David Gray was born in Great Yarmouth, England, in 1930, and educated at Framingham College, Suffolk, undertaking National Service from 1948. He enrolled as a First Year student at the Architectural Association in 1950 and, as part of his final year’s studies in 1954-55, joined the first cohort of the AA Department of Tropical Architecture (DTA). After receiving an AA Diploma, with Honours, he was head-hunted by Erno Goldfinger (1902-1987), reputedly on the strength of his ‘Gulland House’, Lowestoft, which he designed whilst still a student. In 1957, Gray joined the London practice of Lyons, Israel, Ellis, working there until 1960, when he left to take up a position in the Architects’ Department of Middlesex County Council. Gray was to remain there until 1963, when her returned, as an Associate Partner, to Lyons, Israel, Ellis, becoming a partner there in 1970, the practice’s name accordingly changing to Lyons, Israel, Elllis, Gray. Amongst his most significant works with the practice are the National Sea Training School, now Metropolitan Police Specialist Training Centre, Gravesend (1966) and Barnsley College of Mining and Technology, Yorkshire (1964). Alongside his practice, Gray taught extensively at the AA, serving as Intermediate Unit 2 Master, from 1981/82 – 1985/86 (partnering for the first year, with Neave Brown and David Porter, then subsequently with Kisa Kawakami). Gray and Kawakami moved to the AA Diploma School in 1986, operating as Unit 7 until 1992/93. In addition, Gray taught technical studies and tutored AA External Students from 1982/83 until 2000. On top of all this, Gray performed the role of Academic Deputy, on Chairman Alvin Boyarsky’s death in 1990, effectively running the AA for a year. 

Sources: 

• Architectural Association Student Register 1945-1972, AA Archives
• Architectural Association Diploma Roll Book, 1924-1963, AA Archives
• Architectural Association Archives Staff Listing 1974-2001, AA Archives
• Department of Tropical Architecture, student listing, Otto Koenigsberger Collection, Box OK27, AA Archives
• Lyons Israel Ellis Gray: buildings and projects 1932 - 1983; with contributions by Neave Brown [... et al.]. London : Architectural Association, c1988.