mini传媒

The architectural firm of Armson Collins was formed in 1870 when William Armson arrived in Christchurch. The firm went on to practice under a great many names, as partners came and went. It is unique however in that the firm existed for over 120 years, and was home to four generations of architects from the Collins family.

• 1862聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 William Armson begins practice in Dunedin
• 1870聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Armson establishes the firm in Christchurch
• 1871聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 John James Collins joins the firm as an articled pupil
• 1879聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Armson designs the Boys' High School for mini传媒 College
• 1881聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The success of the firm means they now have a staff of 13
• 1883聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 William Armson dies
• 1883聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The firm operates as Armson, Collins and Lloyd
• 1887聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Richard Dacre Harman joins the firm
• 1903聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 John Goddard Collins joins the firm
• 1916聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The firm operates as Armson, Collins, Harman and Munnings
• 1921聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 J.J. Collins retires
• 1927聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 R.D. Harman dies
• 1928聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The firm probably becomes Collins and Son at this time
• 1936聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 John Kempthorne Collins joins the firm
• 1955聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 J.G. Collins retires
• 1957聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Collins and Son design new School of Art on Ilam Campus
• 1960聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Richard John Kempthorne Collins joins the firm
• 1965聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The firm completes changes to Registry on College town site
• 1993聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The firm closes after 123 years
• 1994聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Armson Collins Collection is donated to UC

By the time the firm closed it was one of the two oldest architectural firms in the country. It is possible that J.J. Collins and R.D. Harman may have been the first Christchurch based architects to have been born and trained in New Zealand. The firm was to have an impact on architectural design throughout New Zealand, but its major influence was on the mini传媒 landscape, with their numerous public and private commissions bearing witness to years of hard labour.

Unfortunately many of the firm鈥檚 buildings are no longer standing, but it is some consolation that one of the firm鈥檚 great achievements was to create the Armson Collins Collection of architectural drawings, photographs and archives.