James Morris, 74, impression upon the architectural landscape of Scotland is huge
Shrike!
http://news.scotsman.com/obituaries.cfm?id=1237192006
James Morris
JAMES MORRIS, RSA, RIBA, FRIAS Architect
Born: 22 August, 1931, in Strathkinness, Fife.
Died: 16 August, 2006, in Pennsylvania, United States, aged 74.
JAMES Morris's impression upon the architectural landscape of Scotland
is huge. Private houses, bridges, hotels and even a hidden BP oil
installation all bear the hallmark of his creativity, courage and vision.
James Morris was born at Strathkinnes, near St Andrews, in 1931. He
was the son of Johanna Sime Malcolm and Thomas Shepherd Morris, a
chief architect at the Scottish Office.
Morris attended Daniel Stewart's College and studied architecture at
the Edinburgh College of Art, where he was awarded the Andrew Carnegie
Scholarship to travel in Europe in 1953. In Zurich, Switzerland, he
worked for the modern architects Alfred Roth and Philip Bridel. The
cleanliness and tidiness of this beautiful country and the general
well-being and health of everybody, compared to the Scots in
Edinburgh, impressed him greatly.
On completion of his architectural degree, in 1955, Morris was awarded
a Fulbright Scholarship to attend the first course of master of
landscape architecture at the University of Pennsylvania under
Professor Ian McHarg from 1956-7. While at "Penn", he studied with
Philip Johnson and Louis Kahn and his eyes were opened to responsible
environmental design.
From 1958-9, he served his two years of National Service as a first
lieutenant in the Royal Engineers. After being demobbed and back in
the US, he married Eleanor Houston Smith Morris in Philadelphia in 1959.
In 1955, with the help of his father, Morris had designed and built
one of the first modern houses in Scotland - the iconic Tomlinson
House, in Cramond, Edinburgh. The ideas that he had developed in his
time abroad informed the design of this first house, which he designed
in conjunction with his partner, Robert Steedman. Morris described his
approach: "In the Tomlinson House, we were able to put ideas that were
suited to the climate of Scotland and to the need of modern living.
Great care was taken with an inglenook for the long winter nights, for
glass enclosures to make the most of the Scottish sunshine and give
protection from the winds, and to open up the wonderful views of the
Scottish countryside."
Following Tomlinson house, Morris and Steedman formally set up
business in Edinburgh. The practice designed and built a further 15
private houses between 1955-75 of which Morris designed ten. Included
in these ten houses was his home, the celebrated glass house near
Humbie, East Lothian. In these houses, he pioneered modern design in
Scotland using the latest technology, engineering and construction
techniques. Historic Scotland is now producing a thematic study of the
Morris and Steedman houses of this period. He received ten Civic Trust
Awards (1962-90) for projects such as Sauchie Main Street, Yellow
Craigs, Almondell Foot Bridge, Grey Walls Hotel and several private
houses.
In 1965, Morris designed the Nurses Unit at the Princess Margaret Rose
Hospital, Edinburgh, that became the "Building of the Year" in
Scotland in 1966. He was awarded the British Steel Award for the
Wolfson Institute, in Glasgow, in 1971. For the Countryside Commission
and Interpretation Centre, at Battleby, Perth, he received the Royal
Institute of British Architects Award, 1974, the RIBA Award for
Scotland, 1975 and the Civic Trust Heritage Year Award, 1975.
Sir Robert Matthew appointed him to design the Edinburgh University
student centre complex. The first phase, a health centre, was opened
in 1974, a student centre was opened in 1976 and a final addition, a
night club, was opened in 1997. Other buildings in this period
included the Wolfson Institute at Strathclyde University, hotels in
Edinburgh and Glasgow for Esso, and extensions to Greywalls Hotel in
East Lothian.
Morris also embarked on major landscape projects that transformed the
landscape of Scotland that had recently discovered oil. He managed to
conceal the British Petroleum installations inside a coal byng at
Dalmeny Tank Farm, West Lothian. For this, he was awarded the Premier
Award for the European Architecture Heritage Year Award in 1975.
Morris continued in his architectural practice for 50 years from 1955
to 2005, designing housing, offices, hospitals and landscape works. He
designed the Scottish Office Agriculture Environment and Fisheries
Department offices at Thanestone and won the Gordon District Council
Award in 1995 and two highly commended Geraldine Scott Design Awards.
He was a member of the Arts Council of Great Britain (1973-80) and
became vice-chairman, Scottish Arts Council (1976-80) and chairman,
SAC art committee which he enjoyed immensely. He was a founding member
of the management committee of Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre (1961-70).
Morris also served on the councils of the Edinburgh Architectural
Association and the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)
(1969-71) and the Scottish Cockburn Association (1980s). He was
convenor of the Fellowship Commission of the Royal Institute of
Architects in Scotland (1982-7), for whom he designed and established
the fellowship medal.
Morris was elected an associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1975,
and elected academician of the RSA in 1989. He was member of council,
RSA, 1990-9 and 2002-3 and honorary treasurer from 1991-9. In his
later years, he painted many watercolors, which were exhibited at the RSA.
For his last project, a modern house in Edinburgh, he collaborated
with his architect son, Houston Morris. This house has been exhibited
at the Summer Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy and is
currently in the Summer Exhibition of the Royal Academy.
He greatly enjoyed club life, particularly the New Club, Edinburgh and
Valderrama Club de Golf, Sotogrande, Spain.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Eleanor, and three children,
and eight grandchildren.
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