Ken Woolley
Encyclopedia
Ken F. Woolley AM, B.Arch (Hons) LAIA, (born 29 May 1933 in Sydney
) is an influential Australia
n architect
. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he is best known for his contributions to project housing with Pettit and Sevitt, the Wilkinson Award
winning Woolley House in Mosman, and his longstanding partnership with Sydney Ancher and Bryce Mortlock
. He is regarded as being a prominent figure in the development of the Sydney School movement and Australian vernacular building.
after attending Sydney Boys High School
, and graduated in 1955 with First Class Honours in Architecture and three medals. As an undergraduate student, he worked as a trainee at the NSW Government Architect’s office, moving up to the position of Design Architect once he graduated. He remained in this position until 1963, with the exception of a year spent working as an Assistant Architect with Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in London, during 1956-7. This professional opportunity enabled him to work on some major projects, such as The University of Sydney’s Fisher Library and the State Government Offices, at an unusually young age.
He began a working relationship with the project housing company, Pettit and Sevitt, the same year, creating house types of high quality design and construction. “Split Level”, “Lowline” and other early forms incorporated design principles through simple lines, natural features and an emphasis on functionalism. They were widely affordable due to the standardised usage of materials: brick veneer construction, Gyprock plasterboard interior wall cladding, Monier concrete tiles and Stegbar aluminium windows. They often used basic grids, rectangular planes, and flat roofs, and were always firmly grounded with room to be easily adapted to various sites and terrains. These sophisticated types underwent various levels of modifications as they were marketed through display villages and later sold to individual buyers, who had a consultation with the architect to discuss the interior and exterior details, as a part of the service. Through these modifications based on the clients’ needs and clever marketing, these houses gained an unprecedented popularity with prominent architects worldwide.
At the completion of the Woolley House in Mosman in 1962, a work he would become most famous for, Ken Woolley emerged as a leading figure in a regional romantic movement often referred to as Sydney Style. This new movement combined the influence of organic architecture
, brutalism and the arts and crafts movement
together with elements of the International Style, and came to embody the harmonious relationships between man and nature as intimate domestic spaces in the Australian bushland. The basis of the Woolley House design was derived from a series of garden terraces, most of which were covered by sections of timber roof sloping parallel to the land. A geometric order was applied to the plan as a series of 12-foot square units that combine to make up the main central space. Natural materials were exploited, with neutral colour schemes of dark tiles, western red cedar boarding and panelling, and painted bricks, creating a feeling of warmth in the house. The open plan living spaces were connected with volumes containing variations of ceiling height and changes in direction, enabling floor areas to be narrow but for the feeling of space to still be maximised. The house won RAIA’s Wilkinson Award the same year it was completed.
Woolley joined the existing partnership of Sydney Archer, Bryce Mortlock and Stuart Murray in 1964, and with Murray leaving the practice in 1975, the team went on to establish a reputation in the design of special purpose buildings. Notable examples are the Australian Embassy Centre in Ultimo, the RAS Exhibition Hall stand and the Olympic Hockey Stadium at Homebush.
In addition, Ken Woolley worked on notable concrete buildings (Newcastle University Union building and Macquarie University Union building), multi-housing projects (Sydney Square and The Penthouses) and buildings of structure and technology (Town Hall House and the Guided Missile Launching System Repair Facility), with many of them picking up various esteemed awards over the following two decades.
Among his many notable buildings in Sydney are the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
in Ultimo, Sydney University's Fisher Library
, the Park Hyatt Sydney, the former State Office Block and buildings on the Olympic site. There is also the Victorian State Library and the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.
Woolley was awarded the highest architectural honour in Australia when he received the RAIA Gold Medal in 1993.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
) is an influential Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he is best known for his contributions to project housing with Pettit and Sevitt, the Wilkinson Award
Wilkinson Award
The Wilkinson Award is an Australian architectural prize presented by the Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1961....
winning Woolley House in Mosman, and his longstanding partnership with Sydney Ancher and Bryce Mortlock
Bryce Mortlock
Dr. Bryce Mortlock was an Australian architect and planner. In partnership with Sydney Ancher, Stuart Murray andKen Woolley, his career spanned the era in which modern Australian architecture was consolidated....
. He is regarded as being a prominent figure in the development of the Sydney School movement and Australian vernacular building.
