Basic Biographical Details

Name: James Stuart Renton
Designation:  
Born: 15 September 1929
Died: April 2006
Bio Notes: James Stuart Renton was born on 15 September 1929, the son of William Renton, structural engineer and his wife Mary Crighton. He studied at the School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art and was admitted ARIBA in 1953. The period from mid-1953 until 1954 was spent undertaking National Service. At the latter date he joined the practice of Alan Reiach as senior assistant, later architect and remained in this position until March 1958 at which point he became a Principal in partnership. He was elected ARIAS in 1957. He stayed with the practice when it was amalgamated as Alan Reiach Eric Hall & Partners in April 1965. He was elected FRIBA in 1969, proposed by Alan Reiach, William Alister Miller and George Alexander Macnab. Reiach described him as a ‘brilliant designer and has real architectural imagination’.

In his Fellowship Paper Renton stated that he was the partner in charge of a project group dealing with a variety of new buildings – hospitals, schools, university buildings, and housing. In 1969 the significant projects in hand were the New Club, Princes Street, ward upgrading at McKinnon House, the Royal Edinburgh hospital, sports complexes at Stirling and Heriot Watt Universities, and academic core buildings for Heriot Watt including lecture theatres and restaurants.

He was senior partner and chairman from 1982 -91 and consultant 1991-4. He retired in 1994.

He died on 23 January 2006 at the Royal Infirmary Perth, survived by his wife Joan Ethie Sloan.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 4Grianan, Killichonan, Loch Rannoch, Perthshire, ScotlandPrivate 2005 
Item 2 of 410, Wemyss Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1957  
Item 3 of 4Clapperfield, Nether Liberton, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1964 *After 1994 
Item 4 of 416, Moray Place, Edinburgh, ScotlandBusiness1970 *  

* 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 4Reiach Hall Blyth (Iran)  Partner 
Item 2 of 4Alan Reiach & Partners1956 Partner 
Item 3 of 4Alan Reiach Eric Hall & Partners1965 Partner 
Item 4 of 4Reiach & Hall19822000s(?)ArchitectChairman

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3(Professor) George Alexander Macnab (misspelt McNab)16 July 1969For Fellowship
Item 2 of 3William Alistair Miller16 July 1969For Fellowship
Item 3 of 3Alan Reiach16 July 1969For Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 2(Professor) George Alexander Macnab (misspelt McNab)16 July 1969For Fellowship
Item 2 of 2William Alistair Miller17 July 1968For Fellowship

