Dennis Berry

Dennis Berry was born in Dulwich in 1922, the youngest of four children.  After distinguished service as an RAF Flying Instructor during the war, he studied at Leicester School of Architecture;  on qualifying in 1951, he went to work for Sir Hugh Casson in London, where one of his first assignments was assisting with the Festival of Britain.  He later formed his own practice – Berry Blackstock & Associates - creating some elegant small modernist houses while teaching part-time at Kingston School of Art. 

It was during this period of his life that he also indulged in one of his favourite pastimes – driving Formula 750 racing cars.

Appointed to the headship of Kingston School of Architecture in 1966, he was involved in the merger of Kingston School of Art with Kingston College of Technology in 1969/70 to form Kingston Polytechnic.  Dennis fought hard to maintain the individual character of the art and design schools, who were about to be submerged in an amalgam of what he saw as drab grey business and science departments.

From 1966 to 1987, he steered the Part 1 course to degree status as well as initiating some of the first postgraduate MA courses in architectural education.  A number of architects who may read his books will have cause to be grateful for his energy in revitalising the school during his tenure.  Within the Polytechnic (later to become Kingston University), Dennis was appointed Head of the Division of Human Environment in 1970 and Dean of Professional Studies in 1985.

Between 1974 and 1977 he was one of the earlier contingents of students enrolled with the Open University.  This gave him the chance to major in Psychology and subsequently to use this background within his research topic of Creativity.

He was also active in national issues at the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Architects Registration Council, and a founder member of the Heads of Architectural Schools Council.   He either chaired or was a member of Visiting Boards to almost every school of architecture in the United Kingdom, in addition to some in Canada.

The urge to guide others through some of the mysteries of architecture remained with him after his retirement from Kingston in 1987 and he spent a further six years teaching two courses - Modern Architecture and Creativity – to American students of the University of Notre Dame at their London Centre.  

Not content with enjoying relative idleness, however, he put his thoughts to paper/plastic and wrote five books:

        That Heart Attack  (a diary following his heart attack in 1987 and covering the next 112 days)
        Creativity
        What Did You Do In The War, Daddy? (the first part of his autobiography covering the war years)
        Time for Change - The Genesis of Modern Architecture
        The Rest of My Life  (the second part of his autobiography, from 1947 to his death in 2005)
      and started a novel called The Thing.

Still not using up all his energies - and recalling the revolutions of the 1960s, when students were agitating for participation in educational decision-making - Dennis enthusiastically took on board the government's policy of patient participation in healthcare issues and became the first Chair of The Groves Medical Centre Patients Group (www.thegrovesmedicalcentre.co.uk). Under his direction, the Group increased from some 70 member households in December 2000 to over 1,000 in 2005.  The Group now plays an important role in providing a channel of communication between patients and the practice, mainly through their quarterly bulletin, ‘Scrip.

In late 2003, Patients’ Forums took the place of Community Health Councils, one for each NHS Trust.  Dennis joined Kingston Hospital Patients Forum, got it off the ground and, through working closely together with Kingston Primary Care Patients Forum, created what is today a respected and meaningful watchdog of healthcare services in Kingston.  (www.cppih.org)

When Dennis wrote his curriculum vitae for the final time, he headed it:  'Dennis Berry - architect, war-time flying instructor, writer and educationalist'.  If he had needed to write it again in the early years of 2000, he could have added ‘patients’ champion’.

Dennis Berry died on 18th August 2005, aged 83.