James Shepherd Morris RSA 1931-2006

James Morris was a pioneer of post-war modern architecture in Scotland. He formed his practise with Robert Steedman in 1957, after qualifying in Edinburgh and spending a couple of years in the United States at the University of Philadelphia. 

The practice designed a number of radical private houses in Scotland during the next 20 years. While each house responded to its site and brief in a different way, none reverted to the style of a vernacular Scottish home or a suburban villa. All had a remarkable clarity of planning and quality of finish, and made a very significant contribution to the development of architecture in Scotland, more than holding their own in any comparison with their international contemporaries.

The success of these houses, which were widely published at the time, formed the basis for the practice's reputation, which went on to design a number of public buildings. A recent article on the early houses was published last year in "Prospect", Architecture Scotland Quarterly, Issue 124. 

James Morris was an active member of the Royal Scottish Academy, and the treasurer for a number of years.

RSA Obituary, transcribed from the 2007 RSA Annual Exhibition Catalogue