Inventory of the Jack Robbins Collection, 1955-2007
Processed by Emma Keefe
Environmental Design Archives
College of Environmental Design
230 Wurster Hall #1820
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California, 94720-1820
Phone: (510) 642-5124
Fax: (510) 642-2824
Email: designarchives@berkeley.edu
http://www.ced.berkeley.edu/cedarchives/
© 2010
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Inventory of the Jack Robbins Collection, 1955-2007
Collection number: 2010-11
Environmental Design Archives
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, California
- Processed by:
- Emma Keefe
- Date Completed:
- September 2010
- Encoded by:
- Emma Keefe
© 2010 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Jack Robbins Collection
Dates: 1955-2007
Collection number: 2010-11
Creator:
Robbins, Jack, 1923- ;
Ream, James, 1923-2010
Collector:
Environmental Design Archives
Collection Size:
6 cartons, 2 tubes
Repository:
Environmental Design Archives.
College of Environmental Design.
University of California, Berkeley.
Berkeley, California
Abstract: The Robbins Collection contains drawings, personal papers, awards submission binders, completed project photographs, slides,
newspaper clippings, correspondence, notes, contracts specifications, and preliminary sketches from Robbins career, spanning
1955 to 2007. The records come from Robbins work as the Director of City Planning and Community Development for the City
of Fremont, as well as from work he did independently, and during his tenure with various architecture firms, including Robbins
& Ream.
Physical location: Environmental Design Archives
University of California
Berkeley, California, 94720-1820
Languages: Languages represented in the collection:
English
Access
Collection open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in the collection should be discussed with the
Curator.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of Item], Jack Robbins collection, 2010-11, Environmental Design Archives. College of
Environmental Design. University of California, Berkeley. Berkeley, California.
Biographical Note
Jacob (Jack) Robbins was born in 1923 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and earned his degree in architecture from Harvard in
1953. From 1952 to 1955, he operated Robbins & Associates with offices in San Francisco and Boston, where he designed a number
of residences. From 1955-1961, he designed a residence with Goetz and Hansen Architects, a number of elementary schools around
the Bay Area with John Lyon Reid and Partners (including the Santa Margarita School, which received a Citation from the American
Association of School Administrators), and eight buildings with Gerald M. McCue & Associates, including the Cyclotron Building
(which won the Award of Merit from the Bay Region Honor Awards in 1962), the Health Physics Laboratory at Lawrence Laboratory
at UC Berkeley, Metallurgical Laboratories at Lockheed in Sunnyvale, and various engineering and laboratories in Richmond,
California.
In 1955 Robbins designed his own home in the Oakland hills, which won an Award of Merit from AIA/Sunset Western Home, was
written up in Architectural Record in 1962, and was featured in Architectural Guide to the Bay Area in 1962 and 1973.
In 1961 Robbins re-opened Jack Robbins & Associates in Oakland, California. From 1961-1967 Jack Robbins & Associates designed
a number of high-end residences and apartment buildings in the Oakland hills, Berkeley, Marin County and Squaw Valley. In
1967, Robbins joined Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, based in San Francisco, for a series of projects until 1972. His designs
with the firm include San Jose City College Master Plan, Evergreen Valley College Master Plan and Phase I Buildings in San
Jose, Feather River College Master Plan and Phase I Buildings in Quincy, and Mills College Residence and Dining Halls in Oakland.
In 1972, Robbins became the Director of City Planning and Community Development for the City of Fremont, California. During
his four years as Director he oversaw more than a dozen major projects, including the Civic Center Master Plan, Open Space
Plan, Seismic Safety Plan, BART Area Plan, and the Walnut Knolls, Northpointe and Mission Valley neighborhoods.
Robbins founded Robbins and Ream, Architects, together with James Ream in 1977 in San Francisco. From 1977 to 1983, they worked
on residences, offices buildings, colleges, parking structures, and a church. Their designs include Third Baptist Church
Center in San Francisco, World College West Master Plan and Phase I Buildings in Marin County, and Oakmead Terraces Office
Buildings in Sunnyvale, which was featured in Architectural Review as well as Architectural Record in 1979 and 1978, respectively.
