Résumé

Early on, Bull became known for his mountain cabins, many in an A-frame structure, often used for skiing vacations. These were often sited in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and particularly near Lake Tahoe.

Summer intern and draftsman, Mario Corbett, Architect, San Francisco, CA, summers 1951 and 1954.

Draftsman, Goetz and Hansen, Architects, Oakland, CA, 1955.

Principal, Henrik Bull, Architect, San Francisco, CA, 1956- . In 1962, Bull reported an office address of 916 Kearny Street in San Francisco, CA, in the Sentinel Building. Bull convinced Dutch-born clients of his, Rob and Nella Moor to buy the building and renovate it as an investment in about 1958. The Moors owned the building for about 1.5 years before selling it to the musical group, The Kingston Trio.

Principal, Henrik Bull and Associates, Architects, San Francisco, CA, c. 1966.

Partner, Bull, Field, Volkmann, Stockwell, Architects, San Francisco, CA, 1967- .

Partner, Bull Volkmann Stockwell, Architects, San Francisco, CA.

Partner, Bull Stockwell Allen, San Francisco, CA.

Partner, Bull Stockwell Allen and Ripley, Architects, San Francisco, CA.

Partner, Bull Stockwell Allen (BSA), Architects, San Francisco, CA.

Professional Activities

Member, American Institute of Architects (AIA), San Francisco Chapter (AIASF), San Francisco, CA, 1956- .

Registered Architect in the State of CA, c. 1962, likely by 1956.

Member, AIA, Housing Committee, Washington, DC, 1967.

Vice President, AIASF, San Francisco, CA, 1967.

President, AIASF, San Francisco, CA, 1968.

Member, City of San Francisco, Citizen Advisory Committee for the San Francisco Urban Design Plan, San Francsico, CA, 1970.

Member, AIA, Scholarship Committee, Washington, DC, 1974.

President, Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association (BAHA), Berkeley, CA, 1975.

Member, City of San Francisco, Seismic Investigation and Hazards Survey Advisory Committee, San Francisco, CA, 1981–1985.

Member, State of CA, Golden Gate Bridge Design Review Committee, San Francsco, CA, 1997-2001.

Professional Awards

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1969.

Recipient, American Institute of Architects (AIA) and House and Home Magazine, Homes for Better Living Awards Program, Award of Merit for Multifamily Housing, 1977.

Recipient, AIA California Council (AIACC), Firm Award, 1989.

Archives

Henrik Bull's papers, drawings and other memorabilia have been preserved at the University of California, Berkeley. College of Environmental Design (CED). Environmental Design Archives' Henrik Bull Collection 2009.-02. The Online Archives of Californai (OAC) website described the collection: "The Bull Collection is comprised of four series: Personal Papers, Professional Papers, Office Records, and Project Records. The small amount of Personal Papers contains a student project and correspondence. The Professional Papers include correspondence with clients, colleagues and the public and articles written by Bull regarding architectural practice and building techniques. Office records are comprised of general correspondence, public relations brochures and portfolios, a firm award and portfolios documenting single projects assembled as award submissions, tear sheets and clippings for different projects, and photographs, drawings and documents of projects for use in publication, public relations or presentation material. The Project Records contain design documents, correspondence, and drawings for work done independently and with his partnerships and firms." (See University of California, College of Environmental Design, Environmental Design Archives.edu, "Henrik Bull Collection 2009.-02," accessed 09/27/2023.)

College

B.Arch., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, 1952. Bull began as an aeronautical engineering major and changed to architecture in about 1949. He attended MIT at the same time that San Franciscan William W. Wurster (1895-1973) served as Dean of the Department of Architecture. Portland, OR, architect Pietro Belluschi (1899-1994) followed Wurster in 1951. At MIT, Bull would have been exposed to many forms of Modernism, including the woodsy Bay Region brand advocated by Wurster. MIT had a star faculty while Bull attended, including Alvar Aalto (1898-1976), the great Finnish architect who taught there while supervising his Baker Dormitory's construction (1947-1948); Ralph Rapson (1914-2008), who went on to a long career at the University of Minnesota; and Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983), the "futurist," who began designing rationalized approaches to housing, construction and transportation in the 1920s. Working at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA, Bull collaborated with Fuller to produce geodesic domes for an Air Force radar system on the Alaskan Territory's North Slope.

Bull was a member of Delta Psi Fraternity at MIT, and was listed in the 1950 MIT Technique Yearbook (np), as being on schedule for a 1951 graduation.

Relocation

Henrik Helkand Bull was born into an artistically distinguished family and raised by Norwegian immigrant parents Johan and Sonja Bull in New York, NY, and Stowe, VT. His great uncle was the violinist Ole Bornemann Bull (born 02/05/1810 in Bergen, Norway-d. 08/17/1880 in Lysøen, Norway), who became a leading musician and impresario promoting Romantic Nationalism and Norwegian-focused artistic expression, independent of both Denmark and Sweden. Ole Bull married a younger American woman and spent a great deal of time performing and investing in various ventures in the US, but returned to Norway at the end of his life. He attempted to start a Norwegian settlement, "New Norway," near Kettle Creek in north central PA, but this venture failed. (It later became Ole Bull State Park.)

