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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

J & J A Carrick
Architectural practice
Year Only
1934
Year Only
1982
James Carrick was born on 28 January 1880 in Glasgow. In 1893 he was articled to Peter Macgregor Chalmers and he remained as assistant until he joined the office of James Kennedy Hunter in Ayr. In the following year, 1900, he joined James Miller's Glasgow office for experience helping with the Glasgow International Exhibition of 1901. He returned to Hunter's in 1903. During these periods he studied at Glasgow School of Art and at The Glasgow and West of Scotland Technical College under Charles Gourlay and Alexander McGibbon, becoming an assistant teacher of Building Construction at the Technical College from 1901 to 1903. In 1904 he made a study tour of medieval and other buildings in the North of England, visiting Carlisle, Hexham, Newcastle, Durham, York, Ripon, Selby, Fountains and Kirkstall. Later travels took him to France, Spain, Italy, Egypt and India.

As an assistant Carrick had a larger-than-usual role in Hunter's office, particularly after his return from Miller's in 1903, an album of photographs preserved within the practice recording projects for which he had executive responsibility. His role in the others during his time as chief assistant are unknown. That role increased significantly when he became associate-in-charge rather than partner (a very early instance of such an arrangement) in 1910, and he was admitted LRIBA on 19 December of that year, his proposers being Hunter himself, James Miller and Henry Edward Clifford. He also taught Architecture and Building Construction at Ayr Academy from 1906 to 1910.

Carrick was on war service from 1915 to 1919 and reached the rank of Captain of the Royal Artillery, returning to his previous position in Hunter's office in 1920. When Hunter retired in 1928, Carrick left to set up practice on his own account, Hunter's practice being continued by his assistants Henry Sloan McNair and Andrew Douglas as James K Hunter Architects.

Carrick's son, James Andrew Carrick, born on 33 April 1911 and apprenticed to James Miller whilst studying at the Glasgow School of Architecture, joined his father's practice in 1931 or 1932 and was taken into partnership in 1934 under the style of J & J A Carrick. He had spent a month in England in 1930 to study ecclesiastical architecture, and in 1931 had won the Alexander Thomson travelling studentship, which he used for a three-month study tour of Rome and Northern Italy two years later; and in 1932 he had been runner-up for the Grissell Medal. He had obtained his diploma and passed the professional practice exam in summer 1933, enabling him to be admitted ARIBA on 4 December that year, his proposers being Andrew Graham Henderson, John Keppie and James Archibald Morris, an old friend of his father's. In 1934, the same year he was taken into partnership, he spent a month studying Greek buildings in Sicily and Southern Italy as Bourdon Memorial Student.

The elder Carrick was an excellent Arts and Crafts architect, mainly in an English Tudor-Jacobean idiom close in style to Miller's work. In the younger Carrick's hands the direction of the practice quickly changed, although traditional Arts and Crafts could still be provided according to the tastes of the client. The son was a significant modernist, as can be seen at Gourock and Rothesay Pavilions and to a lesser degree at Ayr Ice Rink, but his career was curtailed by the Second World War.

The elder Carrick died suddenly on 15 March 1940. The younger Carrick resumed practice after the war and was elected FRIBA in 1953, at which time he was still practising from Wellington Chambers. The practice continued operating in central and southern Scotland until 1982 when it merged with Cowie Torry and Partners and became Carrick Cowie and Torry. The new partnership took over the practice of T K Irving and Partners of Stranraer in 1985 and in 1999 changed its name to Carricks, James Andrew Carrick having died in 1989.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architectural practice:

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
Wellington House/7 Alloway Place Ayr Ayrshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1934After 1964
3 Barns Street Ayr Ayrshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1980

Partners, Employees and Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architectural practice (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2

NamePositionDate FromDate ToNotes
James Muir AustinArchitect
James CarrickPartnerIn year 1934In year 1940
James Andrew CarrickPartnerIn year 1934In year 1982
Larmont Douglas Penman (junior)AssistantIn year 1935In year 1939
(Miss) Janet Craig Stewart GilfillanApprentice1935/061935/09holiday work during diploma studies
(Miss) Janet Craig Stewart GilfillanApprentice1936/061936/09holiday work during diploma studies
(Miss) Janet Craig Stewart GilfillanApprentice1937/061937/09
Clark FyfeAssistantIn year 1938
James Walker TurnerArchitectIn year 1970Before 1980
Ronald Charles GrahamPartnerBefore 1970After 1980
James Gardner HutchesonPartnerBefore 1975After 1980
Ronald R IrvingPartnerMid 1980s

Buildings and Designs

This architectural practice was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
Seafield House and lodgeB1930sAyrAyrshireScotlandCasualty and Outpatients' Departments
Stair HouseAIn year 1934TarboltonAyrshireScotlandRestoration and reconditioning
House for Mrs CunninghamAIn year 1934AllowayAyrshireScotland
House for Miss DobbieAIn year 1934AllowayAyrshireScotland
House for J HendrieAIn year 1934AllowayAyrshireScotland
House for Mrs PopplewellAIn year 1934AyrAyrshireScotland
House for R W GordonAIn year 1934SymingtonAyrshireScotland
House for T McBurnieAIn year 1934AllowayAyrshireScotland
Building and décor for the Pageant of AyrAIn year 1934AyrAyrshireScotland
Coatbridge Public Baths, swimming pool and clinicAIn year 1934CoatbridgeLanarkshireScotlandCompetition design - not placed
Burns MuseumBAfter 1934Before 1953AllowayAyrshireScotlandExtension
Villa, 1 Craigweil RoadAAfter 1934Before 1953AyrAyrshireScotlandExtensions
Farm buildings, Low KilphinAAfter 1934Before 1953BallantraeAyrshireScotland
Farm buildings, BlackhillAAfter 1934Before 1953Ayr (near)AyrshireScotland
Farm buildings, WhitehillAAfter 1934Before 1953Ayr (near)AyrshireScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Walker, Frank ArneilSouth Clyde Estuary: An Illustrated Architectural Guide to Inverclyde and Renfrew1986p141
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Press
Johnston, W TArtists of Scotland2003Officina Publications CDROM
Municipal AnnualScottish Municipal Annual19641964-1965

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this architectural practice:

Arc ref

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuildingItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumL v6 no342 (microfiche reel 31); F no3528 (box 25) (James Carrick)
Carricks Practice RecordsAyrshire Archives