Edith Gillian Harrison (1898–1974), née Cooke, was a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Early life and education

After

Roedean School Roedean () is a private boarding school governed by royal charter on the outskirts of Brighton, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1885 by three sisters to educate wealthy daughters and heiresses of aristocracy and industrial elites of the 19t ...

, she trained at the

Architectural Association School of Architecture The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London, commonly referred to as the AA, is the oldest private school of architecture in the UK. The AA hosts exhibitions, lectures, academic conference, symposia and publications. Histo ...

from 1917 to 1922, where she was one of the first four female students.

Career

In 1931 Harrison became the first woman Fellow of the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

. The second woman elected

FRIBA The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

was Gertrude Leverkus. Harrison designed a house in Kent, England, called 'Red Willows' in 1933. The exact location of Red Willows is in Littlestone, Kent where Cooke and Harrison (architects) designed three other houses for clients: Oberlander, Glukstein, and Paton

Personal life

In 1923, she married Harry St John Harrison, also an architect. Together they formed a joint practice called Cooke & Harrison. They had one child, a son, Richard.

References

1898 births 1974 deaths British women architects 20th-century British architects Alumni of the Architectural Association School of Architecture People educated at Roedean School, East Sussex {{UK-architect-stub