Kenneth Charles Duncan (1898–1983) was born 13 April 1898. He was a

modernist architect Modern architecture, or modernist architecture, was an architectural movement or architectural style based upon new and innovative technologies of construction, particularly the use of glass, steel, and reinforced concrete; the idea that Form f ...

, active in Australia from before

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

until the 1970s making a long and valued contribution to architectural practice especially in Western Australia.

Education

In 1912, Duncan passed his Junior Public Examination at

Perth Modern School , motto_translation = Knowledge is Power , location = Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia , country = Australia , coordinates = , mapframe-stroke-colour = #C60C30 , mapframe-marker-co ...

with £10 bursary received as a result; this was of great assistance to his parents. Duncan passed his Junior Public Examination at

in late 1913. In 1914 he showed an aptitude for drawing and enrolled at the

Joseph Francis Allen Joseph Francis Allen (6 August 1869 – 23 May 1933) was an Australian politician. Life Born at Perranzabuloe in Cornwall to carpenter William Allen and Salome Williams, he came to Parramatta in 1879 and from 1884 worked as an articled clerk ...

School (1869–1933) at Fremantle. He also studied at

Perth Technical College Central Institute of Technology was a Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institution based in Perth, Western Australia until 2016 when it became a part of North Metropolitan TAFE. It was the equal oldest post-secondary educational institution ...

before enlisting to serve in World War I, in 1917. In 1919 he served overseas in France and Belgium with the Australian Imperial Forces. In 1915 he joined the Volunteer Fire Brigade at

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

and was a supporter of the WA Fire Brigades’ association, serving for ten years as secretary and was made a life member.

Work

Duncan worked with the War Service Homes Division from July 1921 and successfully produced suburban housing projects in the Perth metropolitan area with his partner Christian Holger Jensen (c.1889–1950). When Jensen was declared bankrupt in January 1925, the architectural partnership was dissolved. Duncan then formed an architectural partnership with Cyril James Stephen (1893–1974). Following the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

in 1941, Duncan enlisted in the

Royal Australian Engineers The Royal Australian Engineers (RAE) is the military engineering corps of the Australian Army (although the word corps does not appear in their name or on their badge). The RAE is ranked fourth in seniority of the corps of the Australian Army, be ...

. In 1946, Duncan was discharged from the Australian Army and two years later, Duncan and Stephen were joined in practice by John Duart Mercer (1923–1988); the firm became known as Duncan Stephen and Mercer. Duncan's son, John Kenneth Duncan (1928-2005) also became an architect of renown in WA, came into the business in 1956. Duncan Stephen & Mercer designed over 70 fire stations all over Western Australia.

Professional involvement

Kenneth C. Duncan was president of the Royal Institute of Architects of Western Australia during 1939-1940. Except for four years during the Second World War, Duncan was a member of the Architects Board of Western Australia for thirty-one years, 1938–69, and its chairman during 1962-67. He was President of the RAIA (WA) 1954–1956 and first West Australian Federal President of the

Royal Australian Institute of Architects (United we advance architecture) , predecessor = , merged = , successor = , formation = , extinction = , status = Professional body; members association , headquarters = L1/41 Exhibition St, Melbourne , leader_title = CEO , leader_ ...

in 1959.

Retirement and later years

In 1973, Duncan retired from practice because of his failing eyesight and 10 years later he died 1 October 1983 at the Repatriation Hospital in Hollywood.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, KC Architects from Perth, Western Australia Modernist architects 1898 births 1983 deaths