Richard De’Ath
(1927 – 2011)
Richard De’Ath was a successful and highly respected Glasgow architect who lived for most of his working life in Helensburgh. He was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, but grew up in Paisley, where his father was a chief chemist at J&P Coats.
After schooling locally and at Glasgow Academy, Richard enrolled at Strathclyde University as an architectural student. He graduated as bachelor of architecture and, after national service in the Middle East with the Royal Engineers, he joined the Glasgow architectural practice of Keppie Henderson in 1951. His predecessors at the practice included Charles Rennie Mackintosh, John Keppie and Graham Henderson. At that time, the practice played a leading role in the design of hospitals in Scotland and one of De’Ath’s first projects was the design of the Vale of Leven Hospital where the windows, reportedly, had to be designed in such a way that they would blow out in the event of an explosion at Faslane naval base. He then worked on a variety of projects from university, college and school buildings to commercial and industrial developments as well as hospital projects in Scotland, England and Ireland.
One of the major projects in which De’Ath played a key role was the design of the current Glasgow Sheriff Court building, on which construction began in 1981 and the building was officially opened by the Queen in 1986. He was fastidious about each detail, travelling to every stone quarry to ensure all the materials were perfect in quality and colour. The design – featuring accommodation for the courts and their administration, sheriffs, police and restaurants around a public atrium – has been described as a triumph of planning, belying the seemingly effortless simplicity of its outward appearance.
Richard De'Ath retired in 1987 and concentrated on painting, travelling across Europe and regularly exhibited in the Scottish Society of Architect Artists' exhibitions.
He also enjoyed motor racing and was a competitive yachtsman, based at the Royal Northern and Clyde Yacht Club at Rhu.
Although Richard De’Ath loved the family home in West Abercromby Street where he lived for 38 years with his wife Marjory and two daughters, Winnie and Anne, he always dreamt of building his own home. He embarked on this project in his 70th year after his wife had died and the children had left home. He decided to plan his own Huf Haus, which involved travelling to Germany to choose the materials and finalise the details. Within 14 weeks, he was able to move into his beautiful new, light-infused, environmentally-friendly residence in the garden of his old home.
He loved the new house and died there, as he had lived, surrounded by his own paintings and his art collection. On his death, his daughters donated one of De’Ath’s joyful Mediterranean watercolours to the Anderson Trust. M-J S
Work in Anderson Trust Collection
“Logos, Paxos” Richard De Ath
(water colour) Donated 2012
