John Gordon Allen [commonly known as Gordon Allen] was born in Aldington, Kent, England in 1885. After attending the Architectural Association Schools in London from 1902 to 1904, he was articled to Alfred Burnell Burnell (1860?-1910) from 1904 to 1906, and remained as his assistant until 1907. In 1908 he worked as the assistant of Louis Ambler (1862-1946). In 1909 he qualified as an architect and the following year was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA)
He commenced independent practice as an architect in 1909 and was architect to Lady Margaret Hospital and architect to the Housing development Association. He was the author of books on low-cost housing and was a member of the Garden Cities and Town Planning Association. He died in Brighton, Sussex in 1964.
Flats known as Mapesbury Court, Shootup Hill, Edgware Road, N.W.; four houses Hampstead Garden Suburb; twelve houses Wealdstone, Harrow; four houses Hitchin, Herts; eleven houses Surbiton; thirteen houses Chadwell Heath, Essex; Club Premises St. Helens, Lancs; house at Fermoy, Co. Cork, for Major Tobin; house at Crowborough, Sussex, for Mr. Jebb; houses at Peppard, Oxon.; Brafield, Northants; Alkham, Kent; Ashtead, Surrey; Ashby-de-la-Zouch, &c.; Children's Ward Block, Lady Margaret Hospital, Bromley, Kent. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
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"Mapesbury Court" (flats). Edgwaro Road, N.W.; lay-out and 600 cottages, Crayford Garden Village, Kent; housing schemes (or tho Beckenham Urban District Council, the Woolwich Borough Council, and Whitchurch (Hants) District Council; business premises, Swadlincote, Derby, and Commercial Road, E.C.; club house, St. Helen's; children's ward. Lady Margaret Hospital. Bromley Branch; houses at Fermoy (Cork), Crowborough, Walmer, Clarence Road, S.W., and Vina del Mar, Chile; flats at Lancaster Gate and Cromwell Road, S.W.; small houses and cottages at Hampstead Garden Suburb, Hendon, Swadlincote, Peppard, Workington, Caterham, Harrow, Hitchin, Barrow-on-Humber, and elsewhere. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Who's Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914
Who's Who in Architecture 1926. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: Architectural Press, 1926