Basic Biographical Details

Name: Boissevain & Osmond
Designation:  
Born:  
Died:  
Bio Notes: Paul Boissevain and Barbara Osmond were a husband and wife partnership.

Paul Boissevain was born on 19 December 1922 at Hilversum, Netherlands. He retained Dutch nationality all his life and did not join the RIBA. He married fellow architect Barbara Joan Osmond in Eton, Buckinghamshire in early 1947. The practice actually began in 1947 in Dublin as there was no work in the UK after the Second World War. Boissevain returned to the UK to teach at the AA in the session 1950-51 but it is not yet clear how long he continued teaching there. His first client was Shell for whom he designed refineries.

Paul Boissevain had two brothers (Walter, 1920-2005) and Roland 1931-2007) who ran the Merchant Adventurers Company (it is not yet clear what range of appliances this company manufactured in the mid-1960s). It was very much a family business: Walter Boissevain, its managing director, was also in charge of design and development; his brother Roland Boissevain was director in charge of marketing; Paul Boissevain acts as a consultant designer to the company.

The Head Office of this practice was in Epsom, Surrey with a branch office in Glasgow.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3Kings Shade Walk, Epsom, Surrey, England    
Item 2 of 32, Field Court, Gray's Inn, WC1, EnglandBusiness1959(?)  
Item 3 of 3Kimberley House, Somerset Place, Glasgow, ScotlandBusinessBefore 19701979 

Employment and Training

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 4Stanley George OwenMarch 1961July 1983Office Managerin Glasgow office
Item 2 of 4Barbara Joan Osmond (Mrs Boissevain)1970 * Partner 
Item 3 of 4Paul Boissevain1970 * Partner 
Item 4 of 4John Barrington Browne1979 Architect 

* earliest date known from documented sources.


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 25 Friday HouseFriday Street, near Dorking SurreyEngland 
Item 2 of 25 Loading TerminalGrangemouth StirlingshireScotlandWith George Davie Crawford & Partners, engineers
Item 3 of 25 WadersBosham SussexEngland 
Item 4 of 251957KitlandsWalton on the Hill SurreyEngland 
Item 5 of 251957Sydney Opera House  SydneyAustraliaPlaced 3rd in competition
Item 6 of 25c. 1958BroadsideHampstead LondonEngland 
Item 7 of 259 January 1959Deaf and Dumb InstituteLangside GlasgowScotland1st award in competition for new college - see details under 'construction/design events'
Item 8 of 251961The RedingsTotteridge Common LondonEngland 
Item 9 of 251963Adelphi Secondary School  GlasgowScotland 
Item 10 of 251964Douglas AcademyMilngavie GlasgowScotland 
Item 11 of 251965Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre  LondonEnglandIst prize
Item 12 of 251965Offices factory and showrooms for Merchant Adventurers Company Factory Feltham LondonEngland 
Item 13 of 251966Notre Dame Girl's SchoolDumbarton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 14 of 251967Our Lady and St Patrick's High SchoolDumbarton DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 15 of 251968Curnock Street housing for the Borough of CamdenCamden LondonEngland 
Item 16 of 251968James Watt Technical CollegeGreenock RenfrewshireScotland 
Item 17 of 251968North Ayrshire District General HospitalCrosshouse, Kilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 18 of 251969Argyll & Bute HospitalLochgilphead ArgyllScotlandIn progress
Item 19 of 251969Warehouses  GlasgowScotlandIn progress
Item 20 of 25c. 1969Ruchill Hospital for Infectious Diseases  GlasgowScotlandLaundry added
Item 21 of 251970House, Blackmoor FarmOckham SurreyEngland 
Item 22 of 25Before 1975Installation for Shell and BPBishopbriggs GlasgowScotland 
Item 23 of 25Before 1975Installations for Shell & BPBuncefield HertfordshireEngland 
Item 24 of 25Before 1975National Gallery extension  LondonEnglandCompetition design - placed 2nd
Item 25 of 25Before 1975Post-graduate residential housing, Emmanuel CollegeCambridge CambridgeshireEngland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 2 of 2Walker, Frank Arneil1986South Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew  p130

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Builder9 January 1959  'College of Further Education, Glasgow: Competition Results' p49; same title in same issue, pp56-59 includes illustrations of winning design (by this firm) and winner's report (pp56-57)
Item 2 of 2Builder20 March 1964  p640

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Courtesy of the Boissevain's daughter, Ros Bardi.Information via 'Contact Us' on website Sent May 2015