(b Christchurch, 26 Sept 1908; d Springfield, 11 Sept 1976). New Zealand architect. He began his architectural training in Christchurch in 1927 in the office of Cecil Walter Wood. In 1933 he went to England, becoming an associate member of the RIBA in 1934. While working in London for the Architects’ Journal (1935) and Tecton (1936), he came into contact with the architecture of the Modern Movement. Returning to Christchurch in 1937 he designed many houses, for example the Deans, Fleming and Pelz houses in Christchurch, which combined the experience he had gained overseas with New Zealand’s building traditions and technology. Both his writings promoting modern building ideas and a series of small, functionally planned houses built after World War II helped introduce modern architecture to New Zealand and influenced the development of the New Zealand house. In his most successful churches Pascoe used modern materials to construct buildings based on traditional church designs. Examples include the chapel (1955) at Arthur’s Pass, the chapel extension (1955), Christ’s College, Christchurch, and St Chad’s (1959), Linwood. Improving economic conditions in the late 1950s led to several major commissions: Christchurch International Airport (1955–60), for which he was awarded the New Zealand Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal (1960); Peryer’s Building (1963), Christchurch; and the Christchurch Drainage Board Building (1966). With these buildings, which reflect lessons learnt with Tecton, Pascoe made a significant contribution to the modern architectural fabric of Christchurch, supported by his writings, public lectures and professional activities.

• Pascoe, Paul
  • Christchurch
  • New Zealand, §II, 2: Architecture, 1900 and after