Basic Biographical Details

Name: Robert Lugar
Designation:  
Born: c. 1773
Died: 23 June 1855
Bio Notes: Robert Lugar was born about 1773, the son of Edward Lugar, carpenter, in Colchester, Essex. His name appears alongside that of John Nash, both of Carmarthen, in a list of subscribers to ‘Dynevor Castle with Other Poems’ by J T Hughes and may therefore have had some early connection to Nash.

From about 1799 he was practising in London and exhibited at the Royal Academy for the next twenty years. In 1812 he succeeded John Johnson as County Surveyor of Essex, a post which he held until 1816.

In 1828 he entered the House of Parliament competition with J Burrell.

Lugar was adept in the picturesque style and had a fondness for ‘cottages ornés’ and castellated Gothic style houses similar to those of John Nash. He designed two castles in Dunbartonshire which brought the picturesque formula into Scotland at a time when the symmetrical castellated house style promulgated by Robert Adam was fashionable. At Shoreham in Kent he used the Italianate style in 1806 which is a very early example of this. Colvin describes his detailing however as ‘coarse’.

He had retired from practice some time before his death at Pembroke Square, in London on 23 June 1855 aged 82.

Publications:
Architectural Sketches for Cottages, Rural Dwellings, and Villas (1805) (dedicated to George Ward), (reprinted 1815 and 1823)
The Gentleman’s Architect (1807)
Designs for Farm House and Yards (1807)
Plans and Views of Buildings executed in England and Scotland in the Castellated and Other Styles (1811) (2nd edition 1823)
Villa Architecture, a Collection of Views, with Plans of Buildings, executed in England, Scotland etc (1828) (dedicated to William Crawshay)

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3London, EnglandBusiness   
Item 2 of 3Henrietta Street, Bloomsbury, London, EnglandPrivate1841  
Item 3 of 3Pembroke Square, London, EnglandPrivate1851  

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Archibald Simpson1810 Assistant 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 71808Tullichewan Castle  DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 2 of 71809Balloch Castle  DunbartonshireScotlandAdditions
Item 3 of 7c. 1816Culzean Castle Estate, Hoolity Ha' Lodge and Bridge  AyrshireScotland 
Item 4 of 7c. 1816Culzean Castle, Swan Pond complex  AyrshireScotlandSwan Pond Bridge (attribution), Swan Cottage
Item 5 of 71820Culzean Castle, Swan Pond complex  AyrshireScotlandAviary
Item 6 of 71823GlenleeNew Galloway KirkcudbrightshireScotlandEnlargement
Item 7 of 71830Boturich CastleBalloch DunbartonshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Close, Rob and Riches, Anne2012The Buildings of Scotland: Ayrshire & Arran New Haven and London: Yale University Pressp257
Item 2 of 3Colvin, H M1995A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-18403rd editionNew Haven and London: Yale University Press 
Item 3 of 3Colvin, Howard2008A Biographical Dictionary of British Architects 1600-1840 London: YUP. 4th edition 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Census records onlineCensuses