Armson, Collins and Harman was an

architectural Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing buildings ...

firm in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

. It was founded by William Barnett Armson (1832/3–1883), and after his death, became the practice of two architects who articled with him, John James Collins (1855–1933) and Richard Dacre Harman (1859–1927).

History

Armson, Collins and Harman was one of the two oldest architectural firms in the country. The practice was founded by Armson in 1870 who was one of the most prolific architects in early Christchurch. Having been articled to Armson as a young architect, J.J. Collins bought the firm after Armson’s death. Four years later, Collins brought Harman (a son of Richard James Strachan Harman) into partnership with him, Harman also having previously articled with Armson. Collins and Harman may have been the first New Zealand-born, educated and trained Christchurch architects. John Goddard Collins (1886–1965) joined his father’s staff in 1903. In 1928, the firm's name was shortened to Collins and Harman. John Kempthorne Collins (1916–1983), son of J.G. Collins, joined the firm at a later date. Eventually, the name changed to Collins Architects Ltd before closing in 1993.

Works

Christchurch Press Building - as it once was

Many examples of their work were still standing before the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. These include commercial buildings in

Timaru Timaru (; mi, Te Tihi-o-Maru) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home ...

Christchurch Christchurch ( ; mi, Ōtautahi) is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Canterbury Region. Christchurch lies on the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula on Pegasus Bay. The Avon Rive ...

, and Lyttelton. The Strange and Co's building on the corner of High and Lichfield Streets, in Christchurch was built for a company that was established in 1863. Others included Christchurch Press Building (1909), Nazareth House (1909), Curator’s House, Botanic Gardens, Rolleston Avenue (1919), the former Canterbury College Students Union (1927), the

Nurses Memorial Chapel The Nurses' Memorial Chapel at Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, is registered as a Category I heritage building. The chapel is significant as New Zealand's first hospital chapel, and as the country's only World War I memorial solely dedicated ...

at Christchurch Public Hospital (1927), and the Sign of the Takahe (1934/36). They also designed private residences such as Blue Cliffs Station Homestead (1889); residence of Arthur Rhodes, '' Te Koraha'' ('The Wilderness'), Merivale, where the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall stayed during their Christchurch visit in 1901; residence of G. H. Rhodes, at Claremont, Timaru; residence of R. H. Rhodes at Bluecliffs; residence of G. E. Rhodes at Meadowbank; residence of H. D. Buchanan at Little River; and the Longbeach House, built for John Grigg.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Architecture firms of New Zealand Companies based in Christchurch Design companies established in 1870 Design companies disestablished in 1993 People associated with the Canterbury Society of Arts New Zealand companies established in 1870 1993 disestablishments in New Zealand