Career Irving Gill

la jolla woman s club (photo taken 1971)

in 1911, gill s nephew, louis john gill, joined firm draftsman. same year, gill lost important commission panama-california exposition (1915) bertram goodhue. did work time associate of goodhue, including design of balboa park administration building, balboa park s first structure, located outside california quadrangle. today, known gill administration building of san diego museum of man, , houses offices , gill auditorium.

gill commissioned ellen browning scripps in 1913 design la jolla woman s club. in construction, used tilt-slab construction technique assemble exterior arcade walls on site. result california s first tilt-up concrete building. these walls integrate hollow, clay-block infill lighten slab s weight. interior walls , central pop-up volume, however, employed conventional balloon-frame construction. though gill associated tilt-up method, used in handful of structures. shortly thereafter, in 1914, accepted nephew louis partner.

after time, gill began living , working in los angeles county, although gill & gill partnership lasted until 1919. multiple projects fledgling city of torrance may have prompted move. gill returned live in north san diego county in 1920s, pace of work slowed considerably due lingering illness, changing public tastes, , diminishing willingness compromise clients. after late 1920s, work added art deco or moderne touches.

in late 1920s, gill produced several civic buildings city of oceanside, california. final large project. last contract create houses several displaced native american families settle @ rancho barona indian reservation near lakeside, california.