John Scott

John Scott was born and raised in Haumoana in the Hawkes Bay as the third son of Charles Hudson Scott (Scots / Te Arawa descent) and Kathleen Hiraani Blake (Taranaki / English & Irish descent). He trained with the RAF in 1945 but was released from service without seeing combat at the end of WWII. He attended the School of Architecture at Auckland University College from 1946-1949 but felt uncomfortable in the academic environment and continued to study part-time while working for Ralph Pickmire in Auckland.  He went on to work in various Auckland architectural practices before returning to Haumoana where he established an architectural practice as a sole practitioner (although he also worked with Len Hoogerburg in offices in Hastings in the 1960s & 70s). His practice designed houses that were generally, in the early years, influenced by Vernon Brown and Group Architects. He later developed his own architectural style that was a unique fusion of Maori and Pakeha architectural traditions. His significant public buildings include the St John’s College Chapel (1954), a Hastings Catholic school where Scott had been head prefect and captain of the first XV, Futuna Chapel (1961), the Maori Battalion Memorial Centre in Palmerston North (1954–64), and the Urewera National Park headquarters at Aniwaniwa (1974–76), now best known for the theft and return of the large Colin McCahon painting.

He was awarded the NZIA Gold Medal in 1968 and the inaugural NZIA 25-year award in 1986 for Futuna Chapel, and was awarded a further NZIA Gold medal posthumously in 1999 for this contribution to architecture.

Image: John Scott, Architect, on site at the Maori Battalion Memorial in Palmerston North, which he designed. Westra, Ans, 1936-: Photographs. Ref: AWM-0770-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. http://natlib.govt.nz/records/36390203

Sources:
Cochran, Chris et al, Futuna Chapel, unpublished Conservation Plan for The Friends of Futuna Charitable Trust, (2006)

 “John Scott: biography”, John Scott.net website accessed November 2012 http://www.johnscott.net.nz/pages/biography.html 

 “Scott, John” NZHPT Professional Biographies accessed November 2012 http://www.historic.org.nz/corporate/registersearch/ProfessionalBio/Professional.aspx?CPName=Scott,+John+(1924-1992)

Walden, Russell. 'Scott, John Colin - Biography', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 1-Sep-10 URL: http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/5s7/1