Philip Dowson was born in
South Africa. Having moved to England, he was educated at
Gresham's School in
Holt, Norfolk, from 1938 to 1942. He was then accepted to read engineering at
Clare College, Cambridge, but soon after matriculation was called up for officer training in the
Royal Navy. The initial part of this training took place at
University College, Oxford, where he stayed as a cadet for six months. (He was later to design four student accommodation blocks in
Stavertonia, a residential building complex in North Oxford commissioned by University College in the 1960s.) He remained with the Navy throughout the
Second World War and was only demobilised in 1946, when he was briefly sent to a sanatorium in
Mundesley, Norfolk, after contracting
tuberculosis. On leaving the Navy Dowson returned to Clare College, but switched to fine art, which included a course in architecture. After graduating from Cambridge in 1950, he then proceeded to study at the
Architectural Association School in London. There, he was in an intake of students under Sir
Frederick Gibberd who went on to make a significant contribution to post-war design and architecture in the UK;
Ray Leigh,
Richard Burton,
Ted Cullinan, Sir
Colin St John Wilson and
Julian Keable.
Roderick Gradidge and
Michael Blower were also his contemporaries. ==Career==