Roland Wedgewood RSA 1929-2011

Harold Roland Wedgewood, generally know as Roland, was born in Sussex on 8 November 1929, the son of a cabinetmaker. He left school at 15 and studiesd for the diploma in architecture at the Regent Street Polytechnic in London. He was admitted ARIBA in 1951.

For a three-year period after graduation, he worked in Hertfordshire in the BRE (Builduing Research Establishment) which was based in Watford. Here he worked on modular co-ordination and colour and later lectured on the subject of colour.

He also later published articles in the Architects Yearbook on modular co-ordination. His years of National Service were spent as a Second Lieutenant with the Royal Engineers. He was posted in Suez, Cyprus and Greece. He had also spent a period of time working in private offices in London and Zurich, and a year with Constantinos Doxiadis in Athens.

He arrives in Edinburgh in 1959 to work at the Edinburgh University Housing Research Unit.

In 1963, Wedgewood opened his own practice and in the late 1960s worked with Norman Dunhill in creating the Southfield Housing Association – designed to be the ‘mother’ housing association from which others would spring and was linked to the University. This was specifically set up to finance a scheme of co-ownership housing at Southfield, Barnton.

The Southfield scheme was a large, truly-integrated, co-operative scheme. There was one boiler-house providing all the heating. The houses were arranged around the perimeter of the site with private gardens leading to common gardens within the central space.

Roland’s practice undertook a large amount of work on historic buildings and new building work has concentrated on houses. His archive is now with the Royal Commission for Ancient and Historic Monuments Scotland (RCAHMS).

In the 1980s, Wedgewood was a studio teacher at Edinburgh College of ART. He became an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy in 1986 and an Academician in 2005, was elected FRIAS in 1991, and served on the Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland.

RSA Obituary transcribed from the RSA 2012 Annual Exhibition Catalogue

aroldRolandWedgwood,generallyknownasRoland,wasborninSussexon8November1929,thesonofacabinetmaker.Heleftschoolat15andstudiedforthediplomainarchitectureattheRegentStreetPolytechnicinLondon.HewasadmittedARIBAin1951.Forathree-yearperiodaftergraduation,heworkedinHertfordshireintheBRE(BuildingResearchEstablishment)whichwasbasedinWatford.Hereheworkedonmodularco-ordinationandcolourandlaterlecturedonthesubjectofcolour.HealsolaterpublishedarticlesintheArchitectsYearbookonmodularco-ordination.HisyearsofNationalServicewerespentasaSecondLieutenantwiththeRoyalEngineers.HewaspostedinSuez,CyprusandGreece.HehadalsospentaperiodoftimeworkinginprivateofficesinLondonandZurich,andayearwithConstantinosDoxiadisinAthens.HearrivedinEdinburghin1959toworkattheEdinburghUniversityHousingResearchUnit.In1963,Wedgwoodopenedhisownpracticeandinthelate1960sworkedwithNormanDunhillincreatingtheSouthfieldHousingAss0ciation-designedtobethe'mother'housingass0ciationfromwhichotherswouldspringandwaslinkedtotheUniversity.Thiswasspecificallysetuptofinanceaschemeofco-ownershiphousingatSouthfield,Barnton.TheSouthfieldschemewasalarge,truly-integrated,co-operativescheme.Therewasoneboiler-houseprovidingalltheheating.Thehouseswerearrangedaroundtheperimeterofthesitewithprivategardensleadingtocommongardenswithinthecentralspace.Roland'spracticeundertookalargeamountofworkonhistoricbuildingsandnewbuildingworkhasconcentratedonhouses.HisarchiveisnowwiththeRoyalCommissionforAncientandHistoricMonumentsScotland(RCAHMS).Inthe1980s,WedgwoodwasastudioteacheratEdinburghCollegeofArt.HebecameanAss0ciateoftheRoyalScottishAcademyin1986andanAcademicianin2005,waselectedFRIASin1991,andservedontheRoyalFineArtCommissionforScotland