Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1932-2005, predominantly 1960-1992 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1951 architectural drawings, 93 cm of textual records and architectural drawings, 509 photographs, and other materials
1951 architectural drawings:
1622 originals
327 reprographic copies
509 photographs:
121 photographs (144 b&w and 77 col. prints)
74 negatives (62 b&w and 12 col.)
267 35mm col. slides
12 b&w contact sheets (ca. 118 views)
35 col. transparencies
Other materials:
1 photo album containing 24 photographs (21 b&w and 3 col. prints)
3 presentation boards
7 objects (drafting tools)
6 certificates
2 drawings
12 Christmas cards
1 calendar card
1 medal
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Arthur John Müdry (1932-2024) was a prominent West Coast Modern architect. He was born May 8, 1932, in Calgary to Ukrainian immigrant parents John Müdry and Mary Wasyluk. His early years were in Field, British Columbia, and then in Calgary where he attended elementary and high school while living with his grandmother. He obtained his Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Manitoba School of Architecture (1955) and a Master of Architecture from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1956). From 1957 to 1960 he served as an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba Faculty of Architecture. From 1960 to 1962 he worked as an architect in Boston, Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Vancouver, including a time conducting civic and urban design studies for the City of Vancouver. Müdry practiced in Vancouver from 1962 to 1999.
He is recognized for his residential design work and his influential role in the development of West Coast Modern design in the 1960s. Among his most notable projects are St. Stephen’s United Church (1964), the Beaton Residence (1965), West Vancouver Baptist Church (1967), the IBM Building in Calgary (1967), the Patterson House (1968), the Tupper Residence (1971), the Chun House (1989), and the Richmond Residence (1992). Müdry described his design philosophy as follows:
"My design philosophy has evolved over years of belief that architecture must be an organic response to man’s functional and emotional needs, in physical harmony with the natural environment and regional characteristic. Emotional and spiritual fulfillment are fundamental to resolving the practical functional requirements of man’s activities; and must be expressed in the ‘sense of place’ and through a ‘sense of space’.
In the B.C. Coastal region, design must embrace and reflect the local culture, and capture the mystic quality of rain forest and protective cover, using materials in such a way as to satisfy our emotional being.
All function and programming of man’s requirement are thus made more habitable, tolerable, and useful."
Müdry was married to Hazel Müdry and they had three children. Arthur Müdry died on June 25, 2024.
Repository
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Fonds was donated to the Canadian Architectural Archives by Brent Mudry, Arthur’s son, on 24 July 2025.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Fonds consists of architectural drawings, photographs, and project files documenting the architectural work of Arthur Müdry between 1957 and 1999. The majority of the fonds consists of project records, including architectural drawings, notes, correspondence, contracts, and photographs. There is a small volume of personal records relating to Mudry’s education as well as a file of teaching records from Mudry’s brief period as an instructor at the University of Manitoba. Mudry’s work is largely located on the west coast of British Columbia where he was a pioneer of West Coast Modern design in the 1960s. He also built several projects in Calgary where he was raised and Winnipeg where he took his bachelor of architecture. Notable projects documented in the fonds include the Beaton Residence, MacArthur Residence, Richmond Residence, Patterson Residence, Harrison Residence, Tupper Residence, West Vancouver Baptist Church, St. David’s United Church, St. Stephen’s United Church, as well as the Teck Building and the IBM Building [606 Fourth] in Calgary. The fonds has been divided into four series: 1. Personal records; 2. Professional records; 3. Office records; and 4. Project records.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
No further accruals are expected
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open
Conditions governing reproduction
The University of Calgary fulfills requests for materials in our collections in accordance with Canadian copyright laws. The University of Calgary does not hold the copyright for materials in the Arthur Müdry fonds, however the University of Calgary has been authorized to grant permission for the use of Arthur Müdry’s materials for specific uses. The University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources may provide materials for individual study and research purposes under fair dealing and library exceptions in the Canadian Copyright Act. And, upon request, may authorize the use of materials for exhibition and publication. Patrons are responsible for ensuring they use copyright-protected works in accordance with applicable laws.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Note
Accessions: Includes archival material from accession 2025.32