Basic Biographical Details

Name: Peter Scott Ferguson
Designation:  
Born: 22 August 1916
Died: 1 February 1969
Bio Notes: Peter Scott Ferguson was born on 22 August 1916, the son of Harry Scott Ferguson, solicitor, and his wife, Lillian Ethel Bridlan. He was educated at Glenalmond School, and studied engineering at the University of St Andrews from 1933 to 1937, subsequently continuing his studies at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art. He was on active service in the Second World War, in 1939 in the Royal Artillery TA and from 1940 in the Royal Engineers.

On his return, he obtained an appointment as assistant to A H Mottram, while completing his Dip.Arch. He was admitted ARIBA in 1947, and in the same year was awarded a travelling scholarship to Switzerland. The following year he joined Basil Spence & Partners at 40 Moray Place. He also obtained a Dip.TP and was an Associate of the Town Planning Institute by 1950. He was elected FRIAS om 1955.

He was made an associate in the Spence firm in 1951 and was taken into partnership in 1956, along with John Hardie Glover. The practice title did not change, however, until 1964, when Spence had split his firm into three practices: Sir Basil Spence OM RA and Sir Basil Spence, Bonnington & Collins in London, and Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson in Edinburgh.

Ferguson was a vice-president of the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1959. He was elected FRIBA in 1960, proposed by Spence, Robert Hogg Matthew and Peter Dunham.

Peter Ferguson believed in a completely integrated approach to his work and he 'embraced the problems of clients, designers and contractors with a sureness that won admiration'. He was very concerned about the quality of our environment and was committed to the preservation of Edinburgh's New Town and he was a committee member of several amenity groups. He tackled a wide variety of work including housing, universities, airports public buildings and hospitals. Glasgow Airport received a Civic Design Award shortly before his death.

He died at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh on 1 February 1969 after an illness which had begun the previous year and left him 'inactive and almost blind'. He was survived by his wife, Sheila Marjorie Anne Mottram who was the daughter of the architect Alfred Hugh Mottram and sister of James A H Mottram.

BSc, ARIBA, AMIStructE, AMTPI, FRIAS

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 330, Royal Circus, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1950 *  
Item 2 of 340, Moray Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness19511968Basil Spence & Partners and subsequently Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson
Item 3 of 310, Moray Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1955 *1960 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 5Alfred Hugh Mottram19451947Assistant 
Item 2 of 5Basil Spence & Partners19481951AssistantIn Edinburgh office.
Item 3 of 5Basil Spence & Partners19511956AssociateIn Edinburgh office.
Item 4 of 5Basil Spence & Partners19561963PartnerIn Edinburgh office.
Item 5 of 5Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson19641968Partner 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Peter Dunham4 October 1960for Fellowship
Item 2 of 3Robert Hogg Matthew4 October 1960for Fellowship
Item 3 of 3(Sir) Basil Urwin Spence4 October 1960for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1(Professor) Charles Calthorpe Robertson5 June 1968For Fellowship

