windows.
5.
Ian Athfield was inspired by the architecture of the Greek Islands with their exterior envelopes of continuous plaster and small windows.
6.
Yet another area of influence for Ian Athfield was the geometric massing of the Japanese Metabolists.
7.
Ian Athfield combined all these disparate elements into a highly eclectic and personal style.
8.
Ian Athfield believed that "in a house, you should get a surprise every time you turn a corner and look up".
9.
Ian Athfield's practice expanded during the 1980s from mainly residential work to a wider variety of community and commercial buildings.
10.
Ian Athfield's best known works include Telecom Towers, Civic Square and Wellington Central Library, Jade Stadium in Christchurch and work on the design of the Bangkok rapid transport system.
11.
Ian Athfield was a President of the New Zealand Institute of Architects, judged many design competitions and was a keynote speaker at many overseas conferences.
12.
Ian Athfield won over 60 national and international architecture and design awards.
13.
Ian Athfield won 13 NZIA Supreme Awards for his outstanding architectural projects.
14.
Ian Athfield was the first New Zealand architect to register as an APEC architect.
15.
Ian Athfield received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997 from the University of Auckland, and in 2000 he was awarded an honorary LitD by Victoria University of Wellington.
16.
Ian Athfield married Clare Cookson in Kawakawa on 22 December 1962.
17.
Clare, an interior designer, played an important role in many projects at Ian Athfield Architects and her work was a significant reason for the firm's success.
18.
Ian Athfield died in 2015 due to complications from a routine procedure which resulted in pneumonia, at the Wellington Hospital, where he was being treated for prostate cancer.