Jon King’s father is an architect and his grandfather was a builder, so from early on he was well acquainted with the challenges and enthusiasm required for making buildings. Jon studied industrial design before completing his architectural studies at the University of Technology in Sydney where he was awarded the University Medal, the NSW Board of Architects Medallion, the Kann Scholarship and the NSW Chapter Prize.
Jon went on to work in the offices of AIA Gold Medalist Ken Maher on projects such as Sydney’s Luna Park redevelopment, and the Hisayama new town plan in Japan, then headed to Europe and worked for leading UK architect Richard Horden on the prestigious Queens Grandstand at Epsom Downs racecourse, and for CMW on the redevelopment of London’s Euston Station. Extensive travel in Europe Asia Africa and within Australia further developed an already well-established fascination with different cultures, cities, climates and peoples.
Jon established Design King Company in 1996 and was elected as a member of the Australian Institute of Architects in 1997 and since that time the work of the practice has been recognized with numerous awards and publication. The practice was commended for its entry in the Miners and Prospectors Hall of Fame in Kalgoolie WA, has won the Boral Timber Award, the TDA best residential design, has won the NSW Board of Architects Excellence in Client Service award, had its Palm Beach House short Listed for the prestigious Wilkinson Award. The recently completed House at Elizabeth Bay is a finalist in the 2010 Think Brick Awards the winner being announced in October of this year.
The practice’s work has been widely published, featuring in Elle Decoration in the UK, Architectural Design in Italy, Monument, Belle, House and Garden, and in books such Tropical Minimal, Beach Houses of Australia, 100 top Houses from Down under, and Adam Mornement’s recent and superbly illustrated Boathouses. Jon has also presented the work of the practice on the television shows Great Australian Sandcastles and Great Australian Houses.
Jon has also maintained his links to Academia having taught with Glen Murcutt at the University of NSW, helped establish a remote studio for the University of Sydney outside Cowra in NSW, and tutored in design at the University of Technology Sydney. Jon has lectured on the work of the practice on numerous occasions to professional and academic institutions and is also a weekly contributor to the Sydney Morning Herald, the Melbourne Age, Brisbane Times and WA today with architectural coverage and comment with his online Mypad blog.
Jon’s commitment to Architecture is balanced with a robust family life with his wife Katie and three daughters, where attachment to activities such as camping, skiing, cycling, soccer, travel and the arts, help create a life outside practice that is full, broad and challenging. It is these everyday realities and activities that often inform good architectural solutions. Where these very human concerns can help set the scale of spaces, the need for storage or for privacy, and can even encourage interaction between neighbours. Issues such as these are often vital ingredients in the development of excellent buildings and architecture where the primary purpose is to artfully and purposefully shelter and nurture human activities.
