James Beard (architect)

James Albert Beard
Born	1924 (age 92–93) Christchurch, New Zealand
Nationality	New Zealander
Occupation	Architect
Buildings	Beard House PSIS Investment House Hannah Playhouse

James Albert "Jim" Beard (born 1924) is a significant Wellington architect, town planner, and landscape architect. He was born in Christchurch, New Zealand. A Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Architects since 1969 has in the past been closely involved in the institute at a national level. Including the Education Committee (1968–1970), Publications Committee (1965–1969), Journal Committee (1963–1964) and Library and Journal Committee (1964–1965). He was the President of the Wellington Architectural Centre (1962), a Committee Member (1958–1960, 1982–1986), and is currently a life member. His service to the design community also included involvement with the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Designers, and the New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects, of which he has been an Honorary Fellow since 1998.

Jim Beard trained in architecture at Auckland University, and was an early member of the Wellington Architectural Centre (formed in 1946). He worked for the Ministry of Works architectural office becoming a cadet supervisor in the late 1940s. He was actively involved with the Wellington Architectural Centre, particularly in the 1940s, 1950s and 1980s. After passing the Royal Town Planning Institute (London) examinations in Wellington (while working at the New Zealand Ministry of Works), he received a scholarship and went to M.I.T. to study city planning (1951–1952). Later at Harvard University he studied for a Masters in Landscape Architecture. In the 1960s he co-founded Gabites and Beard Registered Architects and Town Planning Consultants in Wellington and played an active role in the New Zealand Institute of Architects. In the late 1960s he returned to America to work as a Research Assistant (1967–1968) at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he worked with Peter Hornbeck and Peter Jacobs co-producing Highway Esthetics: functional criteria for planning and design (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1968).

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