John Duncan in the Office of Ernö Goldfinger

Abstract

The British Architectural profession throughout the twentieth century relied on an array of architectural assistants from a variety of backgrounds, working largely unseen across a variety of building projects. Within the architectural studio, ideas were developed in a complex process of transfer and exchange. These assistants would then return to their respective homes, taking their newly developed architectural knowledge with them. This paper looks at John Duncan, who travelled to Britain from Western Australia where he served as Ernö Goldfinger’s chief assistant for 18 months between 1954 and 55. By constructing a biographical narrative of Duncan and his time in the Goldfinger office, this..