Another great uncle was Knud Bull (born 09/10/1811 in Bergen, Norway-d. 12/23/1889 in Sydney, Australia), trained as a painter in Germany and was on a path toward success in this field when, at age 34, a British court convicted him of counterfeiting British bank notes and deported him to Tasmania in 05/1846. He spent his career as a landscape painter in Australia, achieving great academic success there as both a painter and a teacher.

Ole and Knud Bull's brother Georg Andreas Bull (born 03/26/1829 in Bergen, Norway-d. 02/01/1917 in Ullern, Oslo, Norway) became a very prominent architect, building inspector and stave church archaeologist/preservationist in Norway. Georg Bull studied engineering and architecture at the Polytechnische Schule in Hannover and Berliner Bauakadamie in Berlin, respectively, between 1846 and 1856. He returned to work as an architect in Christiana (renamed "Kristiana" in 1877, and "Oslo" in 1925), Norway, by 1857. He worked for the Norwegian state railway system, the Norges Statsbaner (NSB) for nine years, between 1863 and 1872, designing many new train stations and other railroad buildings, but found time to accept other commissions for large country residences, churches and other buildings across the country. In later life, he became a respected member of Oslo's arts community and dedicated historic preservationist and was knighted twice by the Norwegian crown.

Georg Andreas Bull and his wife Emilie Constance Hjelm (1832–1926) had nine children, one of whom was Henrik's namesake, Henrik Bull (born 03/28/1864 in Christiana, Norway-d. 06/02/1953 in ), also an architect. The elder Henrik Bull also had a celebrated career, designing a number of national landmarks, including Nationaltheatret (National Theatre), the Kulturhistorisk Museum (KHM or Cultural History Museum), and Paulus kirke (Paulus Church in Oslo's Grünerløkka neighborhood), and the Regjeringsbygningen (Government Finance Building) all in Oslo. In addition, Henrik Bull also designed the temporary pavilions of the 1914 Jubilee Exhibition and served as the director of Oslo's Norwegian National Academy of Craft and Art Industry between 1912 and 1934. On top of all of this, he also designed coinage for the Norwegian State Bank. There were other prominent artists, musicians and architects in the family beyond these three men, but for the sake of brevity one can say conclusively that the Bull Family had a long track record of artistic brilliance during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Sonja and Johan Bull entered the US together aboard the MS Topeka from Oslo to New York, NY, on 04/19/1925. This appears to have been their first shared journey to the US. Johan carried with him 1,000 Norwegian kroner, or about $180 at the time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number: 4319742; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: T843; NARA Roll Number: 298, accessed 08/15/2024.)

In 1930, Henrik lived with his parents in an apartment at 318 57th Street in New York, NY. The Bulls paid $158 per month for this apartment, a high amount for that time in the US. Johan Bull continued to work as a staff illustrator for the New Yorker at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0645; FHL microfilm: 2341299, accessed 08/15/2024.) A 1934 Norwegian ship passenger manifest indicated that Sonja Bull resided permanently in Brooklyn, NY, and that she left this residence (with Henrik) on 03/07/1934. She returned to the US on 08/29/1935 to Boston, MA. This suggests that Henrik spent over a year in Europe, likely in Norway, during 1934 and 1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number: 4319742; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: T843; NARA Roll Number: 410, accessed 08/15/2024.)

As a junior in high school, Henrik and his parents resided at 49 Burns Street in the Flushing Meadows neighborhood of Queens, New York, NY, in 1940. They paid $75 per month for this residence, about half of what they paid for a New York apartment in 1930. At this time, Johan was listed as being a painter at this time, no longer a magazine illustrator. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Queens, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02752; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 41-1741A, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Ten years later, Henrik lived in student housing at 426 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA, likely in the Burton House-Conner Hall dormitory, while a student at MIT. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts; Roll: 4500; Page: 62; Enumeration District: 17-26, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Bull's parents moved to Stowe in 1941, when Johan established a girl's school there with a Swedish-Norwegian noblewoman, Countess Julie Susanne "Susie" Garben Sparre (born 01/06/1895 in Skoger Dramnen, Norway-d. 01/1969 in Greenwich, CT). (Johan left the school sometime in 1941 to return to Europe, but the war had escalated by this point.) The Bull-Sparre school operated until at least 1950. In 1948, Henrik continued to call West Hill in Stowe, VT, as his permanent residence. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715; RG Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; RG: 85, accessed 08/14/2024.)

In 1950, after Johan's death, Sonja continued to dwell in a residence in Stowe, VT, living with Susie Sparre (who was divorced from her husband Count Pehr Sparre) and a lodger Inga C. Arnesen (born c. 1929 in Norway), listed in the 1950 US Census as a nursemaid. This census indicated that she and Susie taught cooking classes at their private school.

He moved to San Francisco, CA, to work with Mario Corbett (1901-1977) in 1954 and remained here.

