Born in 1933, Andrew Merryless RSA studied at the School of Architecture, Glasgow School of Art, remaining there to complete a diploma in town planning. He was a student assistant in the practice of Basil Spence & Partners in 1952 and was promoted to architect in 1957, although he was not admitted ARIBA until 1959.
In 1968 he was appointed associate in the Spence firm, by then known as Sir Basil Spence, Glover & Ferguson. At that time John Hardie Glover was the firm's senior partner, Spence having retired that year and Ferguson having died three years before. Merrylees was taken into partnership in 1972. Merrylees left the Spence firm in 1985 to set up his own practice as Andrew Merrylees Associates, which became Andrew Merrylees, Grierson & Robertson in 1994 and Merrylees & Robertson in November 1997. In January 2001 the practice was merged with Hypostyle Architects and became consultant offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Hamilton.
While maintaining his own practice, Andrew became an external examiner at various schools of Architecture and visiting tutor at the Universities of Strathclyde and Dundee for over thirty years during which he became the external examiner in Interior Design at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.
On 22 March 1984, Andrew Merrylees, was elected as an ARSA of the Royal Scottish Academy, becoming a full RSA in 1991 and exhibited at the academy for over 50 years, later turning his hand to watercolours. An active member of the Academy, Andrew served on various committees and held the positions of Internal Auditor for three years and in 1996 was elected at Assembly to be Deputy President for one year to the then President, William Baillie PPRSA.
A decorated Architect, Andrew, received awards such as the RIBA Bronze Medal, Saltire Award, Civic Trust Award, Art in Architecture Award, RSA Gillies Award and the RSA Gold Medal.
