Malcolm Fraser (architect)
Encyclopedia
Malcolm Fraser is an architect
from Edinburgh
, Scotland
. He is the founder of Malcolm Fraser Architects, a firm of architects who are based in the Old Town of Edinburgh.
. Following University he worked as a community architect in Wester Hailes
in Edinburgh; with architect and theorist Christopher Alexander
in Berkeley, California; conservation practices in Edinburgh; and with poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay
at his garden, Little Sparta
, near Edinburgh.
He formed his architectural practice in 1993. The practice first made its name with bars and restaurants for clients like Pizza Express
, and with lottery-funded arts projects. The practice’s work encompasses conservation and new build, often in historic contexts such as Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site
, based on respect for the historic built context and the need to build within it in a rooted, confident, contemporary way. It has also completed masterplanning and construction work for volume housebuilders that has won for them, for the first time in Scotland, major awards - for The Drum, Bo'ness
, West Lothian
and Princess Gate, Fairmilehead
, Edinburgh.
) which acts as the Scottish Government‘s advisor on the built environment
. He resigned in 2004 over the organisation’s unwillingness to examine whether the UK Government’s use of Public-Private Partnerships for public buildings such as schools represented value-for-money.
Fraser was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England
in 2003 and Geddes Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
, part of the University of Edinburgh
, in 2009. He has also lectured in Europe, China and North America
across new build (currently 0%) and repair (then 17.5%) that was taken up by Richard Rodgers
and Debra Shipley
MP but rejected by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
, Gordon Brown
MP.
over the Government's alleged “ripping-up” of legislation and failure to heed anti-competition warnings when it enabled the acquisition of HBOS
by Lloyds TSB
in 2008.
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
from Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He is the founder of Malcolm Fraser Architects, a firm of architects who are based in the Old Town of Edinburgh.
Biography
Malcolm Fraser was born in Edinburgh and educated at the University of EdinburghUniversity of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
. Following University he worked as a community architect in Wester Hailes
Wester Hailes
Wester Hailes is an area in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland.Depending on the definition, Wester Hailes sometimes takes in Sighthill, the Calders and other surrounding areas, and may be said to contain the areas of Murrayburn, Clovenstone, Westburn and Dumbryden.Wester Hailes borders on...
in Edinburgh; with architect and theorist Christopher Alexander
Christopher Alexander
Christopher Wolfgang Alexander is a registered architect noted for his theories about design, and for more than 200 building projects in California, Japan, Mexico and around the world...
in Berkeley, California; conservation practices in Edinburgh; and with poet and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay
Ian Hamilton Finlay, CBE, was a Scottish poet, writer, artist and gardener.-Biography:Finlay was born in Nassau, Bahamas of Scottish parents. He was educated in Scotland at Dollar Academy. At the age of 13, with the outbreak of World War II, he was evacuated to family in the countryside...
at his garden, Little Sparta
Little Sparta
Little Sparta is a garden at Dunsyre in the Pentland Hills near Edinburgh, created by artist and poet Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife Sue Finlay....
, near Edinburgh.
He formed his architectural practice in 1993. The practice first made its name with bars and restaurants for clients like Pizza Express
Pizza Express
PizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 400 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 40 overseas in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot.In Ireland, PizzaExpress trades under the name Milano....
, and with lottery-funded arts projects. The practice’s work encompasses conservation and new build, often in historic contexts such as Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
, based on respect for the historic built context and the need to build within it in a rooted, confident, contemporary way. It has also completed masterplanning and construction work for volume housebuilders that has won for them, for the first time in Scotland, major awards - for The Drum, Bo'ness
Bo'ness
Bo'ness, properly Borrowstounness, is a coastal town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies on a hillside on the south bank of the Firth of Forth within the Falkirk council area, north-west of Edinburgh and east of Falkirk. At the 2001 census, Bo'ness had a resident population of 13,961...
, West Lothian
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
and Princess Gate, Fairmilehead
Fairmilehead
Fairmilehead is a district of South Edinburgh. It lies approximately 3 miles due south of the city centre and borders Midlothian. The area comprises the districts of Buckstone, Caiystane, Swanston, Frogston and Winton....
, Edinburgh.
Edinburgh
The practice has, between 1999 and 2009, won the Edinburgh Architectural Association (EAA) Building of the Year/Silver Medal five times, the Conservation award twice plus other EAA Awards and Commendations. Using this as a platform Fraser has campaigned about built environment issues in Edinburgh, including initiatives for Princes Street, the Grassmarket and the redevelopment of Boroughmuir High School, each of which has been adopted by Edinburgh City Council as policy.Public life
In 2002, Fraser was appointed as the inaugural Deputy-Chair of Architecture and Design Scotland – a non-departmental public body (or quangoQuango
Quango or qango is an acronym used notably in the United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere to label an organisation to which government has devolved power...
) which acts as the Scottish Government‘s advisor on the built environment
Built environment
The term built environment refers to the human-made surroundings that provide the setting for human activity, ranging in scale from personal shelter and buildings to neighborhoods and cities that can often include their supporting infrastructure, such as water supply or energy networks.The built...
. He resigned in 2004 over the organisation’s unwillingness to examine whether the UK Government’s use of Public-Private Partnerships for public buildings such as schools represented value-for-money.
