Michael Blower
Encyclopedia
Michael Blower AAdipl FRIBA FRSA (born 1929) is a notable British
architect
, activist for the preservation and restoration of England
’s cultural heritage and accomplished watercolourist and recorder of England
’s townscapes. Most of his buildings, drawings, paintings and the subjects of his activism are in West Surrey.
, Michael Blower moved to London
and the Architectural Association (AA) and while on Scholarship, he was selected as one of the UK’s delegates to CIAM 10
Conference in Provence
, led by the architect Maxwell Fry
. After the AA and as a fluent French speaker, he was selected to act as project architect
for the British Pavilions at Brussels World Expo 1958, working with designers Felix Samuely
, Howard Lobb, Edward Mills, Sir Hugh Casson
and James Gardner
. Blower spent a short period in the late 1950s working at an architectural practice in Minneapolis (US), called Willard Thorsen. In the early 1960s he was an Associate
at Guildford
architects, Scott Brownrigg Turner, where he assisted the completion of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
in Guildford among other projects. In 1964 he joined Leonard Stedman as a Partner at AJ & LR Stedman, which later took the name of Stedman & Blower.
in 1895. After his death in 1958, the practice was continued by Leonard Stedman, his son. Michael took over the practice in its entirety in 1968 on the latter’s retirement. He was awarded First Prize by the RICS/The Times
for the preservation of The Tanyard, Farnham
’s oldest house in 1982 and an RIBA
Award for The New House with Roderick Gradidge
in 1998. The practice is now known as Stedman Blower Architects.
in the 1980s and 1990s. He did these in a loose partnership with the prominent Chiswick-based architect, Roderick Gradidge
. Their first projects were on Voysey
's New House in Haslemere
and on Detmar Blow
’s Charles Hill Court for an Austrian industrialist. From there, they went onto Harold Falkner
’s Tancreds Ford, which they designed and built for the writer Ken Follett
and his first wife, and which was published in two articles in Country Life
. Next came The New House, reputedly designed by Hugh Thackeray Turner and for which they jointly won a RIBA Award, which was also published in Country Life
. Just prior to Roderick’s death, they were working on a project at Combe Court, which was completed by Michael Blower and his son Robert, through their architectural practice, Stedman Blower.
Robert Blower (b 1960), BA DipArch RIBA studied architecture and Urban Design at the Universities of Greenwich, Westminster, Kingston and The South Bank, all in London. Robert joined Stedman Blower Architects in 1990 and has been Principal in charge of many of the award-winning and traditional design projects produced since then. He is now co-Director with Laith Anayi (b 1973) BA, DipArch RIBA and continues the legacy of the practice into the fourth generation, as it approaches its 125th anniversary in 2020.
Damien Blower (b 1968), MA MArch RIBA SIA FRSA studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Institute of Archaeology, University College London and then at SCI-Arc, Los Angeles. After working at Frank Gehry’s offices in LA, he returned to Stedman Blower as Managing Director between 1996–2010, and managed the business’s transition from a micro to a medium-sized architectural practice with a niche specialism in contemporary design within sensitive historic locations. At the end of 2010, he stepped down from the day-to-day running of the business in order to focus on a new enterprise under the umbrella of Stedman Blower, to open in 2012 and to be called Studio Blower, to handle the expanding international portfolio. Damien is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Founding Trustee of the Blower Foundation (a non-profit), which is engaged in charitable, educational and cultural activities.
of Waverley Borough Council in 1995 and served as a borough councillor
and Surrey
County Councillor for over 20 years, representing the ward of Farnham
. He was for long involved in the recording, preservation and valuing of West Surrey’s architectural heritage through his involvement over 40 years with the Farnham (Buildings preservation) Trust Ltd and the Farnham Society, for which he served variously as President and Chairman. He was influential in arguing for the preservation of the Farnham Pottery, the last working bottle kiln in England, the Brightwells Gardens and the old Redgrave Theatre in the town centre. He also ran a weekly column called Environmental Viewpoint in the Farnham Herald Newspaper between 1986 and 1991, with Susan Farrow. The articles, over two hundred and sixty in number, explored the architectural and cultural heritage of the area around Farnham. The column received a national publishers' award.
