The way in which architects go about creating designs and producing architectural drawings has changed immeasurably over the last century. When Canterbury College was founded in 1873, architects in New Zealand looked to Europe for guidance on fashion and design, and settled upon the intricate and detailed Gothic Revival style for the College.
For each separate building at the College, the architects then had to create all their plans, drawings and designs laboriously by hand. The challenges for those involved in the construction of Canterbury College would have been enormous, but the Armson Collins Collection attests to the fact that they rose to the occasion magnificently.