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 551947Glasgow University, Natural Philosophy Buildings  GlasgowScotlandExtension to N, for research and housing the synchrotron.
Item 2 of 551950(?)Secondary School, DuncanrigWestwood, East Kilbride LanarkshireScotlandPartner in charge
Item 3 of 55After 1951Private house(s)Bedale YorkshireScotland 
Item 4 of 55After 1951Private house(s)Ormiston East LothianScotland 
Item 5 of 551954St Andrew's ChurchClermiston EdinburghScotland 
Item 6 of 551955Scottish Agricultural Industries Fertilizer WorksLeith Edinburgh, MidlothianScotlandIn consultation with Kinnear & Gordon
Item 7 of 551956Bannerfield EstateSelkirk SelkirkshireScotland 
Item 8 of 551956Flats, Great Michael Rise and AnnfieldNewhaven EdinburghScotland 
Item 9 of 551956Housing, Laverockbank Avenue and Laverockbank CrescentNewhaven EdinburghScotlandPartner in charge
Item 10 of 551956Tenement blocks, New LaneNewhaven EdinburghScotland 
Item 11 of 551956Tenements, 14-20 Great Michael RiseNewhaven EdinburghScotland 
Item 12 of 551956Tenements, 4-12 Great Michael RiseNewhaven EdinburghScotland 
Item 13 of 551956Tenements, New LaneNewhaven EdinburghScotland 
Item 14 of 551956Western General Hospital, Old Boiler House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 15 of 551957Trinity College GlenalmondGlenalmond PerthshireScotlandExtension at E end of N range
Item 16 of 551958Glasgow University, Institute of Virology Department building  GlasgowScotlandCompletion when practice operated as Spence Glover & Ferguson.
Item 17 of 551958Housing, Gorbals Redevelopment Scheme, Commercial Road AreaGorbals GlasgowScotland 
Item 18 of 551958Hutchesontown / Gorbals Area C Housing RedevelopmentHutchesontown/Gorbals GlasgowScotland 
Item 19 of 551958Scottish Widows Head Office  EdinburghScotland 
Item 20 of 551958Thurso High SchoolThurso CaithnessScotland 
Item 21 of 551959Claremont Court housing  EdinburghScotlandPartner in charge
Item 22 of 551959Glasgow University, Natural Philosophy Buildings  GlasgowScotlandW, for teaching and lecture theatre.
Item 23 of 551959Western General Hospital, Operating Theatre Block  Edinburgh, MidlothianScotland 
Item 24 of 55Late 1950s(?)Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, blood transfusion extension  EdinburghScotland 
Item 25 of 551960sDurham University, St Aidan's CollegeDurham Co. DurhamEngland 
Item 26 of 551960sEdinburgh University Library  EdinburghScotland 
Item 27 of 551960sGlasgow Royal Infirmary  GlasgowScotlandRedevelopment
Item 28 of 551960sICI Silicones FactoryArdeer AyrshireScotland 
Item 29 of 551960sKing's College, University of Durham, Physics Department  Newcastle-upon-TyneEngland 
Item 30 of 551960sNewcastle Central Library and Laing Art Gallery  Newcastle-upon-TyneEngland 
Item 31 of 551960sProcter & Gamble computer building     
Item 32 of 551960sSecondary SchoolDinnington SheffieldEngland 
Item 33 of 551960sUniversity College Dublin library  DublinEire 
Item 34 of 55Before 1960Associated Electrical Industries showroom  GlasgowScotland 
Item 35 of 55Before 1960House for A H Alexander  EdinburghScotland 
Item 36 of 55Before 1960Recreation centre for Scottish OilsGrangemouth StirlingshireScotland 
Item 37 of 55Before 1960Scottish Amicable Life Assurance Society branch  EdinburghScotland 
Item 38 of 55Before 1960University of Edinburgh, Department of Natural Philosophy  EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 39 of 55Before 1960University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Animal Breeding Research Organisation Headquarters  EdinburghScotlandWilliam Norman Hunter was job architect
Item 40 of 55196165-71 and 97-103 Canongate and 1-3 Brown's Close  EdinburghScotlandPerhaps not involved
Item 41 of 551961Glasgow (Abbotsinch) Airportnr Paisley RenfrewshireScotland£2m terminal building
Item 42 of 551961Ten (10) 19-storey tower blocks, New GorbalsNew Gorbals GlasgowScotland 
Item 43 of 551961Trinity College Glenalmond, SanatoriumGlenalmond PerthshireScotlandAltered and extended
Item 44 of 551961University of Glasgow, Department of Genetics  GlasgowScotland 
Item 45 of 551962Trinity College Glenalmond, ChapelGlenalmond PerthshireScotlandNew gallery and screen
Item 46 of 551963Trinity College, Glenalmond, Music SchoolGlenalmond PerthshireScotlandPartner in charge and principal architect
Item 47 of 551964Crookfur Old People's Homes, Crookfur RoadNewton Mearns RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 48 of 551964Mortonhall Crematorium  EdinburghScotland 
Item 49 of 551966Glasgow University, Natural Philosophy Buildings  GlasgowScotlandFurther additions
Item 50 of 551966Western General Hospital, laundry and boiler house  EdinburghScotland 
Item 51 of 551968Bar and Buffet Extension at Glasgow (Abbotsinch) AirportAbbotsinch GlasgowScotland 
Item 52 of 551970sEdinburgh Centre for Rural Economy, Bush Estate  EdinburghScotland 
Item 53 of 551970sHarry Younger Hall  EdinburghScotland 
Item 54 of 551970sWestern General Hospital, Sisters' Quarters  EdinburghScotlandAlterations
Item 55 of 55c. 1970Burrell Collection  GlasgowScotlandCompetition design

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press LtdpXI A 1958 sketch perspective of Hutchesontown / Gorbals Area 'C' proposed blocks
pXII Demolition of Hutchesontown 'C' September 1993
p92-94, 98-102
p96 Duncanrig Secondary School
p97 Thurso High School;
Glasgow University, Institute of Virology Department building
p98 Abbotsinch Airport
p141-2, p165-7 Edinburgh University Library
p20, p39, p92-4, p98-102, p144-7, p175 Hutchesontown Gorbals Area 'C'
Item 2 of 5Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, Stefan1994Tower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland Yale University Press: New Haven and LondonHutchesontown Area C: p170, p224, p327, p368
Item 3 of 5http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/122525/details/edinburgh+george+square+univ http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/122525/details/edinburgh+george+square+university+of+edinburgh+library/  Edinburgh University Library
Accessed 21.04.12
Item 4 of 5RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 5 of 5Willis, Peter1977New architecture in Scotland  p8, p10 Fishermen's Houses
p14, p38-41 Mortonhall Crematorium
p46-7 Edinburgh University Library

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3Builder1 May 1959  'Edinburgh Architectural Association' p832
Item 2 of 3Builder18 August 1961  'Civic Trust Design Awards, 1960 - Results of Competitions in the County Boroughs, The Awards, Scotland' pp304-305 - served as assessor for Paisley projects
Item 3 of 3Scotsman13 February 1969  Tribute by Tom Ridley.

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 4H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 4RIAS, Rutland SquareRecords of membership  
Item 3 of 4RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no5472 (combined box 80)
Item 4 of 4Sent to DSA by emailInformation from AHRC/RCAHMS Spence project per David W Walker and Clive Fenton Clive Fenton's research notes (sent July 2010)