Bill Lucas (architect)

Bill Lucas (31 December 1924 – 10 September 2001) was an Australian architect known well for the houses he designed along the Bulwark in Castlecrag, Sydney. While practising as a full-time architect, Lucas also worked as a part-time lecturer at the School of Architecture of the University of New South Wales for a decade.

Lucas was born in Sydney in 1924. He was drafted into the RAAF Air Crew service in 1943, where he served for three years. Lucas then went on to study architecture at the University of Sydney where he graduated with honours. Lucas also studied Visual Arts at the East Sydney Technical University. He then moved to New Zealand where he worked with Hugh Grierson Architects There, he designed his first home with his brother, Neville at Gymea Bay, Sydney. Between 1955 and 1957 he worked with Neville Gruzman, Tony Moore and Ruth Harvey where they submitted a competition entry for the Sydney Opera House. He later married Ruth Harvey. The couple designed and built the Glass House in Castlecrag, Sydney which became their family home.

The Lucases became actively involved in helping to prevent the suburb of Paddington from comprehensive redevelopment.Paddington was the scene of many historical sites and architecture, notably Juniper Hall and Centennial Park. They helped set up the Paddington Society which campaigned to prevent Juniper Hall from being renovated and revamped. The Society also lobbied to prevent a sports stadium from being built in Centennial Park. The society still functions today as an action group but also serves to record the historical landmarks of the area.

Lucas helped to further develop the architecture program at the University of New South Wales, where he taught for ten years between 1965 and 1975. At this time, Lucas supervised students from UNSW, University of Sydney and the New South Wales Institute of Technology who were working on projects for R. Buckminster Fuller’s World Design Science Decade.

Until 1990 Lucas continued to design houses, such as the Sieverding House, where he worked on and off with Cracknell & Lonergan Architects until his death. Lucas died on 10 September 2001 of a heart attack. He died at Moonbah, Thredbo where he had designed a ski lodge in his early working days with Marion Hall Best. His children were with him at the time of his death.

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