Sir Clough Williams-Ellis

Bit too much greenery for Italy, right? This is the fancy little village of Portmeirion, in North Wales, created by Sir Clough William-Ellis. Sir Clough was also fancy and Welsh, and set up his own architecture practise in London after only a few months training when he was 22. He promoted logical strategies for planning and conservation, writing critically about random development after WW1 in England and the Octopus (a book I'd do some pretty obscene things to get my hands on) and he was also instrumental in designating the first National Parks. 

From the research I've done, he appears to have been of balanced beliefs; preserve what is useful and beautiful and build more useful and beautiful stuff. It's refreshing to discover someone who is not against development or conservation, shame he died 35 years ago.