Basic Biographical Details

Name: Marjorie Kirsteen Borland (Mrs Holmes)
Designation:  
Born: 5 January 1925
Died:  
Bio Notes: (Miss) Marjorie Kirsteen Borland was born on 5 January 1925 in Glasgow, the daughter of Harold Ernest Borland, chartered accountant and his wife Jean Nina Macdonald. She was educated at Westbourne School for Girls. She studied architecture in Glasgow and during her year out she worked on the Clyde Valley Regional Plan with Sir Patrick Abercrombie, Sir Robert Matthew, Sir Robert Grieve, Alan Reiach and others. After completing her degree in architecture, she studied town planning in London. She then took a post with London County Council. She married the Glasgow architect Jack Charles Holmes who had started his career working for the thread manufacturers J & P Coats. He established a practice on his own account in 1951 with an office at 93 Hope Street in Glasgow. In 1955 Borland was taken into partnership and the practice name became Jack Holmes & Partners. When their children were young, Borland worked part-time in the practice at home. She kept her maiden name for professional purposes. She was elected ARIAS in 1964.

During the later 1960s and 1970s she worked on development plans for town and county councils, the Highlands and Islands Development Board and the Scottish Office. She studied sites for platform construction for the Department of Energy and advised companies developing major industrial, airfield, housing and recreation projects in Scotland.

Following some years as convener of the RIAS Environmental Committee in 1977 Borland became the first woman to sit on the Council of the RIAS. [She understands that in fact she may have been the second as Professor Charles McKean discovered a woman had served on the Committee as early as the 1930s]. She was also elected the Convener of the Environment Committee of the GIA. In this post she was the representative on the Glasgow Crime Prevention Panel.

In the mid-1950s she became interested in social work. For five years she was secretary of the WVRS house for boys who had been in borstal and in June 1977 she retired from 12 years as visitor to HM Young Offenders Institute in Dumfries. She was a member of the Children's Panel Advisory Committee for Dunbartonshire.

Prior to 1986 she was part-time Reporter to the Scottish Office. From 1986-1996 she served on the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 443, Kirklee Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivatec. 1948  
Item 2 of 413, Porchester Place, London, EnglandBusiness(?)c. 1953  
Item 3 of 4Drumhead, Cardross, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivatec. 1960After 2000 
Item 4 of 462, Kelvingrove Street, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1964 *  

* 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 3Jack Holmes & PartnersBefore 1960c. 1968Partner 
Item 2 of 3Holmes & Partners Architects1981 Partner 
Item 3 of 3The Holmes Partnership1985 Partner 

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 15Mid 1940sClyde Valley Regional Plan   ScotlandPart of the research team led by Sir Patrick Abercrombie and Sir Robert Matthew.
Item 2 of 151964Milngavie Central Area Development PlanMilngavie DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 3 of 151965Leven central area studyLeven FifeScotland 
Item 4 of 151966Portobello central redevelopment planPortobello EdinburghScotland 
Item 5 of 151966Town extensionEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotlandAdvice on proposed extension for 25,000 people. Development and transportation recommendations. Continuing subsequent advice.
Item 6 of 151967Alness Development PlanAlness Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 7 of 151967Moray Firth Regional Development Plan  MorayshireScotland 
Item 8 of 151970Inverness Transportation StudyInverness Inverness-shireScotlandInitial planning input for Transportation Study of Royal Burgh of Inverness
Item 9 of 151970Moray Firth: road planning report  MorayshireScotland 
Item 10 of 151971Inverness Central Area Development PlanInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 11 of 151973County of Sutherland Development Plan  SutherlandScotlandSurvey Report and Draft Policy Statement
Item 12 of 151974Planning Framework for Industrial Growth for Cromarty Firth Development CompanyCromarty Firth Ross & CromartyScotland 
Item 13 of 151974Plans for oil related strategies in the Clyde Estuary  RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 14 of 151975Alness Development PlanAlness Ross and CromartyScotlandPlanning Study and Design Guide for an expanding town.
Item 15 of 151976Celtic Sea Oil and Gas Subject Study   WalesStudy begun

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 8Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdp13 Clyde Valley Regional Plan
p173 Anderston Cross CDA, Industrial Zone
Item 2 of 8Glendinning, Miles2008Modern architect: the life and times of Robert Matthew RIBA Publishingp71
Item 3 of 8Municipal Annual1964Scottish Municipal Annual1964-1965  
Item 4 of 8RIBA1948The RIBA Kalendar 1948-1949 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 5 of 8RIBA1954RIBA Kalendar 1953-54   
Item 6 of 8RIBA1961Kalendar 1960-61   
Item 7 of 8RIBA1964The RIBA Kalendar 1963-64   
Item 8 of 8RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Glasgow Herald26 June 1977  p8

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 3Interview with Yvonne Hillyard, RIAS February 2014.Information from M Kirsteen Borland  
Item 2 of 3National Archives (via Scotlands People)Statutory births  
Item 3 of 3RIAS, Rutland SquareRecords of membership