Breakwell, John c. 1905 - 1959

John Breakwell was born in c.1905 and studied at the Architectural Association in London from 1923 to 1927. He was an Archibald Dawnay Scholar in 1925 and was awarded a 2nd Year Travelling Scholarship that year. He also won the Henry Florence Travelling Studentship in 1927.  In 1929 he was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA).  

In 1934 Breakwell joined the London practice of Elisabeth Whitworth Scott (1898-1972). In 1927 she had won the competition to design the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and in 1929 she had formed the partnership Scott, Chesterton & Shepherd with Maurice Chesterton (1882-1962), Alison Sleigh (1898-1972) and John Chiene Shepherd (1896-1978) to assist her in building the theatre. By 1934 Chesterton had withdrawn from the practice which was renamed Scott, Shepherd & Breakwell.  Notable among projects by them was the Fawcett Building at Newnham College, Cambridge, competed in 1938. A house in Clapham Sussex designed by Scott, Shepherd & Breakwell is discussed in Small Houses £500-£250, edited by H. Myles Wright (1927 p. 89).  

The partnership with Scott and Shepherd was dissolved in c.1938 and Breakwell subsequently established his own independent practice at 10 Hill Street, St. Helier, Jersey. From 1956 he was in partnership with William Herbert. Davies as Breakwell & Davies.  

In addition to his work as an architect, Breakwell was also a furniture designer.  A photograph of board-room furniture in Australian walnut, designed by John Breakwell and made by Hugh Bankart Ltd. of Welwyn for Pye Radio is illustrated in Design for To-day vol. 2, no. 1, January 1934 (p.33).  

Breakwell died in London in 1959.  Davies continued the Breakwell & Davies practice for a number of years after Breakwell's death, retaining the original name of the firm