Basic Biographical Details

Name: Ian Cyril Downs
Designation:  
Born:  
Died:  
Bio Notes: Ian Cyril Downs was Chief Architect of Irvine Development Corporation from 1979-1996. He studied at The School of Architecture in Hull followed by the diploma in town planning in Manchester. He was elected ARIBA in 1960. He was a member of the Town Planning Institute. He spent some time working in New York thereafter and is listed as having a New York address about 1964-5.

He held various appointments in the New Towns in Scotland. He seems to have begun in Cumbernauld and moved to the Livingston Development Corporation by 1970 and later Redditch. At some point in the 1970s he moved to Irvine where initially he was Chief Architect and Planning Officer. In the late 1970s he was with the West Midlands County Planning Department which was based in Birmingham. In 1979 he moved to the post of Chief Architect and Planning Officer in Irvine and from 1981 to 1995 the post was Technical Director. He remained there until his retirement in 1995.


Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland    
Item 2 of 4Apt 7d/405, West 23rd Street, New York, United States of AmericaPrivatec. 1964  
Item 3 of 4County Hall/1, Lancaster Circus, Queensway, Birmingham, EnglandBusinessBefore 1979  
Item 4 of 4Perceton House, Irvine, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1984 *  

* 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 3Cumbernauld New Town Development Corporation    
Item 2 of 3Livingston New Town Development Corporation Architects Departmentc. 1970 Architect 
Item 3 of 3Irvine New Town Development Corporation (or Irvine Development Corporation)19791981Chief Architect 

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 11990Engineering works for Alexander Stephen & SonsIrvine AyrshireScotlandMachine erecting shop re-clad in brick and re-erected in Irvine. With Lance Smith of Ironbridge Gorge Museum, Shropshire.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6Close, Rob and Riches, Anne2012The Buildings of Scotland: Ayrshire & Arran New Haven and London: Yale University Pressp374
Item 2 of 6Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, A1996A History of Scottish Architecture  p574
Item 3 of 6RIBA1964The RIBA Kalendar 1964-65   
Item 4 of 6RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 5 of 6RIBA1979Directory of members   
Item 6 of 6RIBA1984RIBA Directory of members