Allen Jack+Cottier - Personal Life

Personal Life

John Allen’s father encouraged him to become a solicitor and in he was accepted into University of Sydney’s Law School in 1945. A year later Allen’s interest in art and design prompted him to instead enrol in Architecture at Sydney Technical College. To gain practical experience during his six-year course Allen worked for Fowell & Mansfield until late 1948 and then for Rudder, Littlemore & Rudder. An economic downturn in 1951-1952 saw Allen redundant and lead to him to become a sole practitioner by July, 1952. Initially Allen limited his work to small-scale additions and alterations for friends and family. His first significant entirely new project was a house completed in Vancouver street, Red Hill, Australian Capital Territory.

Russel Callum Jack was a contemporary of Allen’s at Sydney Technical College and with him at Rudder, Littlemore & Rudder whilst completing his studies. Jack aspired to be an architect from a young age and during his years in the Royal Australian Air Force he studied building construction and freehand drawing by correspondence. Jack won many prizes after graduation including the prestigious Byera Hadley Travelling Scholarship. In May 1952 Jack set off with fellow architects to London where he worked for Tripe & Wakeham Architecture Firm for a few months, his work there included a harem for the Sheik of Kuwait. During his time in Europe he travelled through the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. This experience developed and broadened Jack’s understanding of townscapes and urban spaces. Upon Jacks return to Australia he gained more professional experience at Rudder, Littlemore & Rudder for two years.

In July 1956 John Allen and Russel Jack formed an equal partnership. For the first few years their clientele was relatively small limited to Allen focusing on some factory designs and Jack designing a few houses. Allen’s pre-fabricated steel design for Wolfe Electric Tools Factory 1957, at Homebush was the basis for future industrial structures, notably QANTAS and Keith Cottier’s Domaine Chandon. Keith Cottier joined the firm in 1957, Allen and Jack recognised Cottier’s prominent architectural talent after seeing his designs for Clubbe Hall and shortly after Cottier was made partner. In 1964 the firm was renamed Allen Jack + Cottier.