User:Ricciharker/sandbox

Muriel Emily Lamb (nee Sanders)
Muriel Emily Lamb (nee Sanders) A.R.I.B.A, A.N.Z.I.A. (born 20 February 1911) was the second female architect to set up a solo architectural practice in New Zealand. Lucy Greenish was the first in 1927, while Lamb started her practice in the early 1950s. Lamb died on the 29 August 2010 in her 100th year.

Early Life
Muriel Emily Lamb (nee Sanders) was born on the 20 February 1911. She was the second of three daughters to George and Ada Sanders. George Sanders was an accountant at the prominent law firm Jackson Russel and chairman of the Elam School of Art in the 1920s to 1950s. Ada Sanders had been a dressmaker before marriage and motherhood. Lamb attended Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland and then Woodford House in Hawkes Bay. Lamb's education at Woodford House focused on sculpture, music, art and painting rather than more traditional courses such as math's or history. Upon graduation, Lamb aspired to become an architect; however, those aspirations were cut short due to her mother’s deteriorating health. Lamb assumed the role of caring for her mother and keeping home for her father. After her mother died in 1931, she resigned to the fact that “fate was against” her and that she would never become an architect. Instead, she decided to “get married and have a family and do that sort of housewife thing”, despite knowing she would hate it.

Muriel Lamb married James Alexander Lamb of the timber merchant family in 1935. James (Jim) Lamb oversaw the running of Parker Lamb mill in Onehunga. At this time Muriel Lamb ran her father’s 1000-acre dairy farm in Paremoremo on Auckland’s North Shore. In 1939, the Lambs employed architect Daniel Patterson to design their home in Parnell, at 37 Gladstone Road. Muriel Lamb’s interest in architecture and candid nature meant she wasn’t afraid to voice her opinions and make changes to the plans. The two-storey house was designed in Georgian country style with heart Kauri construction throughout. Her involvement in this build is thought to have inspired her to reconsider her dream of becoming an architect.

Architectural Education
In 1942, at the age of 31, Muriel Lamb embarked on architectural study. This journey, however, was not a straightforward process; first, she needed to gain university entrance. Lamb attended Fagan’s coaching college taking maths up to calculus,  then attended Elam School of Fine Art where she studied drawing. It is here that she met Archibald Fisher, who remained an essential supporter of hers throughout her education. In 1943 Muriel Lamb began her architectural diploma at the Auckland University College (now  the University of Auckland). Architecture at that time “was almost exclusively a male domain” and arguably still is to an extent (reference studies/ registration rate). Some of Lamb’s fellow female students included Marilyn Reynolds (nee Hart), Lillian Chrystall (nee Laidlaw) and Nancy Martin.

After successfully passing her first year, Lamb failed all her second-year papers. Lamb describes thinking “well that’s it, I’m not meant to be an architect”. However, Fisher came along and said, “oh yes, my lady, you are going back”. So back she went, successfully passing all of her second-year papers. In Lambs third year, she struck prominent modernist architect Vernon Brown who ran the studio paper. “Vernon Brown considered I was a capitalist, and he was a socialist, so when we came to exams at the end of the year, he failed me and passed the boys. I hit the roof, you can imagine! Mr Brown was up in the tower, so I went up to see Mr Brown, and I said, ‘you have failed me I have got marks higher than eight boys,’ now I said, ‘you either fail us all or you pass us all,’ and he said, ‘you capitalists want your cake and eat it too,’ and I said ‘that’s as it may be Mr Brown, but I’ve earned my marks, and I want them.’ So, he passed the lot of us. He said, ‘I’ll get you next year’ and I said, ‘no you won’t because I’ll stay away for a year” (Vernon not biased against women, more capitalists). True to her word, Lamb did not return for her fourth year in 1948,  instead designing the Lamb House on Arney Road for Jim Lambs two unmarried sisters and their mother (foot note about student card and exam results).

