DOMINION ARCHITECTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23263, 4 February 1939, Page 17

DOMINION ARCHITECTS

HUGH REGARD IN ENGLAND AN AUCKLANDER'S RETURN The high opinion that was held of New Zealand architects practising in England was the subject of comment by Mr. C. Jl. McLean, a former Aucklander who returned to the Dominion by the Or&nsay yesterday after an absence of nine years. Mr. McLean said there was a considerable number of New Zealand architects in London, several of whom had their own practices.

Some time after his arrival in England Mr. McLean secured an associate«hip of the Royal Institute of British Architects, London. He gained experience in a number of positions, includj n <r a period with the architectural department of . the London County Council, and then started his own practice about four years ago. Mr. McLean is accompanied by his wife and family and may remain in Auckland permanently, There wasi a' tendency in England at present to depart from the severelv utilitarian type of architecture which had been so popular in recent years, Mr. McLean said. Architects were now seeking to achieve more sober design*in which the utilitarian aspect was relieved by beautiful lines. Building war still extensive iia England, particularly in London, where the London Count? Council had undertaken huge slumclearing schemes. Many blocks of flat? had been constructed by speculative builders, but in this respect saturation point had boen nearly reached*