Robbins returned to solo work in 1984 under the company name Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban Design, Inc. From 1984 to
2007, Robbins designed more homes in the East Bay, a home in Los Angeles, two condominium buildings in San Francisco, Crocker
Bank in Sonora, and a biomedical research building in Zimbabwe. He became a Fellow of the AIA in 1975.
Robbins retired in 1993.
Sources:
CV provided by J. Robbins
Biographical listing in 1962 American Architects Directory
Biographical listing in 1970 American Architects Directory
Scope and Content of Collection
The Collection consists of three Series: Professional Papers, Office Records, and Project Records. Professional Papers contain
primarily Robbinss work as the Director of City Planning and Community Development for the City of Fremont, from 1972-1976.
Also included are records related to Robbins tenure as Commissioner and then Chairman of the Oakland City Planning Commission.
Office Records is comprised of awards submission binders and completed project photographs, drawings, slides and newspaper
clippings from a wide range of Robbins projects. The Project Records Series contains financial records, contracts, correspondence,
notes, preliminary sketches, and specifications from 1962-2007 as well as working drawings for project dating from 1955-2007.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
the library's online public access catalog.
Subjects
Architects--California.
Architecture--California.
Architectural firms--California.
Architecture--California--San Francisco Bay Area--20th century.
Architecture--Domestic--California--San Francisco Bay Area.
Genres and Forms of Material
Architectural records.
Photographs.
Architectural drawings.
Architectural photographs.
Clippings.
Slides.
Index Terms Related to this Collection
Robbins, Jack.
Ream, James.
Related Material
Project Index
The Project Index list is arranged alphabetically by Project/Client Name and contains information, where available, about
the location, date, project type, architect, collaborators, photographers, and formats for each project in the collection.
Project/Client Name (location, date, project type) Collaborator (role), Photographer [Format - Ms=Manuscripts, Dr=Drawings,
Ph=Photographs]
- 2239 Blake St. ( Berkeley , CA ; 1965 ; residential - multi ) [Ms, Dr]
- 2410 California Street ( San Francisco , CA ; 1987 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban
Design, Inc. [Dr]
- 2495 California Street ( San Francisco , CA ; 1986 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban
Design, Inc. [Dr]
- Armstrong, Bastow and Potter (APB) Office Building ( San Jose , CA ; 1983 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Ream, James
(architect) [Ph]
- Baer Matsunga ( Berkeley , CA ; 1965 ; medical ) [Dr]
- Broderick St. Condominiums ( San Francisco , CA ; 1987 ; residential-multi ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect,
Urban Design, Inc. [Ms, Dr]
- Brundage, Albert ( San Mateo , CA ; 1955 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Central Avenue ( El Cerrito , CA ; 1962 ; residential - multi ) [Dr]
- Colby Ave ( Los Angeles , CA ; 2007 ; residential ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban Design, Inc.
[Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Crocker Bank at Oakmead Offices ( Sunnyvale , CA ; 1979 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Ph]
- Crocker Bank Danville ( Danville , CA ; 1984 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Dr]
- Crocker Bank Sonora ( Sonora , CA ; 1985 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban Design,
Inc. [Dr, Ph]
- Davenport, Charles ( Berkeley , CA ; 1965 ; residential ) [Dr]
- Dixon, Oliver ( Oakland , CA ; 1965 ; residential-multi ) [Dr]
- Dwight House ( Berkeley , CA ; 1962 ; residential - multi ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Escher, Earl ( Sausalito , CA ; 1962 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Evergreen Valley College ( San Jose , CA ; 1971 ; educational ) Collaborator: Skidmore, Owings, Merrill [Ph]
- Feather Ridge River College ( Quincy , CA ; 1969 ; educational ) Collaborator: Skidmore, Owings, Merrill [Ph]
- Joy St. (Hansen, Donald) ( San Francisco , CA ; 2000 ; residential ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban
Design, Inc. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- King, James ( Berkeley , CA ; 1959 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- KSP Lakeside ( Sunnyvale , CA ; 1981 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Dr, Ph]
- Longridge Road Houses ( Orinda , CA ; 1977 ; residential ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Ms, Dr]
- McLaughlin, Edwin ( El Cerrito , CA ; 1962 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Mills College ( Oakland , CA ; 1967 ; educational ) Collaborator: Skidmore, Owings, Merrill [Dr, Ph]
- Oakmead Offices ( Sunnyvale , CA ; 1978 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Dr, Ph]
- Placzek, Frederick ( Squaw Valley , CA ; 1963 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Proposal for Office Building and Hotels ( 1983 ; commercial ) Collaborator: Wynne Corporation Port St. Lucie, FL
[Ph]
- Research Facilities ( 1959-1961 ; educational ) Collaborator: McCue and Assoc. [Ph]
- Robbins, Daniel and Marianna ( Oakland , CA ; 1993 ; residential ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect, Urban
Design, Inc. [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Robbins, Jack - Residence ( Oakland , CA ; 1958-1965 ; residential ) [Ms]
- Schools with John Lyon Reid and Partners ( 1956-1958 ; educational ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect,
Urban Design, Inc. [Ph]
- Shapiro, Irwin and Anetta ( Berkeley , CA ; 1967 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Simon Mazoradze Medical Research Building ( Harare , Zimbabwe ; 1988-1991 ; medical ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins
FAIA Architect, Urban Design, Inc. [Dr, Ph]
- Singh, RKJ ( Berkeley , CA ; 1967 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr]
- Soscol Trancas ( Napa , CA ; 1977 ; residential - multi ) [Dr]
- Steiner, William ( Oakland , CA ; 1972 ; residential ) [Ph]
- Third Baptist Church ( San Francisco , CA ; 1982 ; religious ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Ms, Dr,
Ph]
- Towne Residence ( Piedmont , CA ; 1955 ; residential ) Collaborator: Goetz and Hansen Architects [Dr, Ph]
- Wahrhaftig, Jack ( Oakland , CA ; 1962 ; residential ) [Ms, Dr, Ph]
- Webster St. Condominiums ( San Francisco , CA ; 1987 ; residential - multi ) Collaborator: Jack Robbins FAIA Architect,
Urban Design, Inc. [Ms, Dr]
- World College West ( Marin , CA ; 1978 ; educational ) Collaborator: Ream, James (architect) [Dr, Ph]
I. Professional Papers
1963-1978
Series Scope and Content Summary
Memoranda, plans, and administrative documents from Robbins time as the Director of City Planning and Community Development
for the City of Fremont, from 1972-1976. The single correspondence folder spans 1963-1967, and includes letters to architecture
and home magazines, committees, and colleagues, written during Robbins tenure as Commissioner and then Chairman of the Oakland
City Planning Commission, as well as during his during his time at Jacob Robbins and Associates.
A. Notes and Correspondence
B. City of Fremont: Administrative and Planning Documents
Box 1, Folder 2
City Manager Briefing
1973-1974
Box 1, Folder 4
Files Development Policies
1975
Box 1, Folder 5
Files Development Regulations (1 of 2)
1975
Box 1, Folder 6
Files Development Regulations (2 of 2)
n.d.
Box 1, Folder 8
General Plan Elements (1 of 2)
1975
Box 1, Folder 9
General Plan Elements (2 of 2)
1973
Box 1, Folder 11
Photographs and Slides
1977-1978
Box 1, Folder 12
Staff Organization
1973-1974
II. Office Records
1959-2007
Series Scope and Content Summary
Awards submissions and completed project photographs, drawings, slides and newspaper clippings from a wide range of Robbins
projects, including Evergreen Valley College master plan, Mills College Residence and Dining Halls, Oakmead Office Buildings,
and the James King residences.
A. Photographs/Presentation Materials
III. Project Records
1955-2007
Series Scope and Content Summary
Contains financial records, contracts, correspondence, notes, preliminary sketches, and specifications from 1962-2007 as well
as working drawings for project dating from 1955-2007.
