Best Overend

He was the son of Harold Acheson Overend, a Methodist minister and Emily Trahair, a businesswoman, and was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne.

[3][4] In 1926 he became an articled pupil in the practice of architect Hugh Vivian Taylor, who was an expert in acoustics and specialised in the design of theatres and broadcasting stations.

During this time, he worked on additions to Station 2AY Broadcasting Studio in Albury in 1930, and the remodelling of the Crown Theatre for HO Peterson Esq.

In September 1931 he received a job offer from Serge Chermayeff (whose office adjoined McGrath's) to do the drawings and calculations for a house which he designed on his own.

[13] An article in the Australian Home Beautiful talked about the simplicity of materials, and how this principle determined the form and finish of this house both internally and externally.

[2] The sweeping concrete stair ' apparently unsupported' and expressed on exterior by a curved corner tower, was a notable feature of the design.

The Ascot Vale Estate thus stands as a landmark of post-war public housing, reflective of the social and architectural shifts in mid 20th-century Melbourne.

[2] They were planned as a U-shaped block around a garden, with two main long wings facing north with small balconies and large window-walls allowing maximum sun penetration.

[15][2][16] Despite the uncertainties posed by the war in Europe, the Nields envisioned a modern, self-governing school set amidst the eucalypt bushland along the Yarra River in Warrandyte North.

Their aim was to create a free-thinking educational environment, with architecture reflecting their belief that learning spaces are integral to a child’s development.

He used flat or skillion roof buildings, external studwork, and stone chimneys, all arranged organically within the bush setting by the river.