Basic Biographical Details

Name: Douglas William McNair Calder
Designation:  
Born: 12 March 1916
Died: 29 September 2006
Bio Notes: Douglas William McNair Calder was born on 12 March 1916, the son of Ralph Forman Calder, commercial traveller, and his wife Agnes Godley. In October 1932 he embarked on the full-time five-year diploma course at the Municipal School of Architecture in Manchester. He was awarded a travelling scholarship during his final year and in the summer of that year, 1937, he made a study tour of France and Germany. He was elected ARIBA on 4 April 1938, proposed by G B Howard, Isaac Taylor (in whose office he had worked briefly in 1936) and Joseph Addison. He later became a qualified town planner.

In late 1937 he took up a post with the LCC as assistant with Fulham Borough Council where he worked mainly on the design and construction of flats. The following year he moved to Easington Rural District Council and worked on the layout and type plans of village housing schemes.

During the war years Calder served with the Royal Navy. After the cease of hostilities, he moved to Edinburgh to a post with Dick Peddie Mckay & Jamieson where he was principally employed on the design and construction of a hotel (probably the extensions to the Killin Hotel) but stayed there only briefly as later in 1946 he took up an appointment as chief assistant with Westmorland County Council. His work in Westmorland consisted of a review of all county schools, the design and construction of two primary schools, of the County Architect’s office, a rural fire station and a secondary school.

From 1950-58 he worked as architect and planning officer with the Isle of Man Local Government Board. There he was responsible for a nurses’ home, several village housing schemes, farm workers’ houses, nurses’ houses connected with an old people’s home, a clinic and two memorials as well as TT shelters.

In 1958 he moved to Inverness to the post of County Architect and Planning Officer. He was elected FRIBA on 6 October 1965, his proposers being F Chippendale, head of the Manchester Municipal School of Architecture, William Sinclair Gauldie and Jack Coia. He remained in Inverness, his post subsequently being known as Director of Physical Planning. Before 1965 he had been responsible for the following: the Technical College in Inverness, a secondary school and major extensions to two other secondaries, four junior secondaries, two primary schools, a handicap school, village housing schemes, as well as police stations and clinics.

Calder retired in 1974 and resigned his membership of the RIBA in 1977. Calder died on 29 September 2006, aged 90. His wife, Sheilah Ethel Margaret Burton, who had been an artist, had predeceased him.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 6Aden House/5, Annfield Raod, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate 2006 
Item 2 of 649, Fairholme Road, South Kensington, London, EnglandPrivate1938 *  
Item 3 of 6Isle of Man Local Government Board, Douglas, EnglandBusinessLate 1950s  
Item 4 of 641, Southside Road, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivate1965  
Item 5 of 64, Heathcote Gardens, Inverness, Inversness-shire, ScotlandPrivate1970s  
Item 6 of 6County Buildings, Ardross Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusiness1970 *  

* 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 7Isaac Taylor1936 Assistant 
Item 2 of 7London County Council Architects' Department (LCC Architects' Department)19371938Assistant 
Item 3 of 7Easington Rural District Council, Architect's Department19381939Assistant 
Item 4 of 7Dick Peddie, McKay & Jamieson1946 Assistant 
Item 5 of 7Westmorland County Council Architects Department19461950Chief Assistant 
Item 6 of 7Isle of Man Local Government Board Architect's Department19501958Architect 
Item 7 of 7Inverness County Architect's Office19581974Chief Architect 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6Joseph Addison4 April 1938For Associateship
Item 2 of 6Frank Chippindale6 October 1965For Fellowship
Item 3 of 6Jack Antonio Coia6 October 1965For Fellowship
Item 4 of 6William Sinclair Gauldie6 October 1965For Fellowship
Item 5 of 6G B Howard4 April 1938For Associateship
Item 6 of 6Isaac Taylor4 April 1938For Associateship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1Robert McMillan Clive5 October 1966For Fellowship

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 10After 1950Laxey war memorialLaxeyIse of Man England 
Item 2 of 101952SchoolDaliburghSouth UistInverness-shireScotlandAs Inverness-shire County Architect.
Item 3 of 101960Inverness College of Further and Higher EducationInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAs County Architect.
Item 4 of 101963Iochdar SchoolIochdarSouth UistInverness-shire As County Architect
Item 5 of 101963SchoolPaibleNorth UistInverness-shireScotlandAs County Architect.
Item 6 of 1028 August 1964Holiday Village, AviemoreAviemore Inverness-shireScotlandPlans prepared, under consideration
Item 7 of 101967Lochaber High SchoolFort William Inverness-shireScotland4-storey extension - as County Architect.
Item 8 of 101968Housing at north end of villageAviemore Inverness-shireScotlandAs County Architect
Item 9 of 101968SchoolAviemore Inverness-shireScotlandAs County Architect.
Item 10 of 101973Primary School, BalivanichBalivanichBenbeculaInverness-shireScotlandAs County Architect.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder28 August 1964  p454

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2H M Register HouseDeath Register  
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers A no6694; F no5725 (Combined Box 97) (Associateship Papers not included).