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Jean Louise Emberly Wallbridge (25 October 1912, Edmonton, Alberta – 30 September 1979, Edmonton, Alberta) was an Edmonton-based Canadian architect. Wallbridge studied architecture at the University of Alberta under Cecil Burgess until she graduated in 1939. Wallbridge was one of four women, in the 27-year long history of the program, to graduate from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Architecture. In 1941 Wallbridge became the third woman to register with the Alberta Association of Architects. While working for Edmonton’s Department of the City Architect and Inspector of Buildings (from 1946 to 1949), Wallbridge met fellow architect Mary Imrie. In 1950, Wallbridge and Imrie founded the first female architectural partnership in Canada. They began their business based on a need for housing in postwar Alberta, specializing in domestic architecture in and around Edmonton. Their first commissioned work was the Queen Mary apartments (1951 to 1953). Wallbridge and Imrie later made one of their best-known buildings “Six-Acres” (1954 to 1957) as their office and residence. Over the course of Wallbridge and Imrie’s careers, the firm completed 224 projects (67 of which were private homes). Wallbridge, accompanied by Imrie, also traveled extensively (throughout Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, Russia, and Canada) and wrote of these travels for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s journal. Wallbridge and Imrie’s business lasted for 28 years until Wallbridge’s death in 1979.

Early Life and Education
Jean Wallbridge was born in Edmonton, Alberta on the 25th of October, 1912. Her father was James Emberly Wallbridge (born May 25th, 1875), a lawyer and graduate of Osgoode Hall, and her mother was Mabel Louise Wallbridge (née Campbell, born January 28th, 1878). Wallbridge also had a brother, James Douglas Wallbridge, who was born on November 7th, 1909. The Wallbridges, who were an independently wealthy family, had moved to Edmonton from Bellville, Ontario in 1902. They attended Christ Church and became members of the Edmonton Golf and Country Club.

In her early years Wallbridge was privately educated in England, Switzerland, Victoria (British Columbia), and Edmonton. She attended Llanarthney School for Girls and later graduated from Victoria Composite High School in Edmonton. Wallbridge was also presented to King George V and Queen Mary at their Third Court (held on the 23rd of June, 1932) by Lady Cunliffe-Lister.

Wallbridge then studied architecture at the University of Alberta under the Scottish architect Cecil Burgess until graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Sciences in Architecture in 1939. Wallbridge was one of 4 women, in the program’s 27-year history, to graduate with a BSc in Architecture and the 6th woman in Canada to graduate with a degree in Architecture. In 1939, Wallbridge also earned a fourth in Class A of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Medals. After her graduation, Wallbridge continued to study at the University of Alberta, getting a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1940.

Career
From 1939-1941, after graduating from the University of Alberta, Wallbridge completed her required experience before registering with the Alberta Association of Architects and on the 6th of February, 1941 became the 3rd woman to register with the Alberta Association of Architects. Wallbridge then went to work at Rule, Wynn, and Rule (the firm of her classmate Peter Rule) in Edmonton. Following her time there, Wallbridge worked in the St. John New Brunswick Town Planning Commission throughout World War II.

She returned to Edmonton in 1946 and began working for the Department of the City Architect and Inspector of Buildings (which was run at the time by Max Dewar). While working for Dewar as a draftsperson, Wallbridge met her future partner (and fellow architect) Mary Imrie. In 1947, Dewar gave Wallbridge and Imrie three months official leave to go to Europe and study postwar reconstruction and community planning. It was the first of many trips Wallbridge and Imrie would take together. They had applied for a World Study Tours grant and while they were in Europe they were guided by Jacqueline Tyrwhitt (who later became a major influencer of the Toronto Architecture scene). While on their tour (which traveled through England, Czechoslovakia, and Poland), they visited and were inspired by New Towns like Stevenage (the first modernist town planned to decentralize London) and Stepney (which they discussed with town planners from the London County Council). Wallbridge and Imrie documented their travels extensively and published their writings in the Journal of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, completing 5 major articles for the journal over the course of ten years (from 1948 to 1958). Their first co-authored paper, published in October 1948, was “Planning in Europe” and documented their time in Britain.

In 1949 Dewar recommended Wallbridge and Imrie for reclassification in order to give them an increased wage and specifically requested Wallbridge be made the Technical Assistant in Town Planning. Dewar’s attempt at getting them a wage of $3,000 per year (that of a registered architect) was unsuccessful and the request was rejected. Later in 1949, Wallbridge and Imrie quit the Department of the City Architect and Inspector of Buildings to go to South America for private research purposes, partly because Dewar had left the office to start a private practice. They took the year to drive there and back, publishing the article resulting from their journey “South American Architects” in 1951 for the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s journal. Wallbridge and Imrie continued to travel extensively throughout their careers, taking trips to Africa, Asia, Europe, Russia, the USA, South America, and all over Canada.

In 1950, after returning from their trip to South America, Wallbridge and Imrie founded the first female architectural firm in Canada. They began their business based on a need for housing in postwar Edmonton and the building boom caused by the rise of the oil industry in Alberta. The firm specialized in domestic architecture and in the 1950s and the 1960s Wallbridge and Imrie became known as (and called themselves) “Les Girls” or “The Girls.” The firm’s first commissioned work was the Queen Mary Apartments, which they built from 1951 to 1953. The firm then designed its first house, that of J. A, Russell, in 1953. Wallbridge and Imrie built one of their best known works, Six-Acres, near Edmonton from 1954-1957 as their permanent office and residence. The team created the design and did much of the construction work for Six-Acres. Wallbridge and Imrie also won the Canadian Housing Council Design Award in 1957.

Over the course of several decades, the firm took on 224 projects, 67 of which were private homes (mostly in Edmonton), and 23 of which were commercial buildings. As a firm, Wallbridge and Imrie completed 23 residential renovations, 5 cottages, 50 apartment buildings, 3 seniors citizens residences, 3 telephone exchanges, the Department of Public Welfare's Diagnostic and Receiving Centre for Young Offenders in Edmonton, 2 office buildings, 2 warehouses, a machine shop, an Alberta Seed Growers’ plant, 3 stores, a shopping center, the Lloydminster radio and TV station, a hotel in Lac La Biche, 2 motels in Jasper, a restaurant in Jasper, a Roman Catholic church in Edmonton called St. James, and a museum in Banff called the Luxton, among many other projects.

The firm remained in business until Wallbridge died of cancer at the age of 67 on September the 30th, 1979, ending its 30-year tenure.

Selected Works

 * St. James Roman Catholic Church, Edmonton, Alberta (1951), a city church


 * Queen Mary Apartments, Edmonton, Alberta (1951-1953), a set of three apartment buildings with ten suites each built for developers from Regina


 * Home of Mr. J. A. Russell (14011 101 Avenue), Edmonton, Alberta (1953), a private residence featured in the Royal Architectural Institute journal of the same year


 * Royal View Apartments, Edmonton, Alberta (1954), an apartment building


 * Six-Acres (also known as Imrie House), Edmonton, Alberta (1954-1957), permanent office and residence of Wallbridge and Imrie


 * Dale House, Edmonton, Alberta (1957), a private residence


 * Greenfield Elementary School, Edmonton, Alberta (1969), a public school