Basic Biographical Details Name: | Michael Donald Laird | Designation: | | Born: | 22 March 1928 | Died: | 11 March 1999 | Bio Notes: | Michael Donald Laird was born in Glasgow on 22 March 1928, the son of George Donald Struthers Laird, export agent and his wife Catherine Brown Tennent or Dibley. He was educated at Loretto School where he showed an early interest in designing buildings. He studied at Edinburgh College of Art and was admitted ARIBA in 1952 and ARIAS in 1953. He established his practice in 1954 with an office at 11 Randolph Place, Edinburgh from 1957. He returned to the College of Art as a lecturer in the Department of Architecture and also in the same capacity in the Department in the University of Edinburgh. He was an inspiring teacher.
In 1957 he won a McLaren Travelling Fellowship from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland. He spent some time abroad accompanied by his wife, the artist and art teacher Kirsty Noel-Paton. Later that same year, 1957, Sir Alastair Dunnett, then Editor of the Scotsman, commissioned Laird to draw up a scheme for a Festival Centre for Edinburgh. This was done in association with Alan Reiach who had earlier drawn up a scheme for adding an opera house adjacent to the Usher Hall and Lyceum Theatre. Laird and Reiach prepared a model to be exhibited at the Centenary Exhibition of the Edinburgh Architectural Association. The scheme envisaged the Usher Hall and Lyceum as nuclei and proposed that the Usher Hall was converted into an opera house, as, according to Laird, ‘a building of this period and style already has the slightly romantic flavour people associate with opera’.
In 1959 he became an assessor for the Civic Trust Awards, an appointment which continued for twenty years. During the 1950s Laird compered BBC Television's weekly 'Compass' Programme.
He moved to firstly to North Castle Street, where he had a house above the practice. Laird’s twin son and daughter, Simon and Nicola, were born about this time; they were joined later by their brother, Magnus. In 1960 the practice moved to 22 Moray Place. This had been a nursing home and was converted by Laird into an impressive office with family residence above. The large lift was retained and converted into a mobile cloakroom and art gallery.
The Music School at George Watson’s College, dating from the mid-1960s, with its distinctive parabolic roof, was an important building from the early days of the practice. The auditorium achieved excellent acoustics. The Children’s Unit at the Astley Ainslie Hospital, completed in 1965, is one of the best examples of a carefully detailed precast form building. It managed to incorporate a variety of services and at the same time provided open bright wards, the external blinds giving the exterior a sculptural quality. Laird was elected FRIAS in 1964.
Laird saw his work on historic buildings and his ‘modern’ buildings as separate categories. In the former category he worked on Maxwelton, Dumfriesshire, Blairqhan, Ayrshire, and Easter Elchies. His work at Maxwelton entailed a reconstruction and extension based on original 17th century building and was probably one of the most comprehensive schemes of rebuilding of a Scottish country house in the post-war period.
In 1967 Ian Rogers was taken in partnership, the practice title changing to Michael Laird & Partners. The office moved to 5 Forres Street in 1974. In bout 1971 James Latimer was assumed into partnership followed in 1977 by Alan Black. Several other partners joined in the 1980s.
From the mid-1960s Standard Life became an important client for the practice. Laird’s refurbishment of the Head Office at the east end of George Street began in 1964. This was part of a comprehensive expansion plan, the site being bounded by George Street, St Andrew Square and Thistle Lane and was intended to provide consistent high quality office space. It was divided into several phases, the first and second being carried out in association with Robert Matthew. The second large commission from Standard Life was the new headquarters at Canonmills. The site was divided by the Water of Leith and sensitively incorporated the former warehouse at Tanfield. An extensive roof garden was provided for the benefit of employees and for neighbours who overlook the low-lying site. It was one of Laird’s characteristics that he researched buildings to ensure the quality of the working environment and this was no exception. Standard Life House on a prominent site at the corner of Lothian Road and the West Approach Road, followed in the later 1980s. The head office was moved here from the George Street building in 1996.
The Royal Bank of Scotland was another important client. From them he designed the Computer Centre, Fettes Row, which reused the energy from the computers which ran continuously to heat the offices. Drummond House, South Gyle, also for the Bank, is heated in similar fashion. In his buildings for the Bank and for Standard Life he was keen to incorporate the work of artists, successfully working with Gerald Laing on the Standard Life buildings and with Eduardo Paolozzi at the Bank building at South Gyle. John Bellamy painted a mural in the building of the White Fish Authority.
As with matters pertaining to his professional life, Laird approached his leisure activities with gusto. He was keen on cars and even in his student days owned an Austin 7 which could be seen parked outside the College of Art. He later graduated to a Lotus Elan, one of the first in Scotland after Jim Clark. He led the University Air Squadron, won the Aerobatics Cup at the Edinburgh Air Show and became a fully trained reserve Fleet Air Arm pilot. He travelled over Switzerland in a hot air balloon and was a good skier. He kept a Drascombe sailing craft on the Forth and enjoyed summer evening excursions. He also sailed in the waters around Tiree where he had a house. He founded his own society, with its characteristically humorous name, ‘SMA’, Society of Master Architects, the motto of which ‘Keep it simple sensible and stylish’ was later adopted by the practice.
As a campaigner for high standards in design he served in the Council for Industrial Design for many years. He contributed numerous articles to the specialist and general press. He gave a home in his office to the young Scottish Georgian Society. His espousal of causes was legendary and was passionate even if his views did not accord with majority opinion. Laird was made OBE in 1983 for his services to architecture. He was awarded the RSA Gold Medal in 1968 for his work on the Standard Life Headquarters in George Street and his work had won a number of awards from the Civic Trust and Saltire Society, among others.
