Jeffrey Cook Papers

Architect, educator, and author Jeffrey Ross Cook was born June 26, 1934 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, in 1957 and his Master's degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute, New York, in 1961. After brief teaching experiences at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (1959-60) and Pratt Institute (1960-61), he was hired by Arizona State University and for over forty years taught design and theory courses in architecture. He also was head of the graduate research program focusing on solar architecture and energy performance in buildings. He became a full professor in 1972 and in 1988 was honored with a lifetime appointment as a Regents Professor for his exceptional scholarly achievements. His extensive teaching experience also included being a Visiting Professor at the University of Westminster, London, and the International Academy of Architecture, Rome. He was also a Senior Lecturer at the Manchester College of Art and Design.

In addition to his academic experience, Jeffrey Cook was a registered architect in Arizona, Nova Scotia, and Rhode Island and maintained an active consulting practice as well. Probably most noteworthy among his architectural projects of record is his own residence, the Desert House (1969-1970) at 3627 Camino Sin Nombre in Paradise Valley, AZ. His advocacy of solar and low-energy cooling and heating architecture were reflected in his design of this building. It was one of the first examples of modern solar passive design in Arizona and received international recognition in architectural publications. Other important Cook projects, both built and un-built, include the Tohono O'odham Swimming and Recreational Center, Sells, AZ (1986), Sunspace Apartments, Sunnyslope, Phoenix, AZ (1981-1983), Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Greeley Residence, Timber Trails, Sherman, CT (1970), John and Juanita Enkoji Retirement House, Phoenix, AZ (1990-1992), and Michael and Gina Harris Ranch House, Apache Junction, AZ (1987-1989). In his architecture and design consulting practice, Professor Cook advised major corporations as well as government agencies at the federal, state, and municipal levels. Prominent clients from both the private and public sectors included John F. Long Homes, Tennessee Valley Authority, U. S. Department of Energy, State of Arizona, and City of Phoenix.

As an advocate of architectural responsibility through bioclimatic design and a practitioner of organic architecture, Professor Cook earned international recognition in his field. He received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Silver Medal, 1957, the American Solar Energy Society Passive Pioneer Award, 1985, and the German Ministry of Housing International Passive Solar Promotion Award, 1993. His appointments as Distinguished Guest Lecturer at the Solar Energy Institute (1986), Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (1996) and Fellow of the American Solar Energy Society (2000) were additional distinctions he earned during his long, productive career.

His extensive professional involvement included membership in the following organizations – International Solar Energy Society (ISES), New Mexico Solar Energy Association (NMSEA), Arizona Solar Energy Association (ASCA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), Society of Architectural Historians (SAH), Society of Building Science Educators, Working Group, Architecture and Energy, UIA, International Committee of Architectural Critics (CICA), American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), International Association for the Study of Traditional Environments (IASTE), Vernacular Architecture Forum (VAF), the Passive Low Energy Architecture (PLEA) group and American Solar Energy Society. In the early 1980s, he was an organizer of PLEA, which comprised a global network of experts in passive and low energy architecture that sponsored conferences, publications, and competitions devoted to the highest standards in the performance of the built environment. During this time, he was also founding editor of the Passive Solar Journal, a publication of the American Solar Energy Society.

Professor Cook was a prolific writer and authored more than a half dozen books and published over 350 papers, chapters, articles, and reviews on architecture and design, building technology, urban design, and performance of the built environment. Prominent among his books were Architecture Anthology, ASU, 1966; The Architecture of Bruce Goff, Harper, 1978; Cool Houses for Desert Suburbs, AZ Solar Energy Commission, 1979; Anasazi Places: The Photographic Vision of William Current, Univ. of Texas Press, 1994; Seeking Structure from Nature: Organic Architecture of Hungary, Birkhauser, Berlin, 1996.

Professor Cook's interest in bioclimatic design took him to many parts of the world. According to his friend and colleague, British architect Dennis Sharp, he (Cook) was an adventurous, inveterate and intrepid traveler searching out examples of humanistic, well-designed and climatically controlled buildings. Responsible design of the built environment was his passion. In his design philosophy he saw a responsibility to the land, to the client and to society that involved bridging between technical content and creativity. In his own words to Contemporary Authors he stated the apparent divergence of my activities between the technical aspects of energy and the humane and artistic issues of the man-built environment are two sides of the same coin. Technique without reason is anarchy and direction without content is hopeless.

Jeffrey Cook married artist Agnese Udinotti in 1967. They were divorced in 1974. In late 2002, Professor Cook became ill while traveling overseas. He returned to the United States and died at his home in Paradise Valley on March 24, 2003 at the age of sixty eight. Family survivors at the time of his death included daughter Alexis Stone, stepmother Ruth Cook, and siblings Anthony Cook and Ann Stuart.