K.C. Duncan

Kenneth Charles Duncan (1898–1983) was born 13 April 1898. He was a modernist architect, active in Australia and Malaysia from before World War I until the 1970s. He was responsible for one of Kuala Lumpur's first major health care buildings, and a modest building he designed in the late 1950s received accolades across the globe for the way it deftly balanced international-style aesthetics with locale touches.

In 1912, Duncan passed his Junior Public Examination at Perth Modern School with £10 bursary received as a result; this was of great assistance to his parents. Duncan passed his Junior Public Examination at Perth Modern School in late 1913. In 1914 he showed an aptitude for drawing and enrolled at the Joseph Francis Allen School (1869–1933) at Fremantle. He also studied at Perth Technical College before enlisting to serve in World War I, in 1917. At the time of his enlistment, Duncan's address was Meadow Street, Guildford. In 1919 he served overseas in France and Belgium with the Australian Imperial Forces, and he returned to Western Australia by ship. He worked with the War Service Homes Division afterwards in July 1921. Duncan successfully produced suburban housing projects in the Perth metropolitan area with his partner, Christian Holger Jensen (c.1889–1950). Duncan registered with the Architects Board of Western Australia.

Jensen declared bankruptcy in January 1925, and Jensen ended the architect-partnership in 1921 with a debit balance were £123 from their earnings in 1922; a situation which improved to £253 in 1923. But in 18 months period the partners did not receive money, and Jensen had been borrowing money without informing Duncan of his predicament. Fortunately, Duncan kept the books of the partnership, and was isolated from Jensen's financial malaise before dissolving the partnership in May 1924.^[1]

Duncan was a president of the Royal Institute of Architect of Western Australia during 1939-1940, and was joined in partnership with Cyril James Stephen (1893–1974). Following the outbreak of World War II in 1941, Duncan enlisted in the Royal Australian Engineers.^[2] 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.

President of the RAIA (WA) 1954–56, Duncan was elected as the first West Australian Federal President of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects in 1959. He also joined the WA Fire Brigades' association from the time when, as a lad in 1915, he first joined the Volunteer Fire Brigade at Guildford. For ten years Duncan was secretary of the association, and eventually was made a life member. 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.

In 1973, Duncan retired from practice because of his failing eyesight and 10 years later he died at the Repatriation Hospital in Hollywood. Except for four years during World War II, Duncan was a member of the Architects Board of Western Australia for thirty-one years, 1938–69, and its chairman during 1962–67.

The Department of Obsterics and Gynecology

In 1958 Duncan started to work in Kuala Lumpur to start his hospital project.^[3] The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also called the Hospital Bersalin was one of the largest medical facilities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located within the Maternity Block of the Kuala Lumpur Hospital compound. The project was conceived to ease the overcrowding of the Maternity Section of the General Hospital. Hospital Bersalin was built in Malaysia's federal capital. The foundation stone was laid on May 12, 1960 by the Prime Minister of Malaya. Y.T.M Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj, and the building completed in 1962.^[4] A year after, The Maternity Hospital Kuala Lumpur was officially launched on January 18 by Raja Permaisuri Agong. Prof. H. De Waterville, the Secretary General of the international Frederation described the Maternity Hospital as "Comparable to the best in the world." They set up the name Hospital Bersalin in 1974. In the period 1963–2000, it developed into one of the largest and busiest maternity hospitals in the world.

The British Council Centre

Located in the junction of Bluff Road and Victory Avenue, the unassuming structure was awarded the RIBA Architecture Bronze Medal on 31 December 1957.^[5] The council of the Royal Institute of British Architecture to Ken Duncan, senior architect, Public Works Department, for the design of the British Council centre.^[6] The judges heralded the building for combining structural and material elements of traditional Malay architecture with modernism, or the global with the local.^[7] It arose on a prominent site, on a hill not far from Merdeka Square, on a site given by the Ruler of Selangor. The building was designed to make the best of the natural ventilation. It was a great disappointment to many that shortly after its opening air conditioning was installed. In later years the building was turned over the city police department for use as a trading academy. A new British Council Building was built, and the one-time modern masterpiece today languishes in obscurity.

References

1. J. Taylor, John (January 2014). "Kenneth Charles Duncan".
2. J. Taylor, John (January 2014). "Kenneth Charles Duncan".
3. "Membuat plan hospital baru".
4. "Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology".
5. "Medal for Architect". The Straits Times: 7. 8 June 1959.
6. "PWD man gets medal for design".
7. "The British Council Centre, Kuala Lumpur". Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects 66: 288–290. 1959.