John Armstrong Lane

Died: October 18, 2015.

John Armstrong Lane, who has died aged 80, was a renowned architect who for many years specialised in designing schools. In Glasgow, he also worked extensively with housing associations, including Govan Housing Association, on rehabilitation projects and new builds. He was a former president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects and The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

He was born in Leicester and was educated at Ashby-de-la-Zouche Grammar School. He studied full time for the diploma in architecture at Leicester School of Architecture from 1952-57, sitting the professional practice exam in 1958. The same year, he took a post with Collins, Melvin, Ward & Partners in London, working as an architectural assistant on a hospital project. He was admitted ARIBA on 7 April 1959, proposed by James Melvin, T A Collins, and S Penn Smith.

From 1959 to 1960 he undertook his national service with the RAF and worked in the drawing office of the building and works department. During his time in the military, he met his future partners Duncan Shearer Bremner and Dennis John Richard Garnett who were also serving with the RAF. In 1960 they entered together and won the competition for Dumbarton County Council offices. The following year, they formed their practice Lane Bremner & Garnett, with all three as principals in partnership.

In 1962 Mr Lane won the Arthur Cates Prize for his work on single-storey, wide-span buildings and in 1964 his entry for the Alexander Thomson Travelling Scholarship was highly commended. The following year he was awarded the Herbert Baker Scholarship by the Royal Academy, this time for his work on the relationship of sculpture to architecture. In 1965 he was a member of the team that prepared Glasgow at a Glance which was written by Andrew McLaren Young and Archie Doak.

The commission for Dumbarton County Offices was completed in 1965. After this Mr Lane specialised in designing schools for ten years, one of which was Kirkhill Primary School in Broxburn which was won in a limited competition.

He was also involved in the very early days of community architecture. In Glasgow this mainly involved working with housing associations (the first one was Govan Housing Association) on both rehabilitation and new-build projects. He also worked on a range of other building types and before retirement undertook some church restoration work which he found particularly enjoyable.

From 1962 to 1968, he taught one day a week at Glasgow School of Art and each year from 1966-76 gave a series of lectures at the University of Strathclyde. From 1977-96 he was external examiner for Part 3 Architecture at the University of Strathclyde and the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture in Aberdeen.

He was elected FRIBA in 1968, proposed by Roger W K C Rogerson, Duncan Bremner and Jack Holmes. He retired in 1996.

Mr Lane was involved in matters relating to the profession through his career. He served as president of the Glasgow Institute of Architects from 1981-83, president of the The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland from 1984-86, at the same time serving on the Royal Institute of British Architects Council. From 1987-92 he was a member of council of Architects' Registration Council of the United Kingdom. In 1990-92 he was president of Glasgow Art Club; he served on the voluntary management committee of the Key Housing Society from 1989-91 and from 1993 on the council of the Architectural Benevolent Society, being vice chair from 1997 and chair in 2001.

He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Architects and was elected a Freeman of the City of London.

In 1962 he married Patricia A Fletcher, a pharmacist by profession. They had two daughters, one of whom is a chartered surveyor and the other a chartered architect.

After retirement, he moved to Gatehouse-of-Fleet in Galloway and enjoyed spending more time with his family. During this time, he served on the council of the Architects Benevolent Society. In 1998 he was elected vice-chairman and in 2001 chairman.

In Galloway he also enjoyed walking, trout fishing, golf (he played rugby for Leicestershire Colleges in his student days) and non-architectural competitions as well as foreign travel.

He could always be picked out in a crowd because of his colourful bow tie.

He is survived by his wife Patricia and daughters Dawn Stelling, a quantity surveyor, and Sonia Scott, an architect, his grandsons Logan and Keith and his granddaughters Ailsa and Charlotte.