Personal life
Woolley studied at the University of SydneyUniversity of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
after attending Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School
Sydney Boys High School is an academically selective public secondary school for boys, located in the City of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, with 1,180 students, from years 7 to 12...
, and graduated in 1955 with First Class Honours in Architecture and three medals. As an undergraduate student, he worked as a trainee at the NSW Government Architect’s office, moving up to the position of Design Architect once he graduated. He remained in this position until 1963, with the exception of a year spent working as an Assistant Architect with Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in London, during 1956-7. This professional opportunity enabled him to work on some major projects, such as The University of Sydney’s Fisher Library and the State Government Offices, at an unusually young age.
Notable projects
Woolley took on a growing number of outside projects while still working with the Government Architect. He generated a reputation in the field of housing, winning a low cost competition for an exhibition house with Michael Dysart, in 1958. Consequently, both architects were invited to submit designs for a display village of model project houses in Carlingford, in 1961, proving to be a successful event that signalled the architect designed project house to be a welcome alternative to the individually designed and standard range houses of the time.He began a working relationship with the project housing company, Pettit and Sevitt, the same year, creating house types of high quality design and construction. “Split Level”, “Lowline” and other early forms incorporated design principles through simple lines, natural features and an emphasis on functionalism. They were widely affordable due to the standardised usage of materials: brick veneer construction, Gyprock plasterboard interior wall cladding, Monier concrete tiles and Stegbar aluminium windows. They often used basic grids, rectangular planes, and flat roofs, and were always firmly grounded with room to be easily adapted to various sites and terrains. These sophisticated types underwent various levels of modifications as they were marketed through display villages and later sold to individual buyers, who had a consultation with the architect to discuss the interior and exterior details, as a part of the service. Through these modifications based on the clients’ needs and clever marketing, these houses gained an unprecedented popularity with prominent architects worldwide.
At the completion of the Woolley House in Mosman in 1962, a work he would become most famous for, Ken Woolley emerged as a leading figure in a regional romantic movement often referred to as Sydney Style. This new movement combined the influence of organic architecture
Organic architecture
Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes harmony between human habitation and the natural world through design approaches so sympathetic and well integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings, and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated...
, brutalism and the arts and crafts movement
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
together with elements of the International Style, and came to embody the harmonious relationships between man and nature as intimate domestic spaces in the Australian bushland. The basis of the Woolley House design was derived from a series of garden terraces, most of which were covered by sections of timber roof sloping parallel to the land. A geometric order was applied to the plan as a series of 12-foot square units that combine to make up the main central space. Natural materials were exploited, with neutral colour schemes of dark tiles, western red cedar boarding and panelling, and painted bricks, creating a feeling of warmth in the house. The open plan living spaces were connected with volumes containing variations of ceiling height and changes in direction, enabling floor areas to be narrow but for the feeling of space to still be maximised. The house won RAIA’s Wilkinson Award the same year it was completed.
Woolley joined the existing partnership of Sydney Archer, Bryce Mortlock and Stuart Murray in 1964, and with Murray leaving the practice in 1975, the team went on to establish a reputation in the design of special purpose buildings. Notable examples are the Australian Embassy Centre in Ultimo, the RAS Exhibition Hall stand and the Olympic Hockey Stadium at Homebush.
In addition, Ken Woolley worked on notable concrete buildings (Newcastle University Union building and Macquarie University Union building), multi-housing projects (Sydney Square and The Penthouses) and buildings of structure and technology (Town Hall House and the Guided Missile Launching System Repair Facility), with many of them picking up various esteemed awards over the following two decades.
Among his many notable buildings in Sydney are the headquarters of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
in Ultimo, Sydney University's Fisher Library
University of Sydney Library
The University of Sydney Library is the library system of the University of Sydney. According to its publications, it is the largest academic library in the southern hemisphere, with a print collection of over 5.1 million items . It is composed of twelve libraries across eight campuses of the...
, the Park Hyatt Sydney, the former State Office Block and buildings on the Olympic site. There is also the Victorian State Library and the Australian Embassy in Bangkok.
Woolley was awarded the highest architectural honour in Australia when he received the RAIA Gold Medal in 1993.
Awards
- 1955 Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship University Medal.
- 1958 Winner of Australia’s Family Home Competition with Michael Dysart, for a low cost house.
- 1962 RAIARaiaRaia may refer to:* Royal Australian Institute of Architects, a professional body for architects in Australia* Raia , a small village in Goa, India, about 6 km from Margao on the way to Loutolim...
