Peter Jamieson Beaven (13 August 1925 – 4 June 2012) was a New Zealand architect based in Christchurch, who lived for his last few months in Blenheim.

The construction business was established in 1864 by his great-grandfather, Samuel Jamieson, who arrived from Scotland at Lyttelton on board the Captain Cook on 5 September 1863.

A conversation with the architect Paul Pascoe during his secondary school time led to the choice of his professional career.

[2] His outlook soon became focussed on his local Christchurch, and he was inspired by Victorian Gothic Revival and worked a lot with symbolism.

The Modern Movement architecture employed here has form following function and was registered by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust as a Category I heritage building on 14 May 2008.

[7] The 2011 earthquake had a devastating effect on Beavan's legacy,[8] leaving two of his best-preserved buildings in North London, UK: a housing development in Wedderburn Road in Belsize Park (1982) and the Tile Kiln Studios in Highgate (1982).

[13] Beaven is credited with having made a significant contribution to retaining the Christchurch Arts Centre after the University of Canterbury moved to its new campus in Ilam.

He called the Chalice in Cathedral Square a "vent to an underground toilet", and the Christchurch Art Gallery was for him "that great alien".

[19] Peter and Lesley Beaven were prominent opponents of the alterations to Canterbury Museum, designed by Ian Athfield and approved by Christchurch City Council, but rejected by the Environment Court in 2006.