Basic Biographical Details

Name: Clara Charleson Firth (Mrs Reimann)
Designation:  
Born: 15 June 1931
Died: 30 July 2011
Bio Notes: Clara Charleson Firth was born on 15 June 1931 at the lighthouse station of Duncansby Head, Kinnaird Head and Buchan Ness, Stromness, the second of three children of Allan Stewart Firth, lighthouse keeper, and his wife Isabella Jessie MacKenzie Charleson. She commenced her architectural training with part-time studies at the Glasgow School of Architecture in 1948, completing them full-time from 1951 and becoming a student member of the RIBA in 1953. At the end of her course of study in 1954 she joined Honeyman, Jack & Robertson. She was elected ARIBA the following year.

In 1959 she moved to London to take up a position as assistant in the firm of York, Rosenberg & Mardall, where she worked on school and housing projects.

On 31 August 1966 at St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall she married Ernst Heinrich Reimann, an architect who came from Cologne. The couple then moved to his native city, where they designed innovative, low-budget one-off houses and a series of identical comprehensive schools to be system-built in pre-cast concrete.

In 1978 the mother of her three nephews died, and she and her husband took the boys into their care. In the same year, and perhaps because of this, they returned to Scotland, where Clara was appointed Principal Architect at Inverclyde Council. She retained this post until her retirement in 1996.

Clara loved literature and music, being involved in the East Neuk Music Festival, the Pollock House Arts Society and the National Art Collections Fund.

She died of a brain haemorrhage on 30 July 2011 at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, Greenock. She was survived by her three nephews and her husband Ernst, who described her and the YRM architectural outlook as 'the motivations of his life'. She was buried in Stromness.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 66, Clifton Place, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1954 *  
Item 2 of 620, Kew Lane, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivatec. 1956  
Item 3 of 649, Hyndland Road, Glasgow, ScotlandPrivate1960  
Item 4 of 6Viewmount, Bridge Street, Kirkwall, Orkney, ScotlandPrivate1966  
Item 5 of 6Cologne, GermanyPrivate/business19661978 
Item 6 of 6Flat 5/7, Warwick Square, London, EnglandPrivatec. 1966  

* 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 3Honeyman, Jack & Robertson19541959Assistant(?) 
Item 2 of 3Yorke, Rosenberg & Mardall (YRM)19591966Assistant 
Item 3 of 3Inverclyde District Council Architects Department19781996Principal Architect 

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 6After 1966System-built comprehensive schools  BerlinGermanyProduction drawings: with her husband, Enrst Heinrich Reimann
Item 2 of 6After 1978McLean Museum and Watt InstitutionGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandModernisation - as Principal Architect at Inverclyde District Council
Item 3 of 6After 1978Sheltered housing, Duncan StreetGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandAs Principal Architect for Inverclyde District Council
Item 4 of 6After 1978Sheltered housing, Grieve RoadGreenock RenfrewshireScotlandAs Principal Architect for Inverclyde District Council
Item 5 of 6After 1996House for Jean WelshInellan ArgyllScotlandCompleted, with husband Ernst, based on outline drawings by Welsh
Item 6 of 62007HouseStromnessMainlandOrkneyScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 4RIBA1954RIBA Kalendar 1953-54   
Item 2 of 4RIBA1956Kalendar 1956-57   
Item 3 of 4RIBA1960The RIBA Kalendar 1959-19601959-1960  
Item 4 of 4RIBA1966Kalendar 1966-67   

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this :
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 2Greenock Telegraph4 August 2011  Obituary
Item 2 of 2RIAS Quarterly2011AutumnRoyal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS)p.97: obituary

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2GROSRecords of Marriages  
Item 2 of 2National Archives (via Scotlands People)Statutory births