Parents

His parents were Johan Grønlund Bull (born 11/22/1893 in Oslo, Norway-d. 09/12/1945 in Stowe, VT) and Sonja Geelmuyden Bull (born 10/20/1898 in Horten, Norway-d.12/14/1991 in Alameda County, CA). Henrik was their only child.

Sonja's parents--Eugenie Didrikke Bretteville (born 01/14/1874 in Horten, Norway) and Victor Alfred Geelmuyden (born 1870 in Trondheim, Norway-d. 1934)--wed on 10/14/1895 in Eugenie's hometown of Horten, Norway. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Norway, Select Marriages, 1660-1926 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: Norway, Marriages, 1660-1926. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Sonja and Johan demonstrated a degree of independence from each other. This was demonstrated by their periodic travel apart. Sonja Bull traveled by herself from Hamburg, Germany, to Kristiana, Norway, aboard the SS Condor on 08/05/1922. Johan traveled apart from Sonja in 1923, from Norway to New York, NY. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Number: 4497925; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A3417; NARA Roll Number: 2, accessed 08/15/2024.) Sonja and Henrik traveled aboard a Swedish-American Line ship, the MS Kungsholm, traveling between Sweden and New York on 05/23/1932, and they traveled apart from him during 1934-1935 on a trip to Norway while they lived in New York City. Johan left Sonja during World War II to serve as a Norwegian war correspondent in England, c. 1942-1945. (Johan traveled aboard the Cunard-White Star Limited's SS Desirade from Cardiff, Wales, to New York City on 01/20/1944. See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, Surrey, England; BT27 Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Outwards Passenger Lists; Reference Number: Series BT27-144579, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Johan Bull worked as an illustrator and reporter in Norway before immigrating to New York City in 1925. Just after his arrival, he worked as an early illustrator for the New Yorker magazine and gradually focused more after 1930 on painting, entering various art competitions. During World War II, he relocated to Great Britain to assist in the Norwegian resistance to the Nazis by working as a war correspondent. His World War II draft registration card of 02/15/1945 indicated that his employer was the Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives At St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War Ii Draft Cards (Fourth Registration) For the State of Vermont; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System; Record Group Number: 147; Series Number: M1965, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Wartime experiences enervated Johan, and he passed away from cancer by 1945 in Stowe, VT. His death certificate indicated that his occupation was an "architect and painter." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Vermont State Archives and Records Administration; Montpelier, Vermont, USA; User Box Number: PR-01561; Roll Number: S-31127; Archive Number: M-1984234, accessed 08/15/2024.)

The 1940 US Census indicated that Johan had completed four years of college and Sonja had finished high school. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Queens, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02752; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 41-1741A, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Spouse

Bull married Barbara R. Alpaugh (born c. 1932 in NJ) on 06/09/1956 in San Francisco, CA. She lived in Maplewood, NJ, during her childhood and graduated from high school in NJ. In 1940, she lived with her elder sister Annette (born 01/17/1924 in Maplewood, NJ-d. 08/09/2013 in NJ) and parents Ruth Reid (born 03/12/1895-d. 09/09/1970 in Marin County, CA) and Foreman Leroy Alpaugh (born 10/04/1893 in Hudson County, NJ-d. 08/18/1967 in San Rafael, CA) at 26 Madison Avenue in Maplewood, in a tidy, two-story gambrel-roofed Dutch Colonial. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Maplewood, Essex, New Jersey; Roll: m-t0627-02336; Page: 6B; Enumeration District: 7-214, accessed 08/15/2024.)

By 1950, she was an 18-year-old student at Colby Junior College in New London, NH. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Washington, DC; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Year: 1950; Census Place: New London, Merrimack, New Hampshire; Roll: 6138; Page: 29; Enumeration District: 7-78, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Biographical Notes

Sonja took Henrik back to Scandinavia in 1932 aboard the MS Kungsholm. This ship arrived in New York, NY, on 05/23/1932. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Sweden, Emigration Registers, 1869-1948 [database on-line]. Lehi, Utah, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018, accessed 08/15/2024.)

In 1935, Bull traveled with his mother Sonja from Greåker, Norway, to Boston, MA, aboard the Canada Steamship Lines' SS Toronto, leaving around 09/09/1935 and arriving on 09/16/1935. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Series Title: Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving At Boston, Massachusetts, 1891-1943; NAI Number: 4319742; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: T843; NARA Roll Number: 410, accessed 08/15/2024.)

Between 08/23/1948 and 09/04/1948, Bull traveled first-class between Oslo, Norway and New York, NY, aboard the former US troop carrier, SS Marine Jumper. As noted above, Bull had many relatives in Norway, including his grandfather Henrik Bull, with whom he could visit at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1897-1957; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715; RG Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787-2004; RG: 85, accessed 08/14/2024.)

Member, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Education Council, Cambridge, MA, 1960-1989.

• New York, NY (Architect's Birth)
  New York, NY

  ---

  OpenStreetMap (new tab)

  Google Map (new tab)

  

  ---