Miles Warren

Sir Miles Warren
Sir Miles Warren in 2011
Born	1929 (age 87–88) Christchurch
Nationality	New Zealand
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Occupation	Architect
Awards	NZIA Gold Medal 1959, 1964, 1969, 1973
Practice	Warren and Mahoney
Buildings	Christchurch Town Hall, Dorset St Flats, Harewood Crematorium, College House

Sir Frederick Miles Warren, ONZ, KBE, FNZIA (born 1929), is a New Zealand architect. He apprenticed under Cecil Wood before studying architecture at the University of Auckland, eventually working at the London County Council where he was exposed to British New Brutalism. Upon returning to Christchurch, and forming the practice Warren and Mahoney, he was instrumental in developing the "Christchurch School" of architecture, an intersection between the truth-to-materials and structural expression that characterised Brutalism, and the low-key, Scandinavian and Japanese commitment to "straightforwardness". He retired from Warren and Mahoney in 1994, but continues to consult as an architect and maintain his historic home and garden at Ohinetahi.

Warren was educated at Christ's College. He commenced his architectural training as an apprentice to Cecil Wood and studied architecture via correspondence at the Christchurch Atelier. Warren later moved to Auckland to complete his studies at the University of Auckland.

Warren’s first major building was the Dorset Street Flats (designed in 1956) that were derided as prison-like due to their small scale and exposed concrete. This domestic vocabulary was quickly adapted to various building types – the Dental Nurses School (1958), the Architect's own office and home (1962), Harewood Crematorium (1963), Christchurch College (now known as College House) (1964) and the Christchurch Town Hall (1972). In between these larger projects, Warren & Mahoney designed a group of beautifully detailed houses, mostly in the language of contemporary Danish models. These houses were composed of crisp boxes of white-painted concrete block, with punched, recessed window openings and no eaves or verges on their steeply gabled roofs.