Basic Biographical Details Name: | James Harry Routledge | Designation: | | Born: | 18 November 1932 | Died: | | Bio Notes: | James Harry Routledge was born on 18 November 1932, From 1950-55 he served his articles in the office of Weddell & Thomson and at the same time attended the part-time course at Glasgow School of Art. In 1955 he moved to Edinburgh and for two years studied fuill-time at Edinburgh College of Art. In 1957 he returned to Glasgow to an assistant post in the office of William Baillie & Sons. The following year he transferred to a similar post with James Taylor who employed him as a draughtsman, mainly working on educational and industrial projects. He remained with Taylor until 1960.
Routledge made two trips abroad during his training, visiting Spain as part of the architectural group in 1955 and making an independent trip to Austria in 1959. He sat parts I and II of the final exam in December of that year and the professional practice exam in November 1960. He was elected ARIBA on 7 February 1961, proposed by James Taylor, Frank Fielden and George Ferguson Smellie Shanks. He was elected ARIAS four years later.
1960-61 was spent as an assistant with the Architect's Department of the Scottish Gas Board in Granton, Edinburgh (though he gives the GAs Board's address in Glasgow for his place of business) and for some months in the latter year he worked with Crudens in Musselburgh. Routledge returned to Glasgow later in 1961 as a senior assistant with Gratton & McLean. In 1963 he joined the practice of William Murdoch Rigg McMenan as associate partner. McMenan died in 1965 and Routledge was thus responsible for all the design and construction work which included schools, shopping centres, housing, banks and industrial commissions. He remained with the McMenan practice for three and a half years.
In 1968 he spent a matter of months as Principal Architect in the commercial department of Glenrothes Development Corporation, working under Mervyn Hughes but later that year moved to the Corporation of Kilmarnock as Deputy Burgh Architect. He was appointed Chief Architect in September 1969. In this post he had full responsibility for all buildings erected in the burgh: housing, commercial centres, industrial buildings, social centres, including health clinics, an abattoir and buildings relating to the new town centre. Hwe also had a range of administrative responsibilities including meeting with clients - for example people who wanted to open a new factory - as well as meetings with Kilmarnock Town Council.
Routledge was elected FRIBA on 7 October 1970, porposed by Merlyn Christopher Hughes (who was chief architect of Glenrothes Development Corporation and who described Routledge as an 'able designer with a flair for imaginative thoguht and the initiative of being able to carry out projects quickly', Thomas Riddell Hughes and Derek Dickson Sutherland.
Routledge moved to Devon before 1979 and was a partner in the Michael Tyrell Routledge Partnership.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 126, Ralston Avenue, Paisley, Renfrerwshire, Scotland | Private | c. 1960 | | | | Scottish Gas Board/9, George Square, Glasgow, Scotland | Business | 1961 * | | | | 24, Buchlyvie Road, Ralston, Paisley, Renfrewshire, Scotland | Private | 1961 | After 1965 | | | 8, John Dickie Street, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland | Private | 1968 | | | | 56, Woodlands Grove, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, Scotland | Private | 1968 | After 1970 | | | 52, Fore Street, Brixham, Torbay, Devon, England | Business | 1979 | | | | 48, Prospect Road, Brixham, Devon, England | Private | 1984 * | After 1994 | |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
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 | | c. 1961 | Comprehensive High School | Cumbernauld | | Lanarkshire | Scotland | As assistant with Gratton & McLean | | 1972 | Carpark, Foregate | Kilmarnock | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As Burgh Architect |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA | 1961 | Kalendar 1960-61 | | | | | RIBA | 1965 | The RIBA Kalendar | | | | | RIBA | 1970 | RIBA Directory 1970 | | | | | RIBA | 1979 | Directory of members | | | | | RIBA | 1984 | RIBA Directory of members | | | | | RIBA | 1994 | A Directory of RIBA Members | | | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIAS, Rutland Square | Records of membership | | | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | James Harry Routledge: A no21519, F no7250 (Combined Box 181) |
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