Basic Biographical Details

Name: Frank Arneil Walker
Designation:  
Born: 3 June 1938
Died:  
Bio Notes: Frank Arneil Walker was born on 3 June 1938. He studied at the Glasgow School of Architecture from 1955 to 1960, receiving as well as the 'RIAS Quarterly' Essay Prize, the John Keppie Scholarship and the Gilt Medallion in his final year.

Having graduated Dip.Arch in 1960, he secured employment as an assistant in the Glasgow practice of Wilson, Hamilton & Wilson. He passed the professional practice exam in the following year, and moved to the office of Frank Fielden. In 1964 Fielden made him an Associate, the firm then becoming Frank Fielden & Associates. Walker had been admitted ARIBA in 1962 and was made an Associate of the RIAS in 1966. During this period, he taught part-time at the design studio of the University of Strathclyde's Department of Architecture and Building Science.

He left Fielden in 1967 to enter into partnership with John Campbell Cunningham as Walker & Cunningham. The practice had offices in the Royal Exchange Buildings, where Fielden's firm was also based. Walker continued to teach part-time at the University of Strathclyde design studio, as well as lecturing on history and theory and supervising dissertations. Having carried out a range of industrial, commercial, community and domestic work, the partnership was dissolved in 1972.

During the 1970s Walker turned to an academic career. He spent a month on a research exchange with a professor in the Technical University of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia in 1970, and was a visiting associate professor at the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey for four months in 1974. In 1976 research visits were made to Warsaw and Lodz. In 1977 he was briefly course tutor for the Open University course 'History of Architecture and Design, 1890-1939'. In the latter year he also secured a British Council scholarship that enabled him to carry out research in Czechoslovakia.

In 1979 he was awarded a PhD from the University of Strathclyde for his thesis on 'Architecture in the Czech Lands: a study in stylistic development, with particular reference to the years c.1830-1930'. He retained his connections with the University thereafter, becoming senior lecturer (1982-8), reader (1988-92), Chairman of the Department (1991-4) and professor (from 1992). He acted as an external examiner to the University of Dundee (1993-6) and Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen (1995-8), and travelled extensively, both to deliver lectures and to attend conferences, some of which he helped organise. He was also intermittently engaged in architectural consultancy work, latterly including historical assessment reports for: Custom House Quay, Glasgow; and Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

In addition to numerous journal articles and reviews, Walker is the author of a number of books, including volumes in the 'Buildings of Scotland' and 'RIAS Architectural Guides' series.
Walker has been involved in the committees and councils of many architecture-related bodies. In 2001 he was appointed OBE for services to architectural history and conservation.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 412, Marjory Drive, Paisley, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivatec. 1960After 1965 
Item 2 of 4Royal Exchange Buildings, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness19611972 
Item 3 of 4111, Glasgow Road, Paisley, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivate/business(?)1979  
Item 4 of 4Janefield, Gillburn Road, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire, ScotlandPrivate1979After 1994 

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 4Wilson, Hamilton & Wilson19601961Assistant 
Item 2 of 4Frank Fielden19611964Assistant 
Item 3 of 4Frank Fielden & Associates19641967Associate 
Item 4 of 4Walker & Cunningham19671972Partner 

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 41964University of Strathclyde, Department of Architecture and Building Science  GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 4After 1964National Engineering Laboratory, Scottish Research Reactor Centre officesEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotland 
Item 3 of 4After 1964University of Glasgow, Refectory  GlasgowScotlandIn collaboration with W V Zinn & Associates
Item 4 of 4After 1967National Engineering Laboratory, Reynolds BuildingEast Kilbride LanarkshireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 6RIBA1961Kalendar 1960-61   
Item 2 of 6RIBA1965The RIBA Kalendar   
Item 3 of 6RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 4 of 6RIBA1979Directory of members   
Item 5 of 6RIBA1984RIBA Directory of members   
Item 6 of 6RIBA1994A Directory of RIBA Members   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Courtesy of Frank Arneil WalkerInformation sent to DSA Detailed CV.