James Walter Chapman-Taylor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
James Walter Chapman-Taylor (24 June 1878 – 25 October 1958) born London, England, was best known as an art and craft architect in New Zealand. “C-T” was also a designer, craftsman-builder, artist, writer, photographer and astrologer.
C-T was influenced by the Arts and Crafts Movement, which manifested itself throughout his works. He studied architecture while working with a builder in Taranaki. He travelled to England in 1908 where he met the designers Charles Voysey, Baillie Scott, Parker and Raymond Unwin and became acquainted with the Arts and Crafts movement. When C-T returned to New Zealand he began to build houses which were in every way faithful to the Arts and Crafts movement. His houses tended to either follow the pattern of English cottages or the courtyard planning traditional to houses in Mediterranean countries.
He built most frequently in concrete, finishing the outside walls with roughcast plaster. Iron windows and door latches were specially designed and built using traditional methods and he frequently used hand adzed timbers and specially cast tiles.
“All Chapman-Taylor’s houses are economical in their use of space, intimate in detailing, and extremely satisfying to live in.” —J. Stacpoole and P. Beaven, New Zealand Art: Architecture 1820-1970.