in 1929 and settled in England
in 1940 at the outbreak of World War II
. He trained at Portsmouth College of Art
and the Architectural Association in London
, after which he did two years National Service
in Singapore
and was commissioned in the Royal Engineers
. His great grandfather was the prominent American
Jurist
, philanthropist
and US Ambassador to Belgium
and Russia
at the turn of the 20th century, Judge Lambert Tree
. His mother's half-brother was the Conservative MP
Ronald Tree
, his first cousins the horse trainer Jeremy Tree
, painter Michael Tree and (the still living) 1960's supermodel Penelope Tree
. He married Bernadette Muûls, also Brussels-born, niece of the prominent Belgian diplomat and sometime Belgian Ambassador to (West) Germany and the UN in Geneva, Fernand Muûls, in 1958. There are three surviving sons, two daughters and 11 grandchildren. He was elected Fellow
RIBA in 1969 and Fellow RSA
in 1987.
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
architect
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...
, activist for the preservation and restoration of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
’s cultural heritage and accomplished watercolourist and recorder of England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
’s townscapes. Most of his buildings, drawings, paintings and the subjects of his activism are in West Surrey.
Early career
After Douai Abbey SchoolDouai School
Douai School was the public school that was run by the Douai Abbey Benedictine community at Woolhampton, England, until it closed in 1999.- History :...
, Michael Blower moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and the Architectural Association (AA) and while on Scholarship, he was selected as one of the UK’s delegates to CIAM 10
Congrès International d'Architecture Moderne
The Congrès internationaux d'architecture moderne – CIAM was an organization founded in 1928 and disbanded in 1959, responsible for a series of events and congresses arranged around the world by the most prominent architects of the time, with the objective of spreading the principles of the Modern...
Conference in Provence
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, led by the architect Maxwell Fry
Maxwell Fry
Edwin Maxwell Fry, CBE, RA, FRIBA, FRTPI, known as Maxwell Fry , was an English modernist architect of the middle and late 20th century, known for his buildings in Britain, Africa and India....
. After the AA and as a fluent French speaker, he was selected to act as project architect
Project architect
A Project Architect is a term used to define a specific role in an Architect's office. The Project Architect role usually indicates the individual who is responsible for overseeing the Architectural aspects of the development of the design, production of the construction documents and...
for the British Pavilions at Brussels World Expo 1958, working with designers Felix Samuely
Felix Samuely
Felix James Samuely was a Structural engineer.Born in Vienna, he immigrated to Britain in 1933. Worked with Erich Mendelsohn on the De la Warr Pavilion, Bexhill-on-Sea , the British Pavilion for the Brussels World’s Fair and on various parts of the Festival of Britain. Published MARS plan for...
, Howard Lobb, Edward Mills, Sir Hugh Casson
Hugh Casson
Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson, KCVO, RA, RDI, was a British architect, interior designer, artist, and influential writer and broadcaster on 20th century design. He is particularly noted for his role as director of architecture at the 1951 Festival of Britain on London's South Bank.Casson's family...
and James Gardner
James Gardner
James or Jim Gardner is the name of:* James Gardner , musician and composer* James Gardner , American journalist and news anchor* James A...
. Blower spent a short period in the late 1950s working at an architectural practice in Minneapolis (US), called Willard Thorsen. In the early 1960s he was an Associate
Associate
Associate may refer to:* A business valuation concept.* A title used by some companies instead of employee.* A title used to signify an independent person working as if directly employed by the company of which they are an associate...
at Guildford
Guildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
architects, Scott Brownrigg Turner, where he assisted the completion of the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre
The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, Surrey presents in-house productions which often tour and transfer to London's West End. Other performances include opera, ballet and pantomime. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, the company has two performance venues, a main theatre and the smaller Mill...
in Guildford among other projects. In 1964 he joined Leonard Stedman as a Partner at AJ & LR Stedman, which later took the name of Stedman & Blower.
Stedman & Blower Architects
The practice had been founded by Farnham’s most eminent architect of the time, Arthur StedmanArthur Stedman
Arthur J Stedman FRIBA was a British architect in the Late-Victorian and Edwardian periods. He was a prominent architect in and around Farnham, Surrey where he was educated, lived and died.- Career :...
in 1895. After his death in 1958, the practice was continued by Leonard Stedman, his son. Michael took over the practice in its entirety in 1968 on the latter’s retirement. He was awarded First Prize by the RICS/The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
for the preservation of The Tanyard, Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
’s oldest house in 1982 and an RIBA
Riba
Riba means one of the senses of "usury" . Riba is forbidden in Islamic economic jurisprudence fiqh and considered as a major sin...
