William Toomath

• Name — Bill Toomath • Birth Name — Stanley William Toomath • Born — 12 November 1925 • Birthplace — Lower Hutt, New Zealand • Died — 20 March 2014 • Place of death — Wellington, New Zealand • Significant Buildings — Toomath Senior House Wool House (Wellington) Mackay House Wellington Teachers' College

Born in Lower Hutt, Toomath studied architecture at the Auckland College of the University of New Zealand between 1945 and 1949. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture, and was awarded a UNZ two-year travelling scholarship which took him to Europe in 1951. Adding an early Fulbright Graduate Award in 1952 enabled him to complete a MArch at the Harvard Graduate School of Design where he was taught by I. M. Pei and was a co-student with John Hejduk. He briefly worked with Walter Gropius at the Architects' Collaborative and then with I. M. Pei before returning to New Zealand in 1954.

Following his return from studying architecture in the United States and working with Walter Gropius and I. M. Pei, Toomath spent the majority of his architectural career in New Zealand (including over 35 years in professional practice). He was an advocate for several heritage buildings (see below), and played key roles in the Wellington Architectural Centre's projects on Wellington's urban form, namely: "Te Aro Replanned" (1947), "Homes Without Sprawl" (1957), "City Approaches" (1959) and "Wgtn 196X" (1961). Toomath also presented professional evidence for the Wellington City Council on proposals for controlling building heights, protected viewshafts and urban form planning (1989–1990) in hearings before the Planning Tribunal. Toomath led a small team whose report on the Old Town Hall stopped moves for its demolition. He wrote papers on conservation matters and presented evidence in support of a number of heritage buildings including: the AMP Head Office Building, the State Fire Insurance Building, Wharf Sheds 7 and 21. He had an active role in campaigns to save Old St Paul's.

Toomath was also the Head of the School of Design, Wellington Polytechnic (1979–1989), and a contributor of articles to the New Zealand journal Designscape. He was a regular participant of the "Designmark" Advisory Panels, New Zealand Industrial Design Council from 1969, and a Judge of the Prince Philip Award for New Zealand Industrial Design (1981–1985).

Toomath is the subject of a documentary Antonello and the Architect, which reveals his influences, designs, ideas, and the study that he built based on Antonello da Messina's 15th century painting St Jerome in His Study.

His father was Roderick William Toomath, who was elected as a member of the Petone Borough Council in 1929.