It seems her own house, designed by Patterson, had a considerable influence on the Lamb House. The staircase she designed is nearly identical to that in her own home, along with the use of white weatherboards for cladding and red concrete for the porch. The Lamb House is an early example of modernism in New Zealand with its large expanses of glass, low-pitched roof and “streamline moderne aesthetics combined with Georgian domestic architecture”. As Muriel Lamb was not qualified, her plans were signed off by the Mayor of Onehunga, Jack Park, a fellow of the architectural faculty. Lamb recalled him saying “women are necessary in architecture, don’t give up … I will sign your plans, you do your thing …  every now and then I’ll come on to these jobs and correct you, or ask you how you would do this, that and the other”. Parks support was fundamental in helping Lamb begin her architectural career. The Lamb House has remained in the Lamb family and has been carefully preserved over the years (Alteration to Lamb house but not involved). It is presumed to be the best example of her little remaining work.

Muriel Lamb returned to the University of Auckland in 1949 for her fourth and final year, passing everything apart from Steel and Concrete, where Crook failed her by three marks. Extremely frustrated with failing again, she describes being “wild” and thinking “you can keep your architecture school I’m off”. She decided to complete her final year in London and was provided with supporting letters from Professor Knight and Fisher. Lamb successfully gained her qualification from the Royal Institute of British Architects in 1950. Upon completion, Muriel Lamb proceeded to pack up her car and travel around Europe before returning to New Zealand. In response to who had been looking after her husband while she had been away, she stated that Jim Lambs two maiden sisters were delighted to have him.

Early Work (1948 - 1953)
Muriel Lamb returned to New Zealand feeling “very proud” of herself and her accomplishments, later to be informed by Crooks that she needn’t have gone to London as he was going to pass her in the second round. Lamb was subsequently awarded the architecture diploma from the University of Auckland in 1952 but stated she “didn’t care about that” as the RIBA qualification was far more valuable.

During her time in London, Lamb met Mr Price, the General Manager of Shell Gas for New Zealand who employed her to design gas stations throughout New Zealand. Shell paid for her to travel to America to research gas station design. Additionally, when first returning to New Zealand, Muriel Lamb worked for Lew Piper on Lucas’ Newmarket and the Power Board buildings. When Lamb was offered and independent house commission she left Pipers practice and set up her own solo practice.

Lambs second house; Griffith House, designed in 1953, was one of these. Located in Tarawera Terrace, this two-storey home constructed of weatherboards featured large amounts of glazing and a flat roof. Its external and internal form was remarkably similar to that of the Lamb house. Interestingly, Griffith House stood next door to Vernon Browns 1943 Hamblin House. While Griffith House was demolished, Hamblin House still stands to this day.

Family
Muriel Lamb was a mother to two adopted children; John and Georgina. Due to her age, Lamb was initially not allowed to adopt children. She appealed in court, arguing  her wealth would provide a good life for any adopted child, to which the court agreed. John was adopted in 1955, Muriel Lamb was 44 at the time, and Jim Lamb was 50. It is not known how much later Georgina was adopted.

Muriel Lamb has been described as “devoted to her adopted children”, though she had “reliable help”. Lamb made a point to be there in the mornings to bathe and cuddle the children before going off to work. During the day, the children were looked after by either the housekeeper or nanny. Lamb was home by 5 pm to ensure the children got time to play with her before she put them to bed, returning to work later if necessary. In the weekends she and the children went to the dairy farm in Paremoremo, that she oversaw the running of.

Later Work (1953 - 1973)
In 1958 Muriel Lamb hired student Terry Boon as an assistant to help with the growing workload. Boon stated that “she just left me to it … for whatever reason she had this enormous trust in me”. Despite not having any records from that time Boon remembers doing extensive house renovations in affluent areas like Remuera and St Heliers, along with taking the lead in designing 300 Parnell Road.

The home Muriel Lamb designed for the Morrow Family in 1958 was of weatherboard and brick veneer construction. As the site had fantastic views over both Rangitoto and Buckland’s Beach, Lamb incorporated an oriel window so the view could be seen as one. This circular language was carried through in the elliptical staircase and circular canter levered roof that sat over a circular entrance step

The next published work of Lambs was the Gatenby House renovation in 1963. The home was a classic villa, with a long wide hallway, dark rooms and a lean-to at the back that contained the bathroom, kitchen, larder and dining room. Walls were removed open the hall into the lounge, the fourth room was converted into a bathroom which made way for a dinette and lager kitchen

Despite Lamb stating that her peak design period was between 1952 and 1973, there is nothing further published on her work at this time.