Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Duncan Hunter | Designation: | | Born: | 10 March 1935 | Died: | 30 March 2002 | Bio Notes: | William (‘Bill’) Duncan Hunter was born on 10 March 1935, the son of John Hunter, petroleum depot hand and his wife Annie Caldwell McInnes. He was brought up in Netherlee in Glasgow and educated at Eastwood School. Ass a boy he was actively involved in the Boys Brigade and served as BB officer in the company. He was articled to Wylie Shanks & Wylie from 1952. He studied architecture at the Royal College of Science and Technology, winning a number of awards while a student. He graduated BArch in 1958. He was elected ARIBA in 1960 and ARIAS the following year. After qualification he returned to Wylie Shanks & Partners, becoming a partner in 1965 and senior partner in 1982. During this period the practice won and carried out a range of successful commissions and enjoyed long-standing relationships with various NHS Trusts and many private and public companies.
Hunter was active in matters relating to the profession. He served as a member of the Council of the GIA and the RIAS in the 1980s. He was elected a Fellow of the RIAS in 1981 and was senior vice-president of the GIA in 1982-83.
He retired from the practice in 1996 (or 1995 according to some sources) but remained as a consultant.
Hunter was a keen sportsman. From a young age he was a member of Cathcart Castle Golf Club and had considerable success in competitions as a junior. He was also a good footballer, representing Strathclyde University and winning representative honours at a time when amateur football was played to a very high standard. He was also keen on the outdoors and enjoyed hill-walking, the more strenuous the better. He later initiated the Jordanhill Church Walking Group. He was an authority on the architectural history of Glasgow. He also enjoyed and was very knowledgeable about music, playing the piano as well as singing in his local church choir. For many years he was a member of Netherlee Church but he and his wife later moved to the Jordanhill area of the city and joined Jordanhill Parish Church. He became an elder in 1967 and over the next 35 years was convener of a number of church committees there. He also acted as architect to the church for various changes made to the building. On the wider stage he served on the Church of Scotland’s Board of Practice and Procedure and oversaw the care and maintenance of the Assembly Hall. In 1998 he was much involved with the negotiations which led to the Scottish Parliament using the hall as a temporary meeting place and the relocation of the General Assembly to the EICC.
As a person Hunter was outgoing and friendly with a keen sense of humour but below the surface he was a sensitive and private man with a strong Christian faith.
He died at St Margaret's Hospice, Clydebank on 30 March 2002. He was survived by his wife, Patricia Martha Barr and his three children and two grandchildren.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 23, First Avenue, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | c. 1961 | | | | 36, Clincart Road, Mount Florida, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | c. 1964 | | | | 26, Victoria Park Drive North, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1970 | | | | 12, Clairmont Gardens, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1979 * | | | | Hatfield Drive, Glasgow, Scotland | Private | 1997 * | | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
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 | | Wylie Shanks & Partners | 1965 | 1996 | Partner | Or 1995? |
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 | | Late 1950s | Glasgow Western Infirmary, Radiotherapy Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Project architect? | | 1960s | Euclid/Terex factory | | | | Luxembourg | | | 1960s | Factory for National Cash Registers | Wester Gourdie | | Angus | Scotland | | | 1960s | Factory for Wrangler | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1961 | Factory for National Cash Registers | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1965 | Motherwell and Wishaw Civic Centre | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Competition design - won competition to secure job | | 1965 | Norwich Union Office Building | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1967(?) | Carnegie Library | Airdrie | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Responsible for Conversion to Airdrie Arts Centre in 1967? Or for further work c.1973? Unclear. | | 1967 | Central Depot, Upper Clyde Water Board | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1967 | Scottish Industrial Estate, Euclid (Great Britain) Ltd, plant at Newhouse | Newhouse | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | Extension | | 1968 | Miss Cranston's Tea Rooms, Buchanan Street | | | Glasgow | Scotland | New banking hall inserted | | 1960s or 1970s | Advance factory for SIEC | Kirkconnel | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Advance factory for SIEC | Wick | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1970s | Development for Levi Strauss Ltd | Whitburn | | West Lothian | Scotland | | | 1970s | Development for Levi Strauss Ltd, Bothwell Park | Bothwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Environmental Improvement Works | Fort William | | Inverness-shire | Scotland | | | 1970s | Industrial development | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | | | 1970s | Jordanhill Parish Church | Jordanhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | Reorganisation of sanctuary | | 1970s | Western Infirmary, Oncology Unit | | | Glasgow | | Extension - partner in charge | | 1970 | General Motors Factory | Motherwell | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | | | 1970 | General Motors Factory | Peterhead | | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | | | 1970 | Glasgow Dental Hospital and School | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Teaching block | | 1970 | Rolls Royce Factory | Hillington | | Glasgow | Scotland | New factory | | After 1970 | Elliott Brothers Marconi Developments premises | | | | Scotland | New build? Extensions? | | After 1970 | Factory block for Industrial Estates Managment Corporation for Scotland | | | Dundee, Angus | Scotland | Extensions | | After 1970 | Filtrona Factory | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | After 1970 | Industrial development for General Motors | | | | Luxembourg | | | After 1970 | Trane Heating and Airconditioning Factory | Donibristle | | Fife | Scotland | | | After 1970 | Veeder Root Factory | | | Dundee | Scotland | Extensions or new build? | | 1972 | Jordanhill Parish Church, church hall | Jordanhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | New halls developed. Partner in charge. | | 1972 | Offices for Rolls Royce | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1973 | Drewsteighton School | Bearsden | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | Before 1973 | Clydesdale Bank, overseas branch | Hillington | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1975 | St Jude's Episcopal Church | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Interior subdivision as offices | | 1977 | Factory for Levi Strauss UK Ltd | | | Dundee | Scotland | | | 1977 | Head office for Long John International Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | | | 1977 | Sales Centre, Factory and offices for Caithness Glass | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | Partner in charge with Ron Wilson | | 1979 | Head office for Long John International Ltd | | | Glasgow | Scotland | Interiors | | Late 1970s | Silberline Ltd Factory | Leven | | Fife | Scotland | Extensions | | 1980s | Caithness Glass factory and offices | Wick | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1980s | Caithness Glass Visitor Centre | Wick | | Caithness | Scotland | | | 1980s | Caithness Glass Visitor Centre | Perth | | Perthshire | Scotland | | | 1980s(?) | Jordanhill Parish Church | Jordanhill | | Glasgow | Scotland | New kitchen facilities added - mainly responsible | | 1991 | St Kentigern's Church | Inversnaid | | Stirlingshire | Scotland | Conversion to Outdoor Centre for the Boys Brigade - mainly responsible |
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 | p151 | | RIBA | 1964 | The RIBA Kalendar 1963-64 | | | | | RIBA | 1979 | RIBA Directory of Practices 1979 | | | | | Wylie Shanks Architects | 2012 | Wylie Shanks Architects: a centenary retrospective 1912-2012 | | | |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this : | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | Herald, The | 5 April 2002 | | | p20 Obituary | | RIAS Chartered Architect | 2002 | v14, no3 | | Death note |
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 | | |
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