Gordon Lee Atkins (born 5 March 1937) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

retired architect. During a career lasting from 1960 to 1999, he practiced primarily in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

, although he designed several projects elsewhere in western Canada. Along with contemporaries including

Peter Hemingway Peter George Hemingway (1929 – May 15, 1995) was a British architect who practiced mainly in Canada and designed many public works, including the Muttart Conservatory and the Central Pentecostal Tabernacle. Biography Hemingway was born in Mins ...

, Jack Long, and

Douglas Cardinal Douglas Joseph Cardinal (born 7 March 1934) is a Canadian architect based in Ottawa, Ontario. His architecture is influenced by his Indigenous heritage, as well as European Expressionist architecture.

, Atkins is credited with developing a distinct Canadian prairie style of architecture. In 1967 Atkins became the first Albertan to receive the Massey Medal for Architecture.

Biography

Atkins was born Gordon Lee Kearl on 5 March 1937 in

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

. Shortly after his birth his parents divorced and he moved to

Cardston Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century ...

with his mother, living with her and his grandparents. Later he changed his last name to his mother's. After a suggestion by his high school principal, Atkins decided to study architecture in university. Choosing to attend the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

, he studied there from 1955 to 1960. Upon graduation Atkins took a job in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

with the firm Green Blankstein and Russell. After working a year in Winnipeg, in 1961 Atkins moved to Calgary where he joined the partnership Alton McCaul Bowers. In 1963 he opened his own practice under his own name. For his Melchin Summer Homes, in 1967 he became the first Albertan architect to win the Massey Medal for Architecture. In 1977 he formed a partnership with Robert E. Weston called Gordon Atkins and Associates Architects. Atkins lived in a home at 1008 Durham Avenue South West in the

Mount Royal Mount Royal (, ) is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The city's name is derived from the mountain's name. The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentian M ...

neighbourhood in Calgary. He used the house to experiment ideas on, significantly modifying it during his residence. The house was demolished circa 2011. A

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

, he has twice served as a bishop in

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

. Atkins's records are held at the Canadian Architectural Archives in Calgary as the
Gordon Atkins fonds
''

Works

References

*"Gordon Lee Atkins." In ''The Canadian Encyclopedia''. Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/gordon-lee-atkins/. *Guimond, Pierre S.; Sinclair, Brian R. ''Calgary Architecture: The Boom Years, 1972-1982.'' Detselig Enterprises, 1984. *Livesey, Graham. ''Gordon Atkins: Architecture 1960-95.'' Calgary: University of Calgary Press, 2005. {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkins, Gordon University of Washington College of Built Environments alumni Canadian architects 1937 births People from Calgary Canadian leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Living people