Fraser was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of the West of England
University of the West of England
The University of the West of England is a university based in the English city of Bristol. Its main campus is at Frenchay, about five miles north of the city centre...
in 2003 and Geddes Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture
The Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture is a school of the University of Edinburgh. It is the result of the merging of the ECA schools of architecture and landscape architecture, and the university department of architecture, and is part of an academic federation between...
, part of the University of Edinburgh
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1583, is a public research university located in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city, with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the university...
, in 2009. He has also lectured in Europe, China and North America
VAT
During his time as a columnist for the weekly architectural journal Building Design, in 2003, Fraser initiated a Flat VAT campaign to standardise Value Added TaxValue added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
across new build (currently 0%) and repair (then 17.5%) that was taken up by Richard Rodgers
Richard Rodgers
Richard Charles Rodgers was an American composer of music for more than 900 songs and for 43 Broadway musicals. He also composed music for films and television. He is best known for his songwriting partnerships with the lyricists Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein II...
and Debra Shipley
Debra Shipley
Debra Ann Shipley is a politician in the United Kingdom. She was Labour Party Member of Parliament for Stourbridge from 1997 until the 2005 general election, when she stood down for reasons of ill health...
MP but rejected by the then Chancellor of the Exchequer
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...
, Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
MP.
Banks
Fraser acted as spokesman for the Merger Action Group of Scottish businessmen who took Her Majesty's Government to the Competition Appeal TribunalCompetition Appeal Tribunal
The Competition Appeal Tribunal of the United Kingdom was created by Section 12 and Schedule 2 to the Enterprise Act 2002 which came into force on 1 April 2003.-Functions:The current functions of the CAT are:...
over the Government's alleged “ripping-up” of legislation and failure to heed anti-competition warnings when it enabled the acquisition of HBOS
HBOS
HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...
by Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB
Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...
in 2008.
Main completed work and awards
Projects in chronological order with year of completion, major awards and citations:- Scottish Poetry LibraryScottish Poetry LibraryThe Scottish Poetry Library was founded in 1984 by the poet Tessa Ransford. It originally had two staff members, including Scottish poet, Tom Hubbard, and 300 books, but has since expanded considerably to containing 30,000 items of Scottish and international poetry...
, Edinburgh: 1999- Royal Scottish AcademyRoyal Scottish AcademyThe Royal Scottish Academy is a Scottish organisation that promotes contemporary Scottish art. Founded in 1826, as the Royal Institution for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts, the RSA maintains a unique position in Scotland as an independently funded institution led by eminent artists and...
Gold Medal for Architecture: 1997 - Winner, RIBA Award: 2000
- Prospect 100 best modern Scottish buildingsProspect 100 best modern Scottish buildingsIn 2005, the Scottish architecture magazine Prospect published a list of the 100 best modern Scottish buildings, as voted for by its readers.-The list:...
: no.9
- Royal Scottish Academy
- DanceBase, Edinburgh: 2001
- Finalist, Stirling PrizeStirling PrizeThe Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
: 2002 - Winner, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureRIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureThe RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture award was founded in 2002, as the RIAS Award for Architecture by the architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh. The award is given to the best new building in Scotland, as judged by a jury of assessors. The value of the...
: 2002 - Winner, RIBA Award: 2002
- Finalist, Stirling Prize
- The Drum, Bo’ness: 2003
- Saltire SocietySaltire SocietyThe Saltire Society was established in 1936 to encourage everything that might improve the quality of life in Scotland and restore the country to its proper place as a creative force in European civilisation....
Housing Award: 2005
- Saltire Society
- Dance City, Newcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon TyneNewcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
: 2005- Winner, RIBA Award: 2007
- Scottish Storytelling CentreScottish Storytelling CentreThe Scottish Storytelling Centre the world's first purpose built modern centre for live storytelling, located on the High Street in Edinburgh's Royal Mile, Scotland, United Kingdom. It was formally opened on 1 June 2006 by Patricia Ferguson MSP, Minister for Culture in the Scottish Executive...
, Edinburgh: 2006- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureRIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureThe RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture award was founded in 2002, as the RIAS Award for Architecture by the architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh. The award is given to the best new building in Scotland, as judged by a jury of assessors. The value of the...
: 2006 - Winner, RIBA Award: 2007
- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture
- HBOS Headquarters, The Mound, Edinburgh: 2006
- Princess Gate housing, Edinburgh: 2007
- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureRIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureThe RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture award was founded in 2002, as the RIAS Award for Architecture by the architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh. The award is given to the best new building in Scotland, as judged by a jury of assessors. The value of the...
: 2007
- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture
- Berwick Workspace, Berwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
: 2007- Winner, RIBA Award: 2009
- Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh: 2009
- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureRIAS Andrew Doolan Award for ArchitectureThe RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture award was founded in 2002, as the RIAS Award for Architecture by the architect Andrew Doolan, whose work included the Point Hotel in Edinburgh. The award is given to the best new building in Scotland, as judged by a jury of assessors. The value of the...
: 2009 - Runner-up, Scottish Civic Trust Awards: 2010
- Winner, RIBA Award: 2010
- Finalist, RIAS Andrew Doolan Award for Architecture
- Scottish BalletScottish BalletScottish Ballet is the national ballet company of Scotland and one of the four leading ballet companies of the United Kingdom, alongside the Royal Ballet, English National Ballet and Birmingham Royal Ballet...
headquarters at The Tramway, Glasgow: 2009