Basic Biographical Details
| Name: | Ingolfur Helgason |
| Designation: | |
| Born: | Early 1940s(?) |
| Died: | |
| Bio Notes: | Ingolfur Helgason was born in Iceland. His interest in architecture was piqued by articles on the subject in an Icelandic art publication; but, finding there were no opportunities to train as an architect in his homeland, he considered where else he might go that was within easy (and inexpensive) reach. He settled on Scotland, studying at Edinburgh College of Art from 1959 to 1965 under Andrew Jackson, William Carmichael and others. He followed this with a three-year ECA course in Town and County Planning, on completion of which, in 1968, he secured a post in the South Eastern Regional Hospital Board. A year later he made a speculative approach to Robert Matthew’s firm RMJM, simply walking into their office and asking if any jobs were available. The approach was successful, and he was put to work on the research laboratories of Ninewells Hospital. He left after a year to join the Edinburgh University Architecture Research Unit (ARU), working under Professor Charles Robertson and alongside Thomas Henney and Andrew Gilmour – all formerly of RMJM – on a study of high-density post-war council housing in south London. Helgason was impressed at how well conceived many of these LCC schemes were, and in particular at the work of architects such as Peter Moro and Benson & Forsyth. He admired the double maisonettes designed not to overlook one another, and the clever responses to challenging sites, with a mass of pipes, sewers and train tunnels criss-crossing each other below ground. He also recalls observing the impact of the 1961 Parker Morris report on room layouts, including requirements for an entrance hall large enough for a pram, and directives as to the size of bedrooms and other areas. Such elements were brought to bear on ARU’s Juniper Street housing project in Tower Hamlets, with which Helgason was involved. In 1972 he left to take up a position teaching design in the Department of Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art, where he would remain until his retirement in 2002. While there, through the contacts of senior lecturer James Gray, he was invited by the International Laboratory of Architecture and Urban Design (ILAUD) – a group connected to CIAM and Team 10 – to take part in several six-week summer schools. These included the events at San Marino and Venice, where the focus was on responses to the very particular geographical settings and the problems they pose to building. Helgason expressed concern over the prevalence of computer-aided design, being of the opinion that the speed with which it is done and the superficial ‘perfection’ of the results obscure opportunities for reflection and refinement during the process. Helgason took over the practice of Robert Smart on the latter’s retirement. He married a historian, and they have at least two daughters. [Biography being compiled.] |
Employment and Training
Employers
| The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details): | |||||
| Name | Date from | Date to | Position | Notes | |
 | South East Regional Hospital Board, Architect's Department (or South Eastern Hospital Board) | 1968 | 1969 | ||
| Robert Matthew, Johnson-Marshall & Partners (RMJM) | 1969 | 1970 | ||
| Edinburgh University Housing Research Unit (HRU) / Architecture Research Unit (ARU) | 1970 | 1972 | ||
Buildings and Designs
| This 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 | |
| After 1969 | Ninewells Hospital and Medical School | Dundee | Scotland | As assistant for RMJM, working on the research laboratories | ||
| Early 1970s | Juniper Street housing | Tower Hamlets | London | England | Working for ARU | |
References
Bibliographic References
| The following books contain references to this : | ||||||
| Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | |
| Willis, Peter | 1977 | New architecture in Scotland | p92-5 Ninewells Hospital | ||
Archive References
| The following archives hold material relating to this : | ||||
| Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | |
| Courtesy of Ingolfur Helgason | Interview of Ingolfur Helgason by Jessica Taylor, 20 January 2009 | ||