AADipl(Hons)

The AA is saddened to report that former chairman and president of RMJM and AA alumnus, Sir Andrew Derbyshire, has died aged 92.

Derbyshire was born in Sheffield in 1923 and originally studied natural sciences at Queen’s Cambridge, graduating during the Second World War. After serving with the Admiralty Scientific Service as an experimental officer (1944-46), he retrained as an architect and completed his studies at the Architectural Association in 1952. His joint final year thesis, now in the AA Archives, remains one of the most outstanding pieces of work of his time and has been widely published.

Derbyshire, who was knighted for services to architecture in 1986, was responsible for a string of high profile buildings including Sheffield’s Castle Hill Market, when he was deputy city architect, and York University and Hillingdon Civic Centre, for RMJM. A major figure within the RIBA for many years, Derbyshire served on the RIBA Council and contributed to the institute’s office survey which led to the RIBA Plan of Work. He was elected senior vice president in 1981.

Tributes have been posted by publications including Building Design and Architects Journal. His son Ben, managing partner of HTA Design, is due to give an address on his father’s life at this week’s RIBA Council meeting.