David Jack commenced his professional education with a bachelor’s degree in architecture at the University of Cape Town, and then undertook postgraduate studies at the respected Architectural Association in London, obtaining their diploma in tropical architecture in 1965. He went on to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, where he obtained a master’s degree in urban design in 1968.

On his return to South Africa he was appointed planning advisor to the Anglo-American Corporation’s property division. He was involved in several of their projects in various parts of South Africa, and was then transferred to Cape Town, where he was made responsible for the development of the Marina da Gama at Muizenberg. This unique project called for significant redrafting of the regulations covering the planning of group housing in Cape Town. David Jack’s creative and accomplished guidance in this and all matters relating to the development are fully acknowledged within the professions.

In 1974 David Jack was appointed by the Municipality of Cape Town as director of planning for the new town of Mitchell’s Plain. Here too, significant revisions were made to regulations covering both the buildings and the services of this well-planned community. Notwithstanding the fact that Mitchell’s Plain was built during the days when the Group Areas Act restricted ownership and occupation to the so-called coloured group, great efforts were made to provide the best possible results within the constraints imposed, and the City Council gave David Jack their support for his considerable endeavours to this end.

He subsequently became Deputy City Engineer (Planning), and in 1986 was appointed to the newly-created post of City Planner for Cape Town. This gave him wider powers and enabled him to exercise greater influence in matters relating to architecture and planning within the Council. During his period of office, he was directly responsible for positive changes in the work of the building and planning professions within the City Council. He encouraged some talented designers to join the staff of the Council, and under his direction, several fine award-winning projects were completed. He was also responsible for the appointment and briefing of consultants for such important commissions as the greening of the city, the coastal pavilions on False Bay, and the pedestrianisation of St. George’s Street. Seen with the benefit of hindsight, David Jack’s personal contribution to the improvement of the City of Cape Town has been immense.

He was elected to the committee of the Cape Provincial Institute of Architects in 1976, became Vice-President in 1981, and President in 1983, serving a two-year term with distinction.

In 1989, he was appointed as managing director of the newly formed Victoria and Alfred Waterfront Company, in what was to become the most challenging and creative phase of his career.

There are clearly many factors that contribute to the unqualified success of the planning and development of the Waterfront, and its undeniable stimulus to the regional economy. There are few who would not agree that the single most important factor is the presence of David Jack, for he has brought to this post a unique range of skills, which include astute business acumen, an ability to understand the relationship between sound physical planning and successful economic activity, and an unerring ability to do the right thing at the right time.

Those who have been associated with David Jack are impressed by his courtesy, his modesty, and the undivided attention he gives to any new proposals. He has the ability to recognise the potential of an enterprise, to link it laterally with others, to put it into context and to evaluate it with a rigorous attention to detail. He is quick to admit when he is not fully informed, and generous in acknowledging the contribution of his advisers. Perhaps his most notable quality is his ability to identify the most appropriate consultants to assist him, and to utilise their recommendations in a most effective way. In this regard he has been directly responsible for encouraging and supporting the implementation of sound architecture in a wide range of developments throughout his career.

What distinguishes David Jack and separates him from his professional peers is his ability to look at problems holistically, to take into account the sometimes conflicting views of all those concerned, and to make decisions which not only resolve the immediate problem, but which fit perfectly into a broader long-term vision.

David Jack is a highly regarded member of our profession, whose entire career has been characterised by the pursuit of excellence. His personal involvement in and contribution to the design of many of the finest and most significant improvements in Cape Town are widely acknowledged, and deserve appropriate recognition.

David Jack has, to a far greater extent than is normally possible, made an outstanding contribution to architecture in South Africa and is uniquely qualified to be awarded the Institute's Gold Medal for Architecture.