Basic Biographical Details Name: | Thomas Aikman Swan | Designation: | | Born: | 24 December 1883 | Died: | 14 November 1945 | Bio Notes: | Thomas Aikman Swan was born in Edinburgh on 24 December 1883, the son of James Gardner Swan, and educated at George Heriot's School. He was articled to Hamilton-Paterson & Rhind from 10 August 1900, remaining with Thomas Duncan Rhind after the dissolution of the partnership, and studied at the Heriot-Watt College and Edinburgh School of Applied Art. There he gained the Scottish National Art Survey Award in 1905, enabling him to make a six-month study of medieval work in Scotland, and the travelling scholarship for three months of study in Italy in 1906; his drawing of the staircase to the Laurentian Library appeared in 'Academy Architecture' Volume 2 in 1907.
Swan moved to Robert Lorimer's office as a draughtsman in 1906. He had been promoted to senior assistant by 1910 when he passed the qualifying exam in July and was admitted ARIBA on 5 December, his proposers being Lorimer, Hippolyte Jean Blanc and Francis William Deas. Some time between his application for admission as ARIBA that August and the end of the year, he was taken on as assistant and prospective partner by Alan Keith Robertson (born 1881). A branch office of the practice was then opened at Dalkeith, where Swan had connections, and the partnership of Robertson & Swan was duly formed in 1912. Swan appears to have had a considerable design role as the façade of Robertson & Swan's Moray House had points in common with the Arts Building at the University of Alberta by Lorimer's former assistant Percy Erskine Nobbs, while the architecture of the Suffolk Halls campus was pure Lorimer.
The partnership did not long survive the First World War. Robertson did not seek a commission, preferring to serve in the line with the Royal Engineers. He was severely wounded, recommencing practice in very poor health in 1917. Swan was commissioned, served in France and ended his service as a Major, thereafter being generally known as Major Aikman Swan. The partnership was resumed in 1919 but Swan withdrew in 1921, partly because of Robertson's chronic ill health, and partly because he is said to have thought it inappropriate to have a non-commissioned ex-serviceman as senior partner; but it was probably also because Swan was undertaking most of the work and had won first premiums in the competitions for four Edinburgh housing schemes, only one of which came his way.
Swan thereafter practised on his own from 42 Frederick Street until 1926 when he moved his office to 7 St Colme Street, his home being at Glenbervie, Eskbank, Midlothian. He was an active member of professional organisations, serving as a president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association and as a Vice-President of the RIAS. He was elected FRIBA on 19 June 1939, his proposers being Reginald Fairlie, Leslie Grahame-Thomson and Harold Ogle Tarbolton. He died on 14 November 1945 at the age of 61, survived by his wife Elizabeth Bleloch. He left an estate of £18532 19s 4d. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 28, Gayfield Square, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | Before 1907 | After 1910 | | | 12, Claremont Crescent, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | c. 1910 | | House and office initially and from about 1913 house only | | Dalkeith, Midlothian, Scotland | Business | c. 1912 | | Branch office of Robertson & Swan | | 29, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1912 | | Office of Aikman & Swan after about 1912 | | 42, Frederick Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1921 | 1926 | | | 7, St Colme Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1926 | c. 1940(?) | | | Glenbervie, Eskbank, Midlothian, Scotland | Private | c. 1926 | c. 1944 | | | 45, Lauder Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | c. 1944 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersEmployees or Pupils
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA Proposals
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 | | 1910 | Moray House Training College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Involved initially as assistant | | After 1912 | Street improvement schemes | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1914 | Suffolk Road Halls of Residence, Moray House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1917 | School hostel | Portree | Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1917 | School hostel | Stornoway | Lewis | Ross and Cromarty | Scotland | Design | | 1919 | Tranent Housing Scheme | Tranent | | East Lothian | Scotland | T A Swan appointed architect | | c. 1919 | Edinburgh Corporation Reconstruction Scheme | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Second premiated competition design | | 1920 | Torduff | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Alterations | | 1922 | Masonic Lodge Number 5 | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Reconstruction | | 1923 | Tranent War Memorial | Tranent | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1923 | Wardie Housing Scheme | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Won competition to secure job | | 1924 | 6 Pentland Road | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions | | 1924 | Grange Cemetery, layout, lodge etc | Grange | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extensions over sites of nos 3 and 5 Kilgraston Roasd | | 1925 | Bungalow, Granton Road | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1925 | Holmwood | Davidson's Mains | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1925 | House at Colinton for J Storrar | Colinton | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1925 | “Glen Affric” | Balerno | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1926 | Hermitage Park School | Leith | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Additions | | 1927 | Houses at Davidson's Mains | Davidson's Mains | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1927 | Perth Academy | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Won competition to secure job | | 1927 | Red Lion Inn | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1928 | George Watson's College | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Competition design - not selected, but awarded 100-guinea premium | | 1929 | Tennis Pavilion | Bonnyrigg | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | Before 1929 | Technical School and RC School | Bathgate | | West Lothian | Scotland | Won competition to secure job | | c. 1933(?) | Housing scheme | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1934 | Commercial Bank of Scotland, Stockbridge Branch | Stockbridge | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1935 | Housing Scheme, High Street | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1935 | Housing Scheme, Lothian Road | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1935 | Stenhouse Church of Scotland and halls | Stenhouse | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1936 | 56 houses, Woodburn | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | Old Church | Dalkeith | | Midlothian | Scotland | Restoration of east end | | 1936 | Ormiston Parish Church | Ormiston | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | 1936 | St Francis RC Primary School | Craigmillar | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1939 | Scottish Amicable Building, Gordon Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Post Office Directories | | | | | | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Who's Who in Art | 1929 | | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Edinburgh Evening Dispatch | 15 November 1945 | | | Obituary | | Weekly Scotsman | 20 October 1945 | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | A v19 no2129 (microfilm reel 20); F no3673 (box 27) |
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