Rule Wynn and Rule

Rule Wynn and Rule was a Canadian architectural firm that had offices in Calgary and Edmonton. The firm is noted for its prominent role in bringing modern architecture to Alberta.

History Founded by John Ulric Rule (1904-1978) and Gordon K. Wynn (1910-1994) in Edmonton in 1938, they were joined a year later by Rule's brother, Peter Leitch Rule (1913-1964). The initial partnership came about as neither Rule nor Wynn could find work. All three partners were graduates of the school of architecture at the University of Alberta.

During World War II the Rule brother's father, also named Peter, took charge of the firm. Peter worked as a building inspector for Alberta Government Telephones and during his time with the firm designed several telephone exchange buildings across the province. Although not trained as an architect, in January 1941 he was given a special certificate by the Alberta Association of Architects.

In 1945 the firm opened a second office in Calgary which was headed by Peter Rule (son). This office closed in 1986.

Since 1938, the firm has undergone several name and partner changes including Wynn Forbes Lord Architects (Gordon Wynn, Gordon Forbes and George Lord), Wynn Forbes Lord Feldberg Schmidt Architects (Gordon Wynn, Gordon Forbes, George Lord, Heinz Feldberg and Sig Schmidt), Schmidt Feldberg Croll Henderson Architects (Sig Schmidt, Heinz Feldberg, Norm Croll, Craig Henderson and Eric Underwood), Henderson Inglis Architects (Craig Henderson, Stewart Inglis) and HIP Architects (Craig Henderson, Stewart Inglis, Allan Partridge and Randy Krebes). In 2008, Next Architecture Inc. became a shareholding partner of the firm through Allan Partridge. In 2011, Next Architecture separated from the other partners to avoid an anticipated merger with Kasian. In 2012, on the cusp of its 75 year anniversary, Stewart Inglis and Randy Krebes merged HIP with Kasian Architecture, Planning and Interior Design. In 2024, emeritus partners Craig Henderson and Stewart Inglis signed an attestation along with current partner Allan Partridge to confirm that Next Architecture is a natural successor of the firm Rule Wynn and Rule, established in 1938. As such, Next Architecture is one of the longest continuously operating architectural firms in western Canada.

The records of both the Edmonton and Calgary firms are held at the Canadian Architectural Archives in Calgary.

Works

Edmonton Firm NameCityAddressYearStatusFoster McGarvey Funeral HomeEdmonton1938Varscona TheatreEdmonton1940DemolishedWestglen High SchoolEdmonton10950 127 Street1940Beth Shalom SynagogueEdmonton11916 Jasper Avenue1949Denis Yorath HouseEdmonton13110 B Buena Vista Road Northwest1949Ellis BuildingEdmonton10123 112 St NW1950University of Alberta Rutherford LibraryEdmonton1951Alberta Government Telephone BuildingEdmonton9718 107 Street Northwest1953Superstructure demolished 2021, substructure adaptively re-used 2022.Eastglen Composite High SchoolEdmonton11430 68 Street1953Alberta Motor Association BuildingEdmonton11220 109 Street1956Northwest Utilities Building (now Milner Building)Edmonton10040 104 Street1957Royal Alexandra HospitalEdmonton1958A. S. Hall HouseEdmonton1958F. W. Forster HouseEdmonton10240 Kingsway1958Edmonton ClubEdmonton1959Union Oil Company of California BuildingEdmonton114 Avenue1959William Shaw HouseEdmonton62 St Georges Crescent1963DemolishedC. J. Varvis HouseEdmontonLaurier Drive1964

Calgary Firm NameCityAddressYearStatusPetroleum BuildingCalgary310 9th Avenue Southwest1951DemolishedHarold Carson HouseCalgary3931 Edison Crescent Southwest1953DemolishedPacific BuildingCalgary320 9th Avenue Southwest1953DemolishedSpruce Cliff ApartmentsCalgaryHemlock Crescent Southwest1953Altered Beyond RecognitionCalgary Trend HouseCalgary730 47th Avenue Southwest1953Anglo-American BuildingCalgary330 9th Avenue Southwest1954DemolishedRoyalite Oil BuildingCalgary615 2nd Street Southwest1955DemolishedTriad Oil BuildingCalgary535 7th Avenue Southwest1956Calgary Petroleum ClubCalgary319 5th Avenue Southwest1957Petro-Fina BuildingCalgary736 8th Avenue Southwest1959Converted to housingElveden CentreCalgary717 7th Avenue Southwest1959McMahon StadiumCalgary1817 Crowchild Trail Northwest1960Imperial Oil BuildingCalgary500 6th Avenue Southwest1963DemolishedHoliday InnCalgary708 8th Avenue Southwest1964

References

Fraser, Linda. "Rule Wynn and Rule." In The Canadian Encyclopedia Online. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rule-wynn-and-rule/ The Rule Wynn and Rule (Edmonton) Architectural Drawings: An Inventory of the Collection at the Canadian Architectural Archives at the University of Calgary Library. Edited by Kathy E. Zimon with an Introduction by Geoffrey Simmons. Calgary: University of Calgary Press: 1997.