Wilkinson AwardWilkinson AwardThe Wilkinson Award is an Australian architectural prize presented by the Australian Institute of Architects and was first awarded in 1961....
for a house of Outstanding Merit for Ken Woolley’s own house at Mosman.- RAIA Sulman Medal and RIBARibaRiba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
Bronze Medal awarded to Fisher Library, University of Sydney, Government Design Architect, Ken Woolley.
- RAIA Sulman Medal and RIBA
- 1963 Sulman and Wilkinson Awards Exhibition Royal Australian Institute of ArchitectsRoyal Australian Institute of ArchitectsThe Australian Institute of Architects is a professional body for architects in Australia. Until August 2008, the Institute traded as the "Royal Australian Institute of Architects", which remains its official name....
, Sydney. - 1964 Joint award winner, Sunday Telegraph Small House design competition.
- 1967 RAIA Project House Design Award - $10,000-$13,000 category.
- RAIA Blacket Award for a building of Outstanding Merit for Union Building, University of Newcastle.
- EXPO, Montreal: House at Mosman exhibited.
- 1968 RAIA Wilkinson Award for housing of Outstanding Architectural Merit, The Penthouses, Rushcutters Bay.
- RAIA Project House Design Award - $10,000-$17,000 category.
- ‘The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
’ (Melbourne) House Award. - Western Australia Project House Award, RAIA.
- Awarded St. Regis-ACI Travelling Scholarship.
- Limited competition for National Gallery, Canberra, placed second (only entry to be highly commended).
- 1969 RAIA Project House Design Award - $10,000-$13,000 category.
- RAIA Project House Design Award - $10,000-$18,000 category.
- RAIA Blacket Award for Staff House, University of Newcastle.
- 1970 EXPO, Tokyo: House at Mosman, Macquarie University Union, ‘The Penthouses’, exhibited.
- RAIA Project House Design Award – under $12,000 category.
- RAIA Project House Design Award - $12,000-$16,000 category.
- 1972 RAIA NSW Merit Award, Wentworth Union Building, University of Sydney.
- 1973 RAIA Project House Design Award – over $17,500 category.
- 1974 RAIA Project Merchant Housing Award (Category E – over $20,000).
- 1976 RAIA Merit Award, for Attached Housing, Macquarie Fields, Housing Commission of NSW.
- RAIA Project Merchant Housing Award (Category E – over $30,000).
- RAIA Project Merchant Housing Award (Category C - $22,100-$26,000).
- 1977 RAIA Project Merchant Housing Award (Category C - $24,000-$29,000).
- 1978 Bathurst Orange Housing Competition: second prize.
- RAIA Merit Award for work of Outstanding Environmental Design for Sydney Square, in collaboration with Noel Bell-Ridley Smith.
- 1979 Winner of limited competition for Institute of Criminology, Canberra, ACT.
- RAIA Merit Award for Town Hall House and Sydney Town HallSydney Town HallThe Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
complex.
- RAIA Merit Award for Town Hall House and Sydney Town Hall
- 1980 RAIA Merit Award for The Kiosk Gardens Restaurant.
- Design Development and Documentation for Government Architect.
- Limited competition winner, 220 townhouses and flats, Lane Cove, NSW, for Lend Lease Homes Pty Ltd.
- 1981 RAIA Merit Award for Woolley House, Paddington.
- 1982 RAIA Merit Award for West Amenities Refit and Control Building, Garden Island.
- RAIA Award Exhibition, Art Gallery of New South Wales.
- 1983 RAIA Wilkinson Award for a house of Outstanding Merit for Woolley House, Paddington.
- RAIA Civic Design Award for Sydney Square.
- Limited competition winner for the National Archives, Canberra.
- Winner RAIA Ideas Competition for the Gateway Site, Circular Quay, Sydney.
- Highly Commended BHP Steel Award for West Amenities Control and Refit Building and Guided Missile Launching System Buildings, Garden Island.
- 1984 RAIA Merit Award for Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, Leura.
- 1985 Nominated for RAIA for Commonwealth Association of Architects Sir Robert Matthew Award.
- 1987 RAIA Wilkinson Award for house of Outstanding Merit for Weekender, Palm Beach.
- Robin Boyd Award for Woolley House, Paddington.
- 1988 Made Member of the Order of Australia.
- 1993 RAIA Gold Medal.