Award for The New House with Roderick Gradidge
Roderick Gradidge
Roderick Gradidge AA Dipl. ARIBA was a prominent British architect and writer on architecture, former Master of the Art Workers Guild and campaigner for a traditional architecture.- Career :...
in 1998. The practice is now known as Stedman Blower Architects.
Sketchbooks
Blower has filled over 200 sketchbooks with thousands of drawings of the people and places of West Surrey. Some of these have been published.Roderick Gradidge
Blower completed a number of fine restorations and extensions to country houses in SurreySurrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
in the 1980s and 1990s. He did these in a loose partnership with the prominent Chiswick-based architect, Roderick Gradidge
Roderick Gradidge
Roderick Gradidge AA Dipl. ARIBA was a prominent British architect and writer on architecture, former Master of the Art Workers Guild and campaigner for a traditional architecture.- Career :...
. Their first projects were on Voysey
Voysey
Voysey is a family name, thought to derive from Vassy in Normandy, the family’s place of residence prior to the Norman conquest.It is family name the of the following people:* Charles Voysey ,* Charles Voysey * Charles Cowles-Voysey...
's New House in Haslemere
Haslemere
Haslemere is a town in Surrey, England, close to the border with both Hampshire and West Sussex. The major road between London and Portsmouth, the A3, lies to the west, and a branch of the River Wey to the south. Haslemere is approximately south-west of Guildford.Haslemere is surrounded by hills,...
and on Detmar Blow
Detmar Blow
Detmar Jellings Blow was a British architect of the early 20th century, who designed principally in the arts and crafts style. His clients belonged chiefly to the British aristocracy, and later he became estates manager to the Duke of Westminster...
’s Charles Hill Court for an Austrian industrialist. From there, they went onto Harold Falkner
Harold Falkner
Harold Falkner FRIBA was a notable British architect in the early 20th Century and is now considered a leading exponent of the vernacular and the Arts & Crafts in architecture...
’s Tancreds Ford, which they designed and built for the writer Ken Follett
Ken Follett
Ken Follett is a Welsh author of thrillers and historical novels. He has sold more than 100 million copies of his works. Four of his books have reached the number 1 ranking on the New York Times best-seller list: The Key to Rebecca, Lie Down with Lions, Triple, and World Without End.-Early...
and his first wife, and which was published in two articles in Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
. Next came The New House, reputedly designed by Hugh Thackeray Turner and for which they jointly won a RIBA Award, which was also published in Country Life
Country Life (magazine)
Country Life is a British weekly magazine, based in London at 110 Southwark Street, and owned by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary.- Topics :The magazine covers the pleasures and joys of rural life, as well as the concerns of rural people...
. Just prior to Roderick’s death, they were working on a project at Combe Court, which was completed by Michael Blower and his son Robert, through their architectural practice, Stedman Blower.
Sons
Patrick Blower (b 1959), MA is the noted British cartoonist and illustrator, formerly Evening Standard diary cartoonist, Telegraph and Sunday Times feature cartoonist and now regular contributor to the BBC, Guardian Online and Private Eye.Robert Blower (b 1960), BA DipArch RIBA studied architecture and Urban Design at the Universities of Greenwich, Westminster, Kingston and The South Bank, all in London. Robert joined Stedman Blower Architects in 1990 and has been Principal in charge of many of the award-winning and traditional design projects produced since then. He is now co-Director with Laith Anayi (b 1973) BA, DipArch RIBA and continues the legacy of the practice into the fourth generation, as it approaches its 125th anniversary in 2020.
Damien Blower (b 1968), MA MArch RIBA SIA FRSA studied at the Bartlett School of Architecture and Institute of Archaeology, University College London and then at SCI-Arc, Los Angeles. After working at Frank Gehry’s offices in LA, he returned to Stedman Blower as Managing Director between 1996–2010, and managed the business’s transition from a micro to a medium-sized architectural practice with a niche specialism in contemporary design within sensitive historic locations. At the end of 2010, he stepped down from the day-to-day running of the business in order to focus on a new enterprise under the umbrella of Stedman Blower, to open in 2012 and to be called Studio Blower, to handle the expanding international portfolio. Damien is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Founding Trustee of the Blower Foundation (a non-profit), which is engaged in charitable, educational and cultural activities.
