Basic Biographical Details Name: | David Carr | Designation: | | Born: | 1 February 1905 | Died: | 25 June 1986 | Bio Notes: | David Carr was born on 1 February 1905 and studied at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art from 1923 to 1929, with the exception of a period spent with Collcutt & Hamp in London working on hospital and hotel commissions (July 1927 to July 1928). In 1930 he returned to London to join the office of Sir Herbert Baker and Alexander Thomson Scott, working on the rebuilding of the Bank of England, and was admitted ARIBA, his proposers being John Begg, Charles Denny Carus-Wilson and Frank Charles Mears. Meanwhile he continued his studies at the RA Schools, where he was awarded a Bronze Medal in 1931. He moved to the office of Michael Rosenauer in 1935, where he was engaged on the design of flats for a year before returning to Edinburgh School of Architecture for a research Fellowship in prefabrication. His travels took him regularly on tours of Britain and also to Italy in 1927 and 1936, to Sweden and Denmark in 1931, to Austria in 1935 and to France in 1937.
From 1934 he collaborated with William Frederick Howard (born 1906), who had been a fellow assistant to Collcutt & Hamp, on competition designs. Their proposals for Tunbridge Wells Civic Centre, Hertford County Offices, the Parliament House of Southern Rhodesia and Birmingham Technical College received prizes and commendations but their first successful entry was that of 1937 for Kirkcaldy Municipal Buildings followed by St George's Hospital, Hyde Park Corner in 1938 (the latter bombed during World War II). This appears to have spurred them to commence independent practice together the following year, Howard moving to Edinburgh to enter into partnership with Carr at 30 Rutland Square.
Carr & Howard were forced to abandon a number of projects on the outbreak of war, and it was probably at this time that the partnership was dissolved. Howard was admitted FRIBA on 16 February 1943, his proposers being Henry Vaughan Lanchester, Thomas Arthur Lodge and Lionel G Pearson. His nomination papers give a business address c/o Whytock & Wallace, 21 Alva Street, Edinburgh and a home address c/o 14 Ridge Crest, Ridgeway, Enfield, Middlesex. By 1949 Carr was back in London, working as chief assistant to Robert Atkinson, and he was admitted FRIBA on 29 November that year, his proposers being Atkinson, Alexander Frederick Berenbruck Anderson and Howard.
Carr moved back to Edinburgh the following year, entering into partnership with Stuart Russell Matthew (born 1912) on the semi-retirement of the latter's father John Fraser Matthew, the office being within Matthew's house at 14 Lynedoch Place. After his father's death on 31 January 1955, with his own practice ebbing away because of poor health, Stuart Russell Matthew took in work farmed out by his elder brother, Robert Hogg Matthew (born 1906), who had founded his own practice in 1953. The partnership of Carr & Matthew was closed in 1959 when David Carr set up his own practice at 43 Manor Place as David Carr Architects. He had been elected FRIAS in 1958.
In about 1980 Tony Dixon, Stewart Tod & P Heap Taylor were practising as Davd Carr. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 46, Prince of Wales Road, Battersea, London, England | Private | 1930 | Before 1936 | | | 30, Rutland Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1937 | Before 1949 | | | 191, South Croxted Road, London, England | Private | 1949 * | | | | 110, Old Brompton Road, London, England | Business | 1949 * | | As chief assistant to Robert Atkinson | | 14, Lynedoch Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1950 | 1959 | | | 46, Ettrick Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1958 | | | | 43, Manor Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1959 | After 1980 | | | 3, Westgarth Avenue, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1986 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or PupilsThe following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Stewart Tod | 1955 | | | Listed as partner in 1975. |
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | Douglas Haig Bamber | October 1962 | For Fellowship |
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | 1926 | Colinton House | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | May have had a hand in the job | | 1930s | Municipal Buildings | Scunthorpe | | Lincolnshire | England | Competition designs | | 1930 | Bank of England | | | London | England | Reconstruction and heightening - as assistant to Sir Herbert Baker & A T Scott | | c. 1930 | Bedford Town and Shire Halls | Bedford | | Bedfordshire | England | Competition design | | c. 1930 | Municipal Offices | Consett | | County Durham | England | Competition design | | c. 1930 | Police Headquarters and Training Centre | Preston | | Lancashire | England | Competition design | | 1933 | Entertainment Hall | Bexhill | | Sussex | England | Competition design | | 1934 | Civic Centre, Tunbridge Wells | Tunbridge Wells | | Kent | England | Second premiated competition design, in collaboration with William Frederick Howard | | 1934 | Municipal Concert Hall | Wolverhampton | | Staffordshire | England | Competition design | | 1935 | Arlington House | St James's | | London | England | As chief assistant to Michael Rosenauer | | 1935 | Hertford County Offices | Hertford | | Hertfordshire | England | Commended competition design - probably responsible, in collaboration with William Frederick Howard | | 1935 | Municipal Buildings, Wembley | Wembley | | London | England | Competition design | | 1935 | Planning of Civic Centre | Croydon | | Surrey | England | Competition design | | 1936 | Civic Centre | Newport | | Monmouthshire | Wales | Competition design | | 1936 | Parliament House | | | Harare | Southern Rhodesia | Fourth premiated competition design, in collaboration with William Frederick Howard | | 1937 | Birmingham Technical College | | | Birmingham | England | Second premiated competition design, in collaboration with William Frederick Howard | | 1937 | Block of flats, Queensferry Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Design only? | | 1937 | Kirkcaldy Town Hall | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Won competition to secure job, in collaboration