Basic Biographical Details Name: | Betty Lydia Chetwynd Moira (née Leech) | Designation: | | Born: | 31 May 1910 | Died: | 18 March 1990 | Bio Notes: | Betty Lydia Chetwynd Moira (nee Leech) was born on 31 May 1910, the daughter of Samuel Chetwynd Leech and his wife Gwendolyn Mary Parker. She studied architecture at the Architectural Association from October 1926 to July 1933, sitting the final AA exam in May 1933. During her time at the AA she managed at least two study tours in Holland in 1929 and in Belgium and Holland the following year.
From October 1933 she gained office experience firstly with Edwin Stanley Hall, then with with Easton & Robertson, acquiring fourteen months experience in all. She was admitted ARIBA in 1935, her proposers being Hall, Easton, and Sir Howard Morley Robertson. She also spent some time in Johannesberg followed by war service.
Richard Edward Moira began independent practice in Edinburgh in 1948 with an office at 12 Inverleith Row. Three years later he was joined in practice by Betty. Around 1966 they opened a second office in Lerwick, Shetland and about 1968 another office at 11 Queensgate, Inverness which moved to 6 Queensgate about 1978.
In 1970 James Wann was taken into partnership and the practice name changed to Moira Moira & Wann. However around 1976 the practice split with Betty Moira operating offices in Edinburgh and Inverness and Richard Moira in offices in Edinburgh and Shetland.
Betty had a keen interest in urban and rural conservation and in the improvement of the visual environment. Her imaginative buildings and landscape projects add interest to many vulnerable Scottish towns and important sectors of the Scottish countryside. She undertook landscape schemes in the Highlands, Grampian and Lothian regions for the Scottish Development Agency. She gained a number of awards from the Association for the Preservation of Rutal Scotland and from the Scottish Civic Trust. She was also involved in planning consultancy work for Wigtownshire County Council and Orkney Islands Council.
She served on various committees concerned about development pressures on the countryside. The range of her work in town and country planning included the preparation of development plans for many Scottish burghs and a plan for Orkney where she evolved a strategy which influenced future developments.
Betty served as a member fo the Board of Governors of Edinburgh College of Art and on various committees of the Scottish branch of the Royal Town Planning Institute. She also served for many years as a member of the Secretary of Stare's advisory committee on travelling people. For her work in this field she was awarded an MBE.
The Shetland office closed on Richard Moira's death in 1988. After the death of Betty Moira from cancer on 18 March 1990 the Edinburgh office closed. Since that time the Inverness office has been run by Calum Anton. Betty had at least one daughter, Charlotte, who was living in Shetland at the time of her mother's death. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 7, Latymer Court, London, England | Private | 1935 * | | | | 12, Inverleith Row, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | c. 1950 | After 1964 | | | Lerwick, Scotland | Business | c. 1966 | | | | 11, Queensgate, Inverness, Inverness-shire, Scotland | Business | c. 1968 | After 1981 | | | 6, Queensgate, Inverness, Inverness-shire | Business | c. 1978 | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and Designs
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 | p168-9 Heddell's Park and Annsbrae Housing | | Municipal Annual | 1964 | Scottish Municipal Annual | 1964-1965 | | | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | | | Willis, Peter | 1977 | New architecture in Scotland | | | p9, p14 Torridon Youth Hostel |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | RIAS Newsletter | April 1990 | v1, no10 | | Death notice | | RIAS Newsletter | May 1990 | v1, no11 | | |
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 no5680 (Combined Box 94) |
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