Robert Steedman describes Laird: ‘He was prominent among the postwar generation of young architects in Scotland, with an overwhelming ambition to look at buildings afresh and translate his concepts into a new vocabulary of forms and materials appropriate to the Scottish situation. He regarded innovation as a challenge’.
Laird was forced to retire from ill-health in 1992. He died in the Western General Hospital on 11 March 1998. He was survived by his wife, his two sons and daughter and four grandchildren.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | The Ingle/1, Beech Avenue, Cambuslang, Lanarkshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1950 | After 1953 | | | 11, Randolph Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1954 | | | | 22, Moray Place, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private/business | 1960 | After 1987 | | | 5, Forres Street, Edinburgh, Scotland | Business | 1974 | | |
Employment and TrainingEmployersThe following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | | Michael Laird & Partners | 1954 | 1992 | Partner | |
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 | | | Goretex Factory & Offices, Kirkton Campus | Livingston | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | | Merchiston Castle School, Creative Arts Centre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | April 1957 | Hauptstadt Berlin competition (Robert Matthew's entry) | | | Berlin | Germany | Included Robert Matthew's supporting team | | After 1958 | Astley Ainslie, children's wards and therapy unit | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1958 | Chamber of Commerce building | | | Belfast | Northern Ireland | | | After 1958 | Inde Coope Brewery | Alloa | | Clackmannanshire | Scotland | | | After 1958 | Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries offices | Eskgrove/Lasswade | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1958 | Ministry of Public Buildings and Works, Scottish Headquarters | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | After 1958 | Phillips Electrical Offices | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | After 1958 | United Wire Rope Company's factory | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension | | 1961 | Gayfield Square police headquarters | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1961 | Private House | | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1963 | Warehouses and offices, 43-53 Jeffrey Street | | | Edinburgh, Midlothian | Scotland | | | Before 1963 | Raith, housing | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | | | c. 1963 | Raith House | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | Scotland | Restoration? | | 1964 | George Watson's College, Music School and Auditorium | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1964 | Standard Life Assurance Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension Phase I - with R H Matthew | | 1967 | Blairquhan Castle | Straiton | | Ayrshire | Scotland | Repairs and restoration. Kitchen court partly converted into estate offices. | | 1967 | Chesser House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1967 | Uig Hotel | Uig | Skye | Inverness-shire | Scotland | Restoration | | 1968 | Argyle House | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1968 | Ethicon Factory and laboratories | Sighthill | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1968 | Standard Life Assurance Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension Phase 2 - with R H Matthew. Extension phase 2 has elevation to St Andrew Square. | | 1968 | Wine Company Premises, 14 George Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Rebuilding within envelope of existing historic building | | 1969 | Maxwellton House | | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | Restoration | | Before 1969 | Devro Factory | Cumbernauld | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Housing, Cheyne Street | Stockbridge | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970 | Standard Life Assurance | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970 | University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, central facilities complex, including boiler house | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | c. 1970 | Exhibition stands for Euclid (Great Britain) and others | | | | | | | 1971 | Factory for John Kelly & Son | Bonnyrigg | | Midlothian | Scotland | | | 1971 | University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, refectory | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1972 | India Place redevelopment | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1974 | Marks & Spencer Store | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Acting for Jenners in association with Monro & Partners | | 1975 | Standard Life Assurance Co | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Extension Phase 3. | | 1975 | Teachers whisky offices | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Office retstoration. | | Before 1975 | Moulin Hotel | Pitlochry | | Perthshire | Scotland | Reconstruction and extension | | Before 1975 | Royal Bank | Port Seton | | East Lothian | Scotland | | | Before 1975 | Royal Bank | Eyemouth | | Berwickshire | Scotland | | | Before 1975 | St Mary's Street development, Ben Line Building | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Office interiors | | 1976 | Standard Life Assurance Co premises, Hanover Street | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Restoration | | 1976 | Standard Life office | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1976 | The Manor House | Inveresk | | Midlothian | Scotland | Restoration | | 1977 | Rosebery House | Haymarket | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1977 | Royal Bank Data Centre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1978 | Arbrook Products Ltd Factory | Livingston | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1979 | Haymarket Station | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Redevelopment of station | | 1979 | Jenners Workshop and Abbotsford Arms | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | Change of use from disused furniture factory to shops and goods handling area. Job architect and Principal. | | 1981 | Hospital or health centre for Cheshire Homes | | | | Scotland | | | 1981 | The Mercat shopping development | Kirkcaldy | | Fife | | | | Before 1981 | Johnson & Johnson (USA) Factory | Livingston | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | Before 1981 | Office development for Bovis | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | Before 1981 | Office development for Livingston Development Corporation | Livingston | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1982 | Cameron Toll Centre | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1985 | Blervie House | | | Morayshire | Scotland | House gutted and restored | | 1985 | Easter Elchies House | | | Morayshire | Scotland | Octagonal office pod |
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 | p128 | | RIBA | 1964 | The RIBA Kalendar 1963-64 | | | | | Willis, Peter | 1977 | New architecture in Scotland | | | p44-5 University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Builder | 1 May 1964 | | | p915-916 | | RIAS Newsletter | April 1999 | v10, no3 | | Death note | | Scotsman | 19 March 1999 | | | Obituary by Robert Steedman. |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | H M Register House | Death Register | | | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | |
|