All of our Heroes

On January 1st 1855 James Ballantyne Hannay was born in Glasgow, his father was Alexander Hannay who owned the Grand Theatre in the Cowcaddens, Glasgow.

James was apparently a brilliant chemist and scientist and from 1879 onwards produced papers, which were read to the Royal Society on many scientific matters, and he also patented many inventions connected with industry. He had a dye works in Hamburg, which specialised in aniline dyes and a private laboratory in Sword Street, Glasgow.

In 1855 he was appointed assistant-director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and in 1865 he succeeded his father as full director, holding the post for twenty years. Under the directorship of father and son Hooker, the Royal Botanical gardens of Kew rose to world renown.

In 1820 regius professorship of botany in the University of Glasgow. 1821 he brought out the Flora Scotica, in which the natural method of arrangement of British plants was given with the artificial. He worked with the Glasgow botanist and lithographer Thomas Hopkirk to establish the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow and to lay out and develop the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.

“The story of Gareth Hoskins Architects is an important element in the early 21st century revival of contemporary architecture in Scotland – an architectural movement that is notably original, outward-looking, and confident.” Hugh Pearman, Editor of the RIBA Journal

It is entirely appropriate that Helensburgh, world renowned for the architecture of Mackintosh, Paterson, Leiper & Wemyss, should be home to one of the fastest rising, and most influential, stars on the British Architectural scene today.

James Douglas Howden Hume was born in Melbourne, Australia, on 4th May 1928, to parents James (Jimmy) and Kathleen (Katie) (neé Macfarlane) Howden Hume. The family was to remain in Australia for two further years, whilst Jimmy completed the installation of fans and other equipment in Munmorah Power Station.