Louise St John Kennedy

As a student at the University of Melbourne she worked for a period for Graeme Gunn, and after graduating worked for a period with John Taylor Architect and Builder in South Yarra. Whilst a student she completed a two home renovations for herself, but her first commissioned project came from The Age cartoonist John Spooner to refit his office in Malvern. After moving back to Perth to work with Robert Cann, St John Kennedy commenced practice in 1981 with the construction of her own house in Rupert Street, Subiaco. Upon completion this house was awarded a commendation in the WA Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) awards, the first female to receive this honour. It was followed shortly after by the Limestone Residence, Hynes Road, Dalkeith and the Mount Street Gallery Workshops and Residence, Fremantle. Both projects received RAIA awards.

After receiving the Robin Boyd Award from the Australian Institute of Architects in 1984, St John Kennedy completed a large body of work, mainly residential, hospitality and retail, across Western Australia. She has been the architect for Giorgio Armani retail projects throughout Australia. Her academic involvement includes lecturing on women in architecture at UWA School of Architecture, the first course on women in architecture in Australia. She jointly founded Women in Architecture in Western Australia. She reviewed the civil and criminal justice system in WA for the Law Reform Commission and was a founder internationally of the investigation of architectural psychology in law and courts. St John Kennedy also founded Hay River wines in Mount Barker, one of the first vineyards in south west Western Australia.

• Downes-Stoney residence, East Perth • Mosman Bay Tea Rooms, Mosman Park • Eric and Rinske Carr Gallery Residence and Workshops, Mouat Street, Fremantle • The Dempster House, Mosman Park • Eastwood House, Mandurah • Pines Business Centre, Cottesloe • Chester Road Housing Development, Claremont • San Lorenzo Restaurant, Claremont

• Illustration — Dempster Residence, 1985 • Illustration — Mosman Bay Tearooms, 1986 • Illustration — Carr Gallery and Workshops residence, 1982 • Illustration — Chester Road Residences, 1987 • Illustration — Downe-Stoney House, East Perth, 1983