Basic Biographical Details

Name: Thomas David Williams Astorga
Designation:  
Born: Early 1923
Died: 25 March 2017
Bio Notes: Thomas David Williams Astorga was born in the Spring of 1923. He studied architecture at Manchester and was awarded a Diploma in Town Planning there. He was elected ARIBA in 1950.

From 1950-1954 he held the post of Senior Assistant Architect with Lancashire County Council. As such he worked under the County Architect G Noel Hill on police stations, housing, clinics, law courts and public buildings. In 1954 he moved to become Principal Assistant Architect with Birmingham Regional Hospital Board, the Regional Architect at this date being Donald Goldfinch. In this post he worked on hospitals and was in charge of the Board's development office. During this period he also lectured to final year students at Birmingham School of Architecture & Design & Building Construction. In 1955 he was external examiner at Leeds Centre for the RIBA on building materials.

After five years, in 1959, he moved again to become Deputy Regional Architect in the Architects Department of Leeds Regional Hospital Board. He was responsible for the day to day organisation and running of the department and deputised for the Regional Architect, Philip Nash, on a whole range of duties when Nash was absent.

On 1 August 1966 Astorga was appointed Regional Architect of the Western Regional Hospital Board and was based in Glasgow. He was responsible for all architectural matters and developments relating to hospitals and health care throughout the region. Much work was undertaken by his department but when architects in private practice undertook work for the Board, close liaison was required. There were 45 professional and technical staff working under him in the department in the 1960s. They dealt with major development planning work, liaison and advisory matters as well as executing major development schemes. In 1968 the capital programme in progress and planning was worth £55m.

He was elected FRIBA on 4 December 1968, his proposers being Philip Bertram Nash, Thomas Noel Mitchell and Barrymore Warwick East. In his statement Nash said that Astorga was a ‘first class architect and designer’ and that he had played an important part of the design of the hospital at Hull. The Burns’ Unit at Wakefield hospital was ‘Mr Astorga’s conception’. In the mid-1960s he was appointed by the Minister of Health to serve on the Committee of Enquiry on Hospital Building Maintenance and the Work of Building Supervisors under the chairmanship of D E Woodbine Parish.

By 1984 the title of his post had become Chief Architect of the Building Division, Common Services Agency, Scottish Health Service, Glasgow. By 1994 he had retired. In 2011 he was living in Cheshire.

After five years, in 1959, he moved again to become Deputy Regional Architect in the Architects Department of Leeds Regional Hospital Board. He was responsible for the day to day organisation and running of the department and deputised for the Regional Architect, PHilip Nash, on a whole range of duties when Nash was absent.

On 1 August 1966 Astorga was appointed Regional Architect of the Western Regional Hospital Board and was based in Glasgow. He was responsible for all architectural matters and developments relating to hospitals and health care throughout the region. Much work was undertaken by his department but when architects in private practice undertook work for the Board, close liaison was required. There were 45 professional and technical staff working under him in the departmetn in the 1960s. They dealt with major development planning work, liason and advisory matters as well as executing major development schemes. In 1968 the capital programme in porgress and planning was worth £55m.

He was elected FRIBA in 1968. In 1984 He was Chief Architect opf the Building Division, Common Services Agency, Scottish Health Service, Glasgow. By 1994 he had retired.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 510, South Drive, Altrincham, Cheshire, EnglandPrivate(?)c. 1954  
Item 2 of 519, Leeds Road, Harrogate, Yorkshire, EnglandPrivate(?)1960 *  
Item 3 of 515, Boclair Crescent, Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate1968 *  
Item 4 of 5Clifton House, Clifton Place, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1984 *  
Item 5 of 510, Boclair Crescent, Bearsden, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate(?)1994  

* 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 4Lancashire County Architect's Department19501954Senior Assistant 
Item 2 of 4Birmingham Regional Hospital Board19541959Principal Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Leeds Regional Hospital Board19591966Depute Chief Architect 
Item 4 of 4Western Regional Hospital Board1 August 1966Late 1980sChief Architect 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Barrymore Warwick East4 December 1968For Fellowship
Item 2 of 3Tom Noel Mitchell4 December 1968For Fellowship
Item 3 of 3Philip Bertram Nash4 December 1968For Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1Douglas Gordon McKellar Adam25 July 1970For 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 51967Southern General Hospital, Institute of Neurological Sciences  GlasgowScotlandAs architect to the Western Regional Hospital Board
Item 2 of 51967Stirling Royal Infirmary, Maternity UnitStirling StirlingshireScotland 
Item 3 of 51968Canniesburn Hospital, Plastic Surgery Unit Bearsden GlasgowScotlandregional architect in sucession to R T Cunningham
Item 4 of 51968Stirling Royal InfirmaryStirling StirlingshireScotlandworked in association with Keppie Henderson & Partners on kitchen and dining block as Regional Architect to Scottish Western Regional Hospital Board
Item 5 of 51973Dalrymple HospitalStranraer WigtownshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6RIBA1954RIBA Kalendar 1953-54   
Item 2 of 6RIBA1961Kalendar 1960-61   
Item 3 of 6RIBA1979Directory of members   
Item 4 of 6RIBA1984RIBA Directory of members   
Item 5 of 6RIBA1994A Directory of RIBA Members   
Item 6 of 6Williamson, Riches, Higgs1990Glasgow (The Buildings of Scotland)  p594