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 Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 24, Corrennie Gardens, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivate1950 *  
Item 2 of 2Southend on Sea, Essex, England 1978 * Place of death

* 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 4Percy John Warman19171922Apprentice 
Item 2 of 4H S Bostock19271931  
Item 3 of 4Bostock & Hollins19311939Partner 
Item 4 of 4Department of Health for Scotland (Scottish Board of Health; later Scottish Development Department)1939After 1950  

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 3Walter Edward Cross (Lt Col)10 October 1950For Fellowship
Item 2 of 3Charles William Fox10 October 1950For Fellowship
Item 3 of 3Joseph Seddon10 October 1950For Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 1James Ferguson 9 October 1956For Licentiateship

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1RIBA1950The RIBA Kalendar 1950-1951 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers F no4556 (Combined Box 21)