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Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | (Dr) Frederic ('Eric') Robert Stevenson |
| Designation: | Architect |
| Born: | 19 March 1914 |
| Died: | 25 May 1993 |
| Bio Notes: | Frederic Robert Stevenson (sometimes known as 'Eric') was born on 19 March 1914, the son of William Robert Stevenson, priest, and his wife Ingeborg Bartolsen. He attended day classes at Edinburgh College of Art from October 1931. He spent a year working in H M Office of Works, Edinburgh under J Wilson Paterson from August 1935, but resumed his diploma course thereafter, obtaining the diploma in June 1937. He was admitted ARIBA on 10 January 1938, his proposers being Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie, Frank Charles Mears and James Alexander Arnott. His nomination papers give no business address but indicate that he was living at 39 East Claremont Street, Edinburgh at that time. They also state that he had undertaken five study tours ranging from four weeks to three months and encompassing Scotland, England, France and Denmark, including one as RIBA Pugin Student in 1935. He was also Neale Bursar in 1938. His declaration accepting his RIBA admittance was witnessed by fellow architect Eric Hutton Crosbee. In 1945 he was engaged in intelligence work in Sweden. By 1950 Stevenson was a Knight of the Order of Dannebrog (Denmark). At that time he had a salaried post in the Department of Health for Scotland, St Andrews House, Edinburgh. He later obtained a PhD. Stevenson was appointed Director of the University of Edinburgh's Housing Research Unit by Professor Robert H. Matthew in 1959 after leaving the Department of Health for Scotland, where he had worked as a senior Regional Planning Officer since 1953, and as Deputy Chief Architect and Planning Officer since 1956. He left the HRU in 1961 and began teaching Architectural History at the University. He was a great authority on Scandinavian modernism. Stevenson died aged 79 at his home in North Berwick on 25 May 1993. His wife Margrete Hoffmeyer, daughter of the Danish Lutheran Bishop Skat Hoffmeyer of Aarhus, survived him. Their son Kenneth William Stevenson, born on 9 November 1949, had married at the age of 21 and had three daughters and one son. After an education at Edinburgh Academy and studies at the universities of Edinburgh and Southampton, he had followed a religious vocation, serving as chaplain of Manchester University before becoming vicar of Holy Trinity, Guildford in 1986. He was still there at the time of his father's death, but would later become Bishop of Portsmouth, and was an important theological scholar. |
Private and Business Addresses
| The following private or business addresses are associated with this architect: | |||||
| Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | |
 | Monks Orchard, Preston Road, East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland | Private | 1993 | ||
| 39, East Claremont Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1938 * | ||
| Preston Cottages, East Linton, East Lothian, Scotland | Private | 1954 * | ||
| 1, Doune Terrace, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | Before 1964 | After 1980 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and Training
Employers
| The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this architect (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
| H M Office of Works (later Ministry of Works, Department of the Environment and Property Services Agency) | August 1935 | August 1936 | Assistant | In Edinburgh office, working under J Wilson Paterson |
| John Wilson Paterson | August 1935 | August 1936 | Assistant | In H M Office of Works, Edinburgh |
| Department of Health for Scotland (Scottish Board of Health; later Scottish Development Department) | Before 1950 * | Architect | Deputy Chief Architect upon his leaving in 10/1959 to join the University of Edinburgh Housing Research Unit per Builder 26 Feb 1960 p411 | |
| Edinburgh University Housing Research Unit (HRU) / Architecture Research Unit (ARU) | October 1959 | Late 1961 | Director | appointed Director by Robert Matthew |
| Stevenson & Dunworth | Before 1962 | Partner | ||
* earliest date known from documented sources.
RIBA
RIBA Proposers
| The following individuals proposed this architect for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | |||
| Name | Date proposed | Notes | |
| James Alexander Arnott | 10 January 1938 | for Associateship |
| Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie | 10 January 1938 | for Associateship |
| (Sir) Frank Charles Mears | 10 January 1938 | for Associateship |
Buildings and Designs
| This architect was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details): | |||||||
| Date started | Building name | Town, district or village | Island | City or county | Country | Notes | |
| 1962 | St Donnan's Episcopal Church | Nostie | Ross and Cromarty | Altar with carved angels also by Stevenson. | ||
| c. 1963 | Motel, Inverewe | Inverewe | Ross & Cromarty | Scotland | ||
| 1965 | St Hilda's Episcopal Church | Edinburgh | Scotland | |||
| 1974 | St John's Episcopal Church | Forfar | Angus | Scotland | Partitioning off of west aisle in 3 south bays to form vestry accommodation and formation of Lady Chapel at N end | |
| 1976 | Baxter Incorporation Granary | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion into flats | ||
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this architect: | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| Glendinning, Miles | 2008 | Modern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew | RIBA Publishing | pp76,158,228,230-31 | |
| Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | ||
| RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | ||
Periodical References
| The following periodicals contain references to this architect: | |||||
| Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | |
| Builder | 26 February 1960 | 'Edinburgh University Housing Research Unit: Appointments to Staff Announced' p411 | ||
| Builder | 5 August 1960 | 'Civic Design: A New Diploma Course at Edinburgh' p228 | ||
| The Times | 14 January 2011 | p.60: obituary of Frederic Stevenson's son, the Right Reverend Kenneth Stevenson | ||
Archive References
| The following archives hold material relating to this architect: | ||||
| Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | |
| H M Register House | Death Register | ||
| Information sent to Yvonne Hillyard | Recollections of David M Walker | ||
| RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | ||
| RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | A no6633 (combined box 151) | |
Images
© All rights reserved. RIAS Quarterly no47 Autumn 1934