The Office of Works and the renovation of the Scottish Universities 1808-

Abstract

This thesis is in four parts and documents the redevelopment in the nineteenth century of the dilapidated University buildings of St.Andrews, Glasgow and King's and Marischal Colleges at Aberdeen. The period under examination dates from 1808 through to the Scotland (University) Act of 1889. The areas researched included the reasons why the University authorities failed to keep their buildings in good repair and the steps taken by their governing bodies to rectify the situation. It was found this problem was caused by a continuing yearly fall in their income and it was imperative that government funding was made available to alleviate the situation. Similarly researched in detail was the part played by the Office of Works in Scotland along with the private architects who were responsible for the rehabilitation of the old buildings and the erection of new purpose built accommodation. Part One looks at the historical background leading to the formation of the Scottish Office of Works in January, 1827 and its subsequent downgrading to that of a regional office of the Office of Woods and Forests in 1840. The Office of Woods and Forests was under the control of H.M. Treasury until 1857 when a major change took place with the appointment of a First Commissioner of Works responsible to parliament. Parts Two, Three and Four, examine the situation relevant to each individual University and College. Their protracted negotiations with the Treasury are highlighted, as are the subsequent delays in releasing the necessary funding, due in some measure to the bureaucracy of the period. The review of the building process is completed by examining the details surrounding the appointment of the architects and contractors involved in the construction of these new buildings. By mid century architects were having to cope with new technological advances, new materials, new methods of construction and new revived architectural styles which are dealt with in the text.