20 Facts About Jane Drew

Dame Jane Drew was an English modernist architect and town planner.

At the time Drew had her first office, with the idea of employing only female architects, architecture was a male dominated profession.

Jane Drew was active during and after World War II, designing social and public housing in England, West Africa, India and Iran.

Jane Drew designed buildings in Ghana, Nigeria, Iran and Sri Lanka, and she wrote books on what she had learnt about architecture there.

Jane Drew was awarded the DBE in the 1996 New Year Honours, gazetted 30 December 1995, only seven months before her death.

Jane Drew's father, Harry Guy Radcliffe Drew, was a designer of surgical instruments and the founder of the Institute of British Surgical Technicians: he was a humanist who "despised the profit motive and abhorred cruelty".

Jane Drew's mother was Emma Spering Jones, a school teacher, who when Jane was only four became lame for the rest of her life as the result of a road accident.

Jane Drew encouraged her daughters in observation of nature and appreciation of art, and she had a keen business sense.

Jane Drew was educated at Woodford School in East Croydon, then at Croydon High School where she became Head Girl.

Jane Drew studied at the Architectural Association School of Architecture.

In 1934, Jane Drew found first employment as an architect with Joseph Hill, where she was introduced to members of bohemian London who would have a lasting impact on her work.

Jane Drew soon became involved in the Modern Movement, through the Congres International d'Architecture Moderne, whose guiding spirit was the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, and became one of the principal founders of the Modern Movement in Britain, which was represented by MARS, CIAM's British subsidiary.

Jane Drew was heavily involved with the Festival of Britain at the time and was unsure of her ability to take on such a large role in the project.

Jane Drew used her considerable charm to great effect, convincing Swiss Architect Le Corbusier to involve himself in the project.

Jane Drew first met Le Corbusier before the War at CIAM.

Jane Drew was impressed by the breadth of his knowledge, his experience in addressing the problems of housing in under developed countries, by the power of his personality, and the lucidity of his razor sharp logic.

Jane Drew did not want to follow the traditions of the past, but to experiment with new forms of design and planning.

When Jane Drew practised alone in the war years between 1939 and 1944, her office was at 12 King Street, St James, London.

Max had retired in 1973, but Jane Drew continued working until 1979, when they both lived at their country retreat "The Lake House", at Rowfant near Crawley in Sussex, where they had often socialised with friends and family.

Jane Drew was buried near St Romald's church in Romaldkirk.