Harold John Author Spence-Sales [commonly known as Harold Spence-Sales] was born in Lahore, India [now Lahore, Pakistan] on 22 October 1907. After studying architecture at Victoria College [now Victoria University of Wellington] in Wellington, New Zealand, he moved to England and attended the Architectural Association in London. After graduating from the AA he established an independent architectural practice in London. A photograph of a house designed by him for the Gidea Park Modern Homes Exhibition in 1934 is illustrated in Design for To-day vol.2, no.9, September 1934 (p.343). A house designed by Spence-Sales for the Modern Homes Exhibition at Gidea Park, Essex, in 1934 is discussed in Small Houses £500-£2500 (1927 p. 86)
In 1935 Spence-Sales collaborated with the civil engineer C. R. Glover in a competition to design five-storey flats in reinforced concrete sponsored by the Cement Marketing Company Ltd. They were awarded a commendation. First Prize went to Berthold Lubetkin and Tecton.
From 1937 to 1946 he worked as an instructor at the AA. He also taught at the London Polytechnic Institution. Between 1938 and 1946 he held various administrative posts related to the war effort, dealing with the preparations for war, evacuation, and reconstruction.
In 1946 Spence-Sales moved to Canada to take up a teaching position at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Following his retirement from teaching, he moved first to British Columbia, and settled in Vancouver where he established a practice as an urban planning and architectural consultant. He died in Vancouver British Columbia Canada on 12 March 2004
Spence-Sales, Harold 1907 - 2004
Worked in
UK