Activism and public service
Blower was MayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Waverley Borough Council in 1995 and served as a borough councillor
Borough
A borough is an administrative division in various countries. In principle, the term borough designates a self-governing township although, in practice, official use of the term varies widely....
and Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
County Councillor for over 20 years, representing the ward of Farnham
Farnham
Farnham is a town in Surrey, England, within the Borough of Waverley. The town is situated some 42 miles southwest of London in the extreme west of Surrey, adjacent to the border with Hampshire...
. He was for long involved in the recording, preservation and valuing of West Surrey’s architectural heritage through his involvement over 40 years with the Farnham (Buildings preservation) Trust Ltd and the Farnham Society, for which he served variously as President and Chairman. He was influential in arguing for the preservation of the Farnham Pottery, the last working bottle kiln in England, the Brightwells Gardens and the old Redgrave Theatre in the town centre. He also ran a weekly column called Environmental Viewpoint in the Farnham Herald Newspaper between 1986 and 1991, with Susan Farrow. The articles, over two hundred and sixty in number, explored the architectural and cultural heritage of the area around Farnham. The column received a national publishers' award.
Personal life
Michael Blower was born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
in 1929 and settled in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1940 at the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He trained at Portsmouth College of Art
University of Portsmouth
The University of Portsmouth is a university in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. The University was ranked 60th out of 122 in The Sunday Times University Guide...
and the Architectural Association in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, after which he did two years National Service
National service
National service is a common name for mandatory government service programmes . The term became common British usage during and for some years following the Second World War. Many young people spent one or more years in such programmes...
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and was commissioned in the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. His great grandfather was the prominent American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Jurist
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
, philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
and US Ambassador to Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
at the turn of the 20th century, Judge Lambert Tree
Lambert Tree
Lambert Tree , was a circuit court judge, ambassador, and patron of the arts. Judge Lambert Tree was a Chicago Circuit Court judge who achieved fame by presiding over the indictment, trial, and conviction of corrupt City Council members. He lost the 1882 U.S. Senate race by one vote, but in 1885...
. His mother's half-brother was the Conservative MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Ronald Tree
Ronald Tree
Arthur Ronald Lambert Field Tree , was an American-born British journalist, investor and Conservative Member of Parliament for the Harborough constituency in Leicestershire.-Biography:...
, his first cousins the horse trainer Jeremy Tree
Jeremy Tree
Arthur Jeremy Tree, was a British Thoroughbred racehorse trainer.-Background:Born into a prominent London, England family, Tree was always known by his middle name, Jeremy. His father was Ronald Tree, an American-born British journalist, investor and Conservative Member of Parliament for the...
, painter Michael Tree and (the still living) 1960's supermodel Penelope Tree
Penelope Tree
Penelope Tree is an Anglo-American former fashion model prominent in swinging sixties London.-Life and career:She was the only child of Marietta Peabody Tree, a socialite and Democratic political activist, and Ronald Tree, a bisexual journalist, investor and MP. Tree is a great-granddaughter of...
. He married Bernadette Muûls, also Brussels-born, niece of the prominent Belgian diplomat and sometime Belgian Ambassador to (West) Germany and the UN in Geneva, Fernand Muûls, in 1958. There are three surviving sons, two daughters and 11 grandchildren. He was elected Fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
RIBA in 1969 and Fellow RSA
Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufacturers and Commerce is a British multi-disciplinary institution, based in London. The name Royal Society of Arts is frequently used for brevity...
in 1987.
Legacy
The major part of his archive and of his architectural drawings survive and are maintained by The Blower Foundation. Some of his archive can also be found in the Stedman Blower Architects archive, also held by the Blower Foundation.External links
- The Blower Foundation (for cultural connection) is a registered UK Charity devoted to cultural heritage and expression and http://www.cultural-connection.org holds an archive of drawings and buildings designed by both Blowers and have an online gallery of their buildings.
- Stedman Blower Architects http://www.stedmanblower.co.uk hold additional correspondence, archives and detailed information on further projects.