John was born in Wales and after graduation arrived in New Zealand to work first in New Plymouth and later, in Auckland where he met Ivan Mercep and his JASMaD partners. They were determined to become a big practice and that attracted John so in February 1965, he was hired to set up practice management systems and get the library organised into CI/SfB. The company was less than two years old, and he had found his home for the next 30 years

John quickly became a director and a key part of the entrepreneurial and pioneering spirit which typified the emerging JASMaD.

He brought a technical and practice rigour to the company and championed the development of Masterspec at JASMaD. He earned an international level reputation for expertise on project documentation, windows/claddings and weathertightness. With JASMaD and later JASMAX, he provided key input into some of the country’s largest projects - including Te Papa.

While it was the technical aspects of projects that occupied him, he did manage to design a small project which was a recently sold. A stunning mid-century home for his family, skillfully shaped around courtyards and designed to enable expansion as the needs grew.

When he had become a part-time lecturer at the University of Auckland in Practice Management, it turned into an exciting subject – for the first time. His experience at the University, together with his reputation for technical expertise, led to his becoming the first Head of Architecture at Unitec.

Ten years later there was another career shift, working this time for the emerging Façade Design specialty that was newly resident on NZ soil.

Eleven years later and John was starting back at Jasmax again, 53 years after he first started. The difference this time was that he had both a daughter and granddaughter working there!

At each stage of his career, John left an indelible mark.

But perhaps his most important work was outside the any of his day jobs. John’s drive and approach enabled him to shine a spotlight on the key issues that beset our profession and our wider industry, whether they be procurement, practice, technology, or construction.

Most places he looked, he found ample evidence of bad practice and he said so in the commanding and articulate manner that was his trademark. Despite despair for much of the industry practices, he was a positive person with good humour, a strong sense of purpose and an appetite for long hours of work.

John’s legacy across the entire sector is immense. In architecture, a key area is the inspiration and mentoring he has given to decades of graduates.

The family has been deeply moved by the kind words and stories they have received in response to the news of John’s passing and thank everyone for their kindness.

John’s funeral will be held on Tuesday 5th July at 2.00pm at All Saints, Purewa, 100 St Johns Rd, Meadowbank, followed by burial. 

The Sutherland family would be honoured to have members of the architectural and design community join them to reflect and celebrate John’s life.

If people can’t make the service, there is an afternoon tea from 3.30pm to 5.00pm at Purewa.

You can read more about John in his own words on Stuff and Architecture Now

• Richard Harris is a Distinguished Fellow of Te Kāhui Whaihanga, a past president and a former Jasmax Principal architect.

Reflections on John Sutherland from past colleagues

“From his early involvement in JASMaD in the 1960’s, John Sutherland’s curiosity, single-minded dedication to getting things right and appetite for challenging the status quo has set Jasmax on a pathway to developing the comprehensive technical systems and rigour that established the foundations for where the practice is today.

Most recently, Jasmax was the ‘home’ John chose to return to in the later stages of his extensive career, and he used his incredible experience and wisdom to guide graduates who were sometimes sixty years his junior. From drawing and technical reviews, to mentoring, he connected with all generations at Jasmax.

Getting to know John, I realised that sitting beside his strong streak of Welsh independent mindedness, was a gentle, extremely generous and family-oriented man. Three generations of Sutherlands have now graced Jasmax, including John’s daughter Belinda Sutherland, an architectural administrator who continues to be a valued member of our team, and his granddaughter Briar Sutherland, as an architectural graduate.” Stephen Thurman, Principal, Head of Knowledge & Innovation, Architect, Jasmax.

“I worked closely with John on The Majestic Centre (35 years ago) and Te Papa Tongarewa (30 years ago). John had a keen interest in façade design, from pressure equalisation through to weatherproofing and enclosure details. He was particularly careful to ensure the granite cladding would hold on to the exterior of the Majestic, a 30-storey tower in Wellington! After that project, John and I detailed the special large windows for Te Papa. We were a tried and true team, and he was a good team mate. He was also instrumental in setting up a very cooperative relationship with the Te Papa project managers that ensured as smooth a procurement process as was possible for this highly complex project. It was good to see him return to Jasmax after his forays into the educational and façade engineering fields.” Hunter Gillies, Associate Principal, Architect, Jasmax.