Pawson was born and brought up in Halifax,
Yorkshire, the youngest of five children. Pawson never sat the requisite exams to practise as an architect and as such is known as an 'architectural designer'. In 2013, the Architectural Registration Board (ARB) of UK asked
Dezeen magazine not to refer him as architect, although this was criticised by the publication. Pawson's work focuses on ways of approaching fundamental problems of space, proportion, light and materials. The practice is currently involved in the creation of a new permanent home for the Design Museum in London. In May 2018, Pawson's first photography exhibition took place at The Store X, 180 Strand, London. All 320 images from his series Spectrum, first published as a book by
Phaidon of the same name, were shown as an architectural installation. The immersive experience used the entirety of the gallery space, where the chromatic spectrum was legible from both ends of the room. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the
2019 New Year Honours for services to Design and Architecture. ==Awards==