Basic Biographical Details

Name: Duncan McCulloch (junior)
Designation:  
Born: 27 November 1911
Died: 1959
Bio Notes: Duncan McCulloch, denoted 'junior', was born at 25 Polmadie Road, Glasgow, on 27 November 1911, the son of Duncan McCulloch, journeyman joiner, and his wife Sarah Winning who had married in 1908. He took classes at Glasgow High School from September 1925 and subsequently attended evening classes at Glasgow School of Art whilst serving a four-year apprenticeship apprenticeship with Gillespie & Kidd from 1926. He remained with the same firm, which had become Gillespie Kidd & Coia in 1927, as Chief Junior Assistant until 1932, supervising small contracts. In the latter year he obtained a scholarship to Glasgow School of Architecture, and a year later completed his certificate course and became a student member of the RIBA. In 1934 he joined Eric A Sutherland as junior assistant, being promoted to senior assistant in 1935. His work there consisted of 'considerable surveying and measuring work and full outside control and supervision of all contracts', including banks, churches, halls, cinemas and shops.

In 1937 McCulloch left Sutherland to enter the office of Sam Bunton as principal assistant, working mainly on housing developments, in many cases involving some 1750 houses with the associated public and communal buildings plus roads, sewage and services, the contract values being up to one and a quarter million pounds. He was promoted to chief assistant in 1939 and thereafter worked closely with Bunton on all aspects of his work, including his investigations into alternative building methods such as the application of plastics and poured concrete to building construction and the development of prefabrication. By this time McCulloch had been admitted an Associate of the Glasgow Institute of Architects.

McCulloch continued as Bunton's chief assistant after the latter's appointment as Architect-in-Charge of the Repair of War Damage in the Burgh of Clydebank in March 1941 and as Town Planning Consultant of the same burgh in October of the same year. He was admitted LRIBA on 16 December 1943, his proposers being Jack Antonio Coia, John Wilson and William James Smith.

By 1950 McCulloch had set up in practice in partnership with ___ Wilson and was operating from Union Bank Buildings in Ayr. His address given in the directory for 1953-54 is in Alberta in Canada, though he would still seem to have been operating as McCulloch & Wilson. Mcculloch died in 1959, though his name was retained in the practice title. By 1960 the practice name was Bell & McCulloch with an office at 10607-100 Avenue, Edmonton and by 1970 Bell, McCulloch, Spotowski & Associates of 10975 124th Street, Edmonton.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 3115, Ledard Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1939 *  
Item 2 of 314, Bolivar Terrace, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1943 *  
Item 3 of 3Union Bank Buldings/130, High Street, Ayr, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1950 *  

* earliest date known from documented sources.

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 8Gillespie & Kidd19261927Apprentice 
Item 2 of 8Gillespie Kidd & Coia19271930Apprentice 
Item 3 of 8Gillespie Kidd & Coia19301932Junior AssistantChief Junior Assistant
Item 4 of 8Eric Alexander Sutherland19321935Junior Assistant 
Item 5 of 8Eric Alexander Sutherland19351937Senior Assistant 
Item 6 of 8Sam Bunton19371939Senior Assistant 
Item 7 of 8Sam Bunton1939After 1943Chief Assistant 
Item 8 of 8McCulloch & Wilson1950 * Partner 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Jack Antonio Coia16 December 1943for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 3(Professor) William James Smith16 December 1943for Licentiateship
Item 3 of 3John Wilson16 December 1943for Licentiateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4Post Office Directories     
Item 2 of 4RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 4RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 4 of 4RIBA1972RIBA Directory 1972   

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no5350 (combined box 73)