Dewi-Prys Thomas (1916–1985) was a Welsh architect and academic. He was the first professor of architecture at the

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

and was also the head of the

Welsh School of Architecture The Welsh School of Architecture (WSA) () is an academic school of Cardiff University. It is generally regarded as a world leading school of architecture, and one of the top architecture schools in Britain. In 2019, QS ranked the school immediat ...

, where he instituted a new Department of Town Planning.

Life and career

Thomas was born to a Welsh family in

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

in 1916. Initially he wanted to become an artist, but was persuaded to study architecture by

Lionel Bailey Budden Lionel Bailey Budden FRIBA (1887, West Derby, Liverpool – 21 July 1956, Wirral Peninsula, Cheshire) was an English architect. Born to William Budden and Elizabeth Adams, Budden attended Merchant Taylors' School, Crosby. From 1933 Budden wa ...

. He graduated First Class Honours from the

University of Liverpool The University of Liverpool (abbreviated UOL) is a Public university, public research university in Liverpool, England. Founded in 1881 as University College Liverpool, Victoria University (United Kingdom), Victoria University, it received Ro ...

in 1939, and then went to study town planning under

William Holford William Graham Holford, Baron Holford, (22 March 1907 – 17 October 1975) was a British architect and town planner. Biography Holford was educated at Diocesan College, Cape Town and returned to Johannesburg. From 1925–30 he studied archi ...

. He spent the next seven years working with various architects in

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, including contributions to the Alwyn Lloyd and Herbert Jackson South Wales Outline Plan. In 1947 he returned to Liverpool to teach at the Liverpool School of Architecture, where he presently became a senior lecturer. During this time he also worked in a private architecture practice, and

Cedarwood Cedar is part of the English common name of many trees and other plants, particularly those of the genus ''Cedrus''. Some botanical authorities consider the Old-World ''Cedrus'' the only "true cedars". Many other species worldwide with similarly ...

, a house he designed with Gerald Beech in the Liverpool suburb of

Woolton Woolton (; ) is a suburb of Liverpool, in Merseyside, England. It is an area located southeast of the city and bordered by Allerton, Gateacre, Halewood, and Hunt's Cross. At the 2011 Census, the population was 12,921. Overview Originally a ...

, was named "House of the Year" in 1960 by ''

Woman's Journal ''Woman's Journal'' was an American women's rights periodical published from 1870 to 1931. It was founded in 1870 in Boston, Massachusetts, by Lucy Stone and her husband Henry Browne Blackwell as a weekly newspaper. In 1917 it was purchased by ...

''. He returned to Wales once again in 1960 to head the

, where he would remain until his retirement in 1981. After retirement as a teacher, Thomas returned to practical architecture once more, contributing to the design of Y Pencadlys (County Hall) in

Caernarfon Caernarfon (; ) is a List of place names with royal patronage in the United Kingdom, royal town, Community (Wales), community and port in Gwynedd, Wales. It has a population of 9,852 (with Caeathro). It lies along the A487 road, on the easter ...

, the headquarters of

Gwynedd County Council Gwynedd Council, which calls itself by its Welsh name , is the governing body for the county of Gwynedd, one of the principal areas of Wales. The council administrates internally using the Welsh language. History The county of Gwynedd was c ...

, executed by the Council's architects Merfyn Roberts and Terry Potter 1982–86. Outside of his work, Thomas was also well known as an environmental campaigner, regularly petitioning on behalf of such organisations as

Civic Trust for Wales The Civic Trust for Wales ( Welsh: ''Ymddiriedolaeth Ddinesig Cymru'') was founded in 1964. It is a registered charity. The organisation promotes civic pride as a means to improve the quality of life for all in the places where the Welsh live an ...

and the

Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW) (), originally named the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales, is a charity in Wales that aims to secure the protection and enhancement of the country's landscapes and environment. It ...

. He also served as a commissioner on the

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW; ; ), established in 1908, is a Welsh Government sponsored body concerned with some aspects of the archaeological, architectural and historic environment of Wales. ...

, and a member of the

Gorsedd of Bards Gorsedd Cymru (), or simply the Gorsedd (), is a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and p ...

Legacy

The triennial Dewi-Prys Thomas Prize is awarded by the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

, and "recognizes the importance of good design to the quality of life, identity and regeneration of Wales". His papers are held by the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Dewi-Prys 1916 births 1985 deaths Welsh architects 20th-century Welsh architects