Former chief architect of TRADA John Ollis has died at the age of 78.
Mr Ollis joinedTRADA in September 1965 as architectural and engineering officer, intending to stay for three years. He stayed for 14, because he “fell in love with timber” and was heard to say: “Timber construction has a great and glorious future in this country.”
Former TRADA director John Sunley described John Ollis as an “inventive architect”. His work can be seen in many diverse situations, such as the restaurant at Longleat Estate, and at TRADA’s headquarters in Hughenden Valley, which he designed in 1967. Two years later he started work on the fire test laboratory using a timber portal frame system as employed in TRADA farm buildings.
In plywood, he designed a demountable and portable cycle track for a Skol International six- day race. So effective was it, that his design was subsequently used all over Europe.
Some of John Ollis’ most avant garde work, however, was in housing, exploring prefabrication techniques for multi-home developments. In 1967 he was closely involved with the South East Midlands Local Authorities Consortium in developing a housing design and advisory programme. In 1970 he carried out a large-scale housing project using prefabricated timber frame units for Wycombe Rural District Council.
His work with TRADA encompassed the home improvements and conversions field, as well as taking him further into timber frame design. In 1973, as part of a government study, he developed the DoE home improvement unit.
Born into a family of watchmakers with close connections with Wilkinson Sword, John Ollis did not confine his talents for design to timber alone. On leaving TRADA at the end of 1979 he set up his own business with his son, exploring other fields.
