In 1957, the Jack House in Wahroonga<\/a>, New South Wales, which Russell and his architect wife Pamela Jack had designed for themselves, was awarded the prestigious Sulman Medal, and this brought Russell wide acclaim. Set on a steeply sloping block and straddling a rocky creek, this house, with its oiled timber framing and bagged brickwork inside and out, was the first of many Jack houses that were the forerunners of what became known as the Sydney School of architecture.<\/p>\n View gallery<\/p>\n These houses consistently used a similar logical expression of structure and detail but differed in their response to individual site aspect and prospect. They also continued Russell\u2019s exploration of the role of a protective masonry wall delineating the boundary between public and private space.<\/p>\n While often included as a member of the Sydney School, Russell\u2019s work was never quite as rugged or as brutal as that of some of the other exponents. The entry path to the Jack House even has a slightly romantic touch, and his interiors were often more sophisticated, containing the odd quirky element, and elegant, refined furniture.<\/p>\n In 1957, I joined the John Allen and Russell C. Jack office as a third-year part-time student. I had previously worked at Fowell, Mansfield and Maclurcan, a relatively large and conservative firm, where I had soaked up traditional detailing, but now thought a smaller office would provide more drawing-board experience. I arrived just as the Jack House was being completed and was blown away by a new way of seeing things, a new view of architecture. I was quickly given the experience I sought, and both John and Russell were excellent and willing teachers. Russell, in particular, was a constructive critic, with a sharp mind and a rare ability to move from the big picture to the detail and simply convey his message.<\/p>\n Several months later, I was joined in the office by two other friends and part-time students, Brian Mazlin and Glenn Murcutt, and they similarly benefitted from Russell\u2019s keen observation and constant guidance. In her 1990 book Australian Architecture Since 1960<\/a>, Jennifer Taylor states John Allen and Russell Jack taught Murcutt \u201cthe logic of consistent construction and the constant care required in design details.\u201d <\/p>\n View gallery<\/p>\n![\"In](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/c6cc2f7b339026bb0cf36d42b1a9edc7.jpg\")
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