with William Frederick Howard; not completed until 1957 | | 1938 | Berwick Barracks | Berwick-upon-Tweed | | Northumberland | England | | | 1938 | Civic Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne | | | Newcastle upon Tyne | England | Unsuccessful competition design | | 1938 | Concrete housing for Scottish Special Housing Association Ltd | Sighthill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Won competition to secure job; unexecuted due to war | | 1938 | Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art | | | Dundee | Scotland | Competition entry (unsuccessful) | | 1938 | Glencorse Barracks | Penicuik | | Midlothian | Scotland | New sanitary block | | 1938 | St George's Hospital | | | London | England | Second premiated competition design | | 1938 | Technical College | | | Dundee | Scotland | Commended competition design | | 1938 | Timber houses for Scottish Special Housing Association Ltd | Kirknewton | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1938 | Timber housing for Scottish Special Housing Association Ltd | Polbeth/West Calder | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | c. 1938 | House at Glenlocklhart Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1938(?) | Hutton, Police Headquarters | Preston | | Lancashire | England | | | 1939 | Cockburn and Turnbull's premises | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1939 | Exhibition Halls, Waverley Market | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Second premiated competition design | | 1939 | Tanfield Primary School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | First premiated competition design - unexecuted | | 1939 | Timber Housing for Scottish Special Housing Association | | | | Scotland | Competition design | | c. 1939 | Housing scheme for the Scottish Special Housing Association Ltd | West Pilton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Unexecuted designs | | 1948 | Pinkie House | Musselburgh | | Midlothian | Scotland | Additions and alterations | | 1950 | Braille Printing Works, Craigmillar Park | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1950 | Linburn House Estate, Housing for the Blind | Wilkieston | | Midlothian | Scotland | Job continued by Carr & Matthew | | 1950 | Strathyre Cottage | Callander | | Perthshire | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1951 | Broomridge SSHA housing | Stirling | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | | | After 1951 | Hopetoun cottages, Hopetoun estate | | | West Lothian | Scotland | Refurbishment? | | After 1951 | Hopetoun House | Abercorn | | West Lothian | Scotland | Alterations? | | After 1951 | Hopetoun Mausoleum | | | West Lothian | Scotland | Repairs? | | After 1951 | Kirkcaldy Town Hall | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Further work? | | After 1951 | Linburn House and other buildings on site | Wilkieston | | Midlothian | Scotland | Further work | | After 1951 | R W Forsyth Ltd Department Store | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations | | After 1951 | Thistle Foundation, Robin Chapel | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Job continued by Carr & Matthew | | 1952 | 5 Western Terrace, Corstorphine Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Plans for conversion into two and three separate flats | | 1952 | Meadowfield Housing Estate | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1953 | Astley Ainslie Hospital | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations and additions | | 1954 | Dodridge Farm cottages | Hopetoun | | West Lothian | Scotland | Conversion of two pairs of cottages to form two houses for the Hopetoun Estate | | 1954 | Duddingston Primary School | Duddingston | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1954 | University of St Andrews Observatory | St Andrews | | Fife | Scotland | New Observatory | | c. 1954 | Royal Blind Asylum | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions | | 1959 | Nairn Street and Boquhanran Road Housing | Clydebank | | Dunbartonshire | Scotland | | | After 1959 | Merchiston Castle School, The Castle Gates | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Early 1950s | Crawford's Restaurant | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Conversion | | Early 1950s | Farm cottages | Winchburgh | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1960 | Colinton House | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Designed swimming pool | | 1960 | Merchiston Castle School, Swimming Pool | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1967 | Cramond Primary School | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1968 | Mayfield Free Church | Mayfield | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Hall recast | | 1969 | Mayfield Free Church | Mayfield | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Main roof destroyed by fire and replaced in plaster - with Stewart Tod | | 1973 | Morningside Free Church | Morningside | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Interior recast after fire | | c. 1975 | Dunmore Pineapple | Airth | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Conversion to holiday accommodation for Landmark Trust. |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Bailey, Rebecca M | 1996 | Scottish architects' papers: a source book | | Edinburgh: The Rutland Press | | | Glendinning, Miles | 1997 | Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 | | Tuckwell Press Ltd | p157 Kirkcaldy Town House | | RCAHMS | 1992 | Dundee on Record | | RCAHMS | Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art - commended competition entry (1938) p63
| | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | RIBA | 1980 | Directory of Practices 1980 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Architect | October 1986 | | | | | Architects Journal | 19 June 1952 | | | p763 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Carr and Matthew Collection, RIAS | | | | National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMS | Drawings Collection | | Portofolio of sketches by David Carr inlcuding Town Hall. Acc No 1995/47 | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A no4518 (combined box 17, under no4481); F no 4481 (combined box 17) |
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