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 681956University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush Veterinary Field StationRoslin Edinburgh  
Item 2 of 681957Belhaven HospitalDunbar East LothianScotlandAdditions
Item 3 of 68After 1958Secondary SchoolAyr AyrshireScotland 
Item 4 of 681959Easthouses ChurchDalkeith MidlothianScotlandBegun by Reiach and completed in partnership
Item 5 of 681959Housing scheme fo Messrs Crudens, NewhailesMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 6 of 681959Knox AcademyHaddington East LothianScotlandExtension to 1930s building
Item 7 of 681959Maitland Park Housing schemeMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 8 of 681950s or 1960sEdinburgh Academy, Western Classrooms  EdinburghScotlandLink between Western classrooms and old Mathematics block at NW of forecourt
Item 9 of 681960sForres AcademyForres MorayshireScotlandAlso swimming pool, uncertain date perhaps 1970s
Item 10 of 681960sHaddington 'face-lift' improvement schemeHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 11 of 681960sKnox Academy, Primary SchoolHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 12 of 681960sSecondary SchoolKilmarnock AyrshireScotland 
Item 13 of 681960sSenior Secondary SchoolKilwinning AyrshireScotland 
Item 14 of 681960George Wolfe HouseTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 15 of 6819621, 3 Winton Loan  EdinburghScotland 
Item 16 of 681962Ash HouseGartocharn DunbartonshireScotland 
Item 17 of 681962Festival Centre, Castle Terrace site  Edinburgh, MidlothianScotlandFurther schemes for Festival Centre
Item 18 of 681962Golspie High SchoolGolspie SutherlandScotland 
Item 19 of 681962Kildrum Parish ChurchCumbernauld LanarkshireScotland 
Item 20 of 681963City Hospital, flats for resident staff  EdinburghScotland 
Item 21 of 681963Rock CottagesTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 22 of 681963University of Edinburgh Appleton Tower (First Year Science Building)  EdinburghScotland 
Item 23 of 681964Fire StationHaddington East LothianScotland 
Item 24 of 681964Housing development  EdinburghScotlandRedevelopment of temporary housing
Item 25 of 681964Office blockMusselburgh MidlothianScotland 
Item 26 of 681964Portobello Old and Windsor Place Parish Church hallPortobello EdinburghScotland 
Item 27 of 681964Silverknowes Golf Club and Sports PavilionSilverknowes EdinburghScotland 
Item 28 of 68c. 1964GriananKillichonan, Loch Rannoch PerthshireScotland 
Item 29 of 681965University of Edinburgh, King's Buildings, Experimental Petrology  EdinburghScotland 
Item 30 of 68After 1965Bow Yett housing developmentTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 31 of 68After 1965North Gate housing developmentTorphichen West LothianScotland 
Item 32 of 681966Challenger LodgeTrinity EdinburghScotlandAdditions
Item 33 of 681966Craigleith House  EdinburghScotlandRedevelopment
Item 34 of 681966Dumbarton Civic Theatre and Community CentreDumbarton DunbartonshireScotlandUncertain if involved or not.
Item 35 of 681966New Club  EdinburghScotlandRedevelopment
Item 36 of 681967Denny Civic TheatreDenny StirlingshireScotlandPartner in charge
Item 37 of 681967German Church  EdinburghScotlandExecutant architects
Item 38 of 681967Greendykes Children's CentreCraigmillar EdinburghScotland 
Item 39 of 681968Heriot-Watt University, Maths, Physics and Chemistry departmentsRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 40 of 681968Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton CampusRiccarton Midlothian Partner in charge - specifically in charge of lecture theatres and restaurants etc
Item 41 of 681969Edinburgh Royal Lunatic Asylum  EdinburghScotlandWard upgrading - partner in charge
Item 42 of 681969Heriot-Watt University, sports centreRiccarton West LothianScotlandPartner in charge (according to his Fellowship Nomination Paper)
Item 43 of 681969Office block, 2, 2A and 3 Queen Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 44 of 681969University of Edinburgh, Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons  EdinburghScotland 
Item 45 of 68Late 1960sColeraine Technical CollegeColeraine LondonerryNorthern Ireland 
Item 46 of 681970Festival Centre, Castle Terrace site  Edinburgh, MidlothianScotlandThird scheme for Festival Centre
Item 47 of 681970Housing schemes for SSHA   ScotlandWork planned.
Item 48 of 681970Office block, 10 and 12 Young Street  EdinburghScotland 
Item 49 of 681970Police Headquarters  EdinburghScotlandPerhaps not involved?
Item 50 of 681970University of Stirling, sports buildings with swimming poolStirling StirlingshireScotlandWork planned. Partner in charge.
Item 51 of 681970Veterinary College  EdinburghScotlandWork planned.
Item 52 of 681970Western General Hospital, Human Genetics block  EdinburghScotland 
Item 53 of 681971ClapperfieldNether Liberton EdinburghScotland 
Item 54 of 681971Orchard Brae House  EdinburghScotland 
Item 55 of 681972Heriot-Watt University, Department of Civil EngineeringRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 56 of 681972Heriot-Watt University, Petroleum Engineering DepartmentRiccarton EdinburghScotlandPhase I
Item 57 of 681972Offices at North St David Street, west side  EdinburghScotland 
Item 58 of 681972SSHA housing, BranshillNew Sauchie ClackmannanshireScotland 
Item 59 of 681973Heriot-Watt University, Mechanical Engineering DepartmentRiccarton MidlothianScotland 
Item 60 of 681973Office development for Alex Lawrie  GlasgowScotland 
Item 61 of 681974Inverleith HouseInverleith EdinburghScotlandExtension
Item 62 of 681974Offices for Friends Provident, Charlotte Lane  EdinburghScotland 
Item 63 of 68Before 1975Heriot-Watt University, Riccarton Campus, students' hostelsRiccarton MidliothianScotland 
Item 64 of 68Before 1975University of St Andrews, students' hostelSt Andrews FifeScotland 
Item 65 of 681978Challenger LodgeTrinity EdinburghScotland 
Item 66 of 681979Syntex Research CentreRiccarton MidlothianScotlandPhase I
Item 67 of 681982Warehouse, Dundas Street and Eyre Place  EdinburghScotlandConversion to Savings Bank office and computer centre - partner in charge
Item 68 of 681983St George's School, Arts Block  EdinburghScotlandPartner in charge

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Glendinning, Miles1997Rebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75  Tuckwell Press Ltdpp32, 34 Winton Loan
p162-3 New Club
p165-7 Appleton Tower, University of Edinburgh
Item 2 of 5RIBA1964The RIBA Kalendar 1963-64   
Item 3 of 5RIBA1964The RIBA Kalendar 1964-65   
Item 4 of 5RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   
Item 5 of 5Willis, Peter1977New architecture in Scotland  p32-3 Kildrum Parish Church
p84-7 The New Club

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIAS Chartered Architect2006v19, no2 Summer 2006- death note

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIAS, Rutland SquareRecords of membership