Ted McCoy

Edward John McCoy (23 February 1925 – 17 January 2018), generally known as Ted McCoy, was a New Zealand architect whose practice was based in Dunedin. in Dunedin, the third of five children. McCoy studied architecture at the University of Auckland, graduating in 1949. He moved back to his home city of Dunedin the following year, setting up an architectural practice in the city. His first major design was for the Dominican Order's Aquinas Hall, in the north of the city, (now an Otago University hall of residence, Aquinas College). The design won a Gold Medal as design of the year from the New Zealand Institute of Architects.

McCoy's architectural influences included 1950s Californian architecture, Scandinavian modernism, and the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. He was also fascinated by the Victorian and Edwardian architecture of his home city. Nola McCoy died in 2025.

Works

Otago Boys' High School development 1950 Aquinas College 1970 St Paul's Cathedral sanctuary 1991, 1999 East Taieri Presbyterian Church administrative and fellowship centre at the rear of the building. 2000 Otago Museum atrium

Recognition 2002 New Zealand Institute of Architects' gold medal for lifetime achievement in architecture. 2008 Honorary doctor of laws degree from the University of Otago

McCoy worked with photographer Gary Blackman on the book Victorian City of New Zealand (John McIndoe Ltd, Dunedin, 1968). He was a contributor to Historic Buildings of New Zealand: South Island (ed. F. Porter, Heritage New Zealand, Wellington, 1983). McCoy's career and buildings are recorded in the 2007 book, A Southern Architecture: The work of Ted McCoy, written by McCoy and published by Otago University Press.