Basic Biographical Details Name: | William Edward Hollins | Designation: | | Born: | 13 June 1899 | Died: | 1978 | Bio Notes: | William Edward Hollins was born on 13 June 1899 and was articled to P J Warman from 1917. His apprenticeship was interrupted by war service, but he returned to complete it in 1920 and attended evening classes at Southend Technical School. From 1922 to 1927 he studied chartered surveying. On gaining his RICS qualification in the latter year, he joined the office of H S Bostock, and in the same year he enrolled as an evening student at the Regent Street Polytechnic. His daytime workload prevented him from attending some classes and so he completed his studies via a correspondence course with Alexander Godolphin Bond as his tutor.
Bostock gave him a small interest in the practice in 1929, and made him a full partner in 1931, the firm’s title changing to Bostock & Hollins. He was admitted LRIBA in 1939 and in the same year, on the outbreak of the Second World War, he joined the staff of Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners as an architect at the firm’s head office. After three months he was sent away to Risley to take charge of the drawing office at the site of one of the Royal Ordnance Factories for which the firm was responsible. On completion of the work there, he was appointed Senior Architect and Deputy to the Chief Site Architect for the same firm at the very large underground aircraft engine factory at Corsham, Wiltshire, where he was involved in the conception of many of the leisure facilities such as theatres and canteens, as well as office buildings and underground machine shops.
Hollins left Corsham in 1943, when the factory was almost complete, and moved to Edinburgh to join the staff of the Department of Health for Scotland. There, he was involved in the design of blocks of experimental multi-storey flats for new towns; in the design and supervision of construction of special buildings at prisons and borstals, and of houses for the institutions’ staff; and in advising on the planning of fire service and police buildings. He also represented the Department of Health for Scotland on the Interdepartmental Technical Committee, set up in London at the request of teh Ministry of Health to consider the design of houses for erection in areas prone to subsidence.
Hollins was elected FRIBA in 1950, his peopoers being Walter E Cross, C W Cox (or Fox?) and Joseph Seddon. Shortly prior to completing his FRIBA application forms that May, he had taken over the work of recently deceased Harry Redfern in his capacity as Chief Architect to the State Management Districts of the Home Office in Scotland. His English works, listed in his nomination forms, are outwith the scope of this Dictionary.
By the time he was elected a Fellow of the RIBA Hollins had travelled extensively in France, Belgium, Holland, Eire, Scotland and England.
Hollins died in early 1978 at Southend on Sea, Essex. | Private and Business AddressesThe following private or business addresses are associated with this : | | Address | Type | Date from | Date to | Notes | | 4, Corrennie Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland | Private | 1950 * | | | | Southend on Sea, Essex, England | | 1978 * | | Place of death |
* earliest date known from documented sources.
Employment and TrainingEmployers
RIBARIBA ProposersRIBA ProposalsThis proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details): | | Name | Date proposed | Notes | | James Ferguson | 9 October 1956 | For Licentiateship |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this : | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | RIBA | 1950 | The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 | | 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 | | F no4556 (Combined Box 21) |
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