Basic Biographical Details

Name: John Maxwell Anderson
Designation:  
Born: 2 June 1928
Died:  
Bio Notes: John Maxwell Anderson was an articled pupil of Crofton G Dalzell, Coleraine, Northern Ireland and studied at Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 1954, having won the RIAS Rutland Prize and been awarded two travel bursaries. He was elected ARIBA and ARIAS in 1955. From 1955 to 1957 he studied structural engineering with T Harley Haddow in Edinburgh after which he moved to Boswell Mitchell & Johnston in Glasgow to widen his experience.

In 1959 with James Clunie Rowell he formed a practice, Rowell & Anderson, with an office in Prestwick and a year later in Glasgow. Until 1970 the practice was engaged in a wide range of work including commercial buildings, private houses, housing developments and refurbishing. In 1970 Rowell & Anderson joined with the practices of Joe Park, Kilsyth, and David Baird, Paisley to form Park Rowell Baird & Partners. However Anderson left the practice in 1972 to concentrate on systems design, becoming MSAID (later FCSD) and undertaking from 1973 to 1975 a six-nation tour of industrialised school building for the OECD in Paris.

Having been in part-time teaching and research for some years at Glasgow School of Art, he was appointed as the architect to advise the joint University/Art School committee involved in the negotiations that resulted in the creation of the Mackintosh School of Architecture, becoming its Director of Studies in 1969. From 1974 he served a five-year term as Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba, Canada. He returned in 1979 to private practice in London as a partner with Bickerdike Allen Partners. He continued for some years as a visiting Professor at the University of Manitoba.

While in practice in London Anderson was actively involved in matters relating to the profession and was a member of the RIBA Council, chairman of the Research Steering Group for several years and acted as European Vice-President of the Commonwealth Association of Architects.

From 1993 he was honorary architect to the Royal College of Organists and was elected HonRCO. The same year he was elected Hon FRAM for his work on the Duke’s Hall of the Royal Academy of Music. From 1990 to 1999 he chaired the Government’s advisory committee on building regulation. In 1997 he was appointed Visiting Professor at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College, London. Also in 1997 he passed the examination of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and was admitted ACIA.

Anderson is a Liveryman and Freeman of the City of London and, in 1999 was appointed CBE for services to building. He retired from general practice in 1998, but continued as a consultant. Among other projects, he was appointed by the Scottish Executive in 2000-2001 as an assessor of their review of Scottish building standards. He retired in 2003.

Publications:

RIAS Quarterly, travel report (1955) (Rutland Prize requirement)
‘A TV Aid to Design’ research report, Art Journal, November 1970, p20
‘Simulating Architecture’ research report, Architects Journal, December 1972, p1326
J M Anderson & J Gill: ‘Rainscreen Overcladding’ Butterworths, CIRIA Design Guide, 1988

Text by Professor John Maxwell Anderson.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 8c/o O'Donnell/12, Keir Street, Lauriston, Edinburgh, ScotlandPrivatec. 1953  
Item 2 of 8Dunure, Upper Princes Street, Ballymena, Co Antrim, Northern IrelandPrivatec. 1956  
Item 3 of 84, Station Road, Prestwick, Ayrshire, ScotlandBusiness1960 *  
Item 4 of 8Robinsfield, Roman Road, Bearsden, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate19692011 
Item 5 of 8244, Wilton Street, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1970 *  
Item 6 of 8121, Salusbury Road, Queens Park, London, EnglandBusiness19812003 
Item 7 of 814, Chalcot Square, Primrose Hill, London, EnglandPrivate19822006 
Item 8 of 8Fitzjohns House/10, Fitzjohns Avenue, Hampstead, London, EnglandPrivate20062009 

* 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 4T Harley Haddow & Partners19551957Architect 
Item 2 of 4Boswell, Mitchell & Johnston19571959Architect 
Item 3 of 4Rowell & Anderson19591970Partner 
Item 4 of 4Park Rowell Baird & Partners1970 Partner 

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 17 November 1958Auchentoshan School and Occupational UnitAuchentoshan DunbartonshireScotlandper Builder p773. Assistant in charge.

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Al Amaireh, Ali Simulation Technique  University of Glasgow Phd thesis, pp234-240Contains a record of Professor Anderson's research in its proper context.
Item 2 of 2RIBA1970RIBA Directory 1970   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Builder7 November 1958  'Architecture at the Royal Glasgow Institute Exhibition: Standard Higher than in Recent Years' p773