Gordon Wilson

Francis Gordon Wilson (27 November 1900 – 23 February 1959) was a New Zealand architect. Wilson oversaw the design of New Zealand’s state housing programme from the 1930s onwards. He was the New Zealand Government Architect at the time of his death.

Early life and education Wilson was born on 27 November 1900 in Subiaco, a district of Perth, Western Australia to Mary Catherine (nee O’Hagan) and Francis "Frank" John Wilson. His father was a New Zealander by birth while his mother was of Irish descent. The couple had a second son, Leslie, who was born in 1902. The family moved to New Zealand to attend a family reunion and due to the possibility of Wilson’s father obtaining the commission to design the Palmerston North Opera House. The family moved to New Zealand in 1903, and made their home in Wellington. The marriage did not last and Frank Wilson returned to Australia (where he later remarried), leaving his sons to be raised by their mother. Mary ran a boarding house in Ghuznee Street, Wellington, to support herself and her children. Hoggard left the partnership in 1921, leaving Prouse and Gummer in partnership until its dissolution in 1923. Auckland-based William Gummer subsequently formed a new partnership in 1924 with Reginald Ford called Gummer and Ford. The new partners employed Wilson first as a draughtsman and later as chief draughtsman.

During his time with Gummer and Ford Wilson is known to have worked on the Remuera Public Library, Auckland Railway Station, Wellington Public Library (now the City Gallery Wellington), the National War Memorial, and the National Art Gallery and Dominion Museum building in Wellington.

Department of Housing Construction In late 1936, Wilson left Gummer and Ford to take up the position of chief architect of newly created Department of Housing Construction, which had been established by the first Labour government to undertake the construction of state rental houses.

Recognition In 1932 he entered the R.I.B.A. Empire Victory Scholarship Competition, which was an Empire architectural award. His entry which was specially commended, was one of the three out of more than 400 entries from all British countries to be published in the journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Wilson served on the Association of New Zealand Art Societies, the Architectural Centre Council National Historic Places Trust, the Town Planning Board, as well as on the council and executive committee of the New Zealand Institute of Architects. on 4 March 1937 at St Paul’s Cathedral Church in Wellington. Stepped Flats The Dixon Street flats were awarded a gold medal by the NZIA in 1947. McLean Flats Lower Greys Avenue Flats

Symonds Street Flats They are listed as a Category A Heritage place in the Auckland Unitary Plan. School of Engineering Bledisloe House The 10-storey public housing building contains 87 units consisting of 12 single floor bedsits on the ground floor, and on the remaining floors, 75 two-bedroom two-storey maisonette style flats with their own staircases. School of Dentistry Given Heritage New Zealand historic place category 1 status in 2005. Designed in association with Douglas Jocelyn "Jock" Beehre and Ian Reynolds. This 10-storey modernist building featured a glass curtain wall with thin mullions.