Basic Biographical Details Name: | Leonard George Pargiter | Designation: | | Born: | 11 July 1907 | Died: | July 1984 | Bio Notes: | Leonard George Pargiter was born on 11 July 1907. From 1921 to 1924 he studied full-time at Willesden School of Art and from 1925 to 1929 he took evening classes at the Regent Street Polytechnic and the Northern Polytechnic. He was exempted from the RIBA Intermediate exams. However he did not complete his studies because of a ‘medical condition’. From 1924 to 1930 he worked in the office of George Vernon, initially as an articled pupil but remaining as assistant after the completion of his articles. In 1930 he took a post as assistant in the LCC Schools Division where he worked on design and drawings. In 1932 he became an assistant in the London office of Alister G Macdonald; from 1933 to 1937 he was associate in charge of the Edinburgh office and carried out all work north of Manchester. In the latter year, 1937, he took a post as architectural assistant in the Ministry of Works and would appear to have been based in London. His Nomination Papers state that he made sketcvh designs for a number of post offices after taking up this position. Although he was a member of the Edinburgh Architectural Association in 1939-40, his address at this date was in Middlesex. From September 1941 he held ‘an executive position’ and by 1951 was responsible for a section of the Ministry’s architectural staff.
Pargiter was elected LRIBA at the late date of 1951, proposed by A G Alexander (Andrew Gordon Alexander?), Alister Gladstone MacDonald and Robert Atkins. At the time of his election as FRIBA two years later in 1953, proposed by Sir Charles J Mole of the Ministry of Works, Thomas Smith Tait and Gordon Tait, he was still with the Ministry of Works where he stayed for the remainder of his career.
Pargiter retired to Devon. He resigned from the RIBA in 1982 and died in July 1984 in Chichester, Sussex.
| Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 41, Rowlands Avenue, Hatch End, Middlesex, England | Private/business(?) | 1939 | After 1953 | | | Craigcrook/12, East Field, West Hill, Ottery St Mary, Devon, England | Business | 1970s | 1980s | |
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA Proposers
Buildings and DesignsThis 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 | | 1932 | Playhouse Cinema | Montrose | | Angus | Scotland | As architect in charge of Edinburgh office of Alister MacDonald | | 1932 | Playhouse Cinema | Elgin | | Morayshire | Scotland | As architect in charge of Edinburgh office of Alister G MacDonald | | 1932 | Playhouse Cinema | Peebles | | Peeblesshire | Scotland | As architect in charge in the Edinburgh office of Alister MacDonald | | 1933 | News Reel Theatre, Waverley Station | | | Edinburgh | Scotland | As architect in charge of Edinburgh office of Alister G MacDonald - not executed | | After 1933 | Mayfair Cinema | Whitefield | | Manchester | England | As architect in charge of Edinburgh office of Alister G MacDonald (which dealt with everyhting north of Manchester) | | 1934 | Broadway Cinema | Prestwick | | Ayrshire | Scotland | As architect in charge of the Edinburgh office of Alister G MacDonald | | 1936 | Lyceum cinema and theatre | Dumfries | | Dumfriesshire | Scotland | As architect in charge of Edinburgh office of Alister G MacDonald | | 1940s | Building Trades Training Centre | | | London | England | As architect with the Ministry of Works | | 1940s | New Courts, Royal Court of Justice | | | London | England | As architect in charge with the Ministry of Works | | 1941 | Admiralty Research Station | Greenock | | Renfrewshire | Scotland | As architect with the Ministry of Works | | After 1947 | Colonial Office | Westminster | | London | England | Acted as Liasion Officer between Ministry of Works and Burnet Tait and Lorne | | After 1947 | Foreign Office building | | | London | England | As architect with the Ministry of Works - modernisation | | After 1947 | Government offices | | | London | England | Control of building contracts - as architect with the Ministry of Works | | After 1947 | Government offices, Horseferry Road | | | London | England | Acted as Liaison architect between Ministry of Works and architects | | After 1947 | House of Commons | | | London | England | Rebuilding - acted as Laiison Architect between Ministry of Works and architects | | After 1947 | Hyde Park, boat house | | | London | England | As architect with the Ministry of Works | | After 1947 | Office building for Ministry of Works | | | London | England | As architect with the Ministry of Works | | c. 1947 | Clarence House | | | London | England | Restoration of Regency character |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA | 1939 | The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 | | London: Royal Institute of British Architects | |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this : | | Source | Archive Name | Source Catalogue No. | Notes | | RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum | RIBA Nomination Papers | | L no6486 (Combined Box 142); F no4784 (Combined Box 35) |
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