We’re sorry to announce that our former colleague, Alistair Hay has died at the age of 76.
Alistair was the first person employed by David Rock and John Townsend when they set up Rock Townsend in 1972 and he remained the driving force behind the practice long after the founders had left, finally retiring as Director in 2015. Alistair was Scottish, educated at Strathclyde University and an international school boy golfer. His Scottish heritage, his passion for golf, his design skills, his work ethic and his wit and humanity were characteristics that remained throughout his life. He began work at RHWL’s office where Andrew Renton quickly recognised Alistair’s consummate talent, launching him onto a range of high profile projects. The offer to be part of creating the ground breaking practice of Rock Townsend was decisive and that set the course for Alistair’s career. Those were the days where Rock Townsend pioneered the role of the architect as developer and enabler with David Rock campaigning at the RIBA for the rules governing the architect’s role to be relaxed. 5 Dryden Street was set up in 1972 as the first ‘working community’ of design professionals and this was followed by Barley Mow Workspace a few years later. Alistair had a critical role in the design of each project and his abilities established him at the design heart of the firm.
Through the inevitable ups and downs of the boom and bust years Rock Townsend expanded and shrank and moved premises, nurturing along the way a veritable menagerie of talented architects. Alistair was responsible for the design of a huge range of projects which reflected a non doctrinaire and idiosyncratic philosophy. Projects included the Venables office building in Stoke, the IBM headquarters in Edinburgh, he worked with Ralph Erskine to realise the ARK project in Hammersmith and designed the Pentland Headquarters in Enfield which embraced the idea (now promoted by the likes of Google) that the Office could provide a multi functional and enhanced working/living environment. The project won the BCO Best of the Best Award. He worked on many educational projects including those for the University of Westminster and the College of North West London. His project for Holy Trinity School in Hackney was a typically ‘first principal’ idea of Alistair’s to fund the new school by stacking the School and the playground below 6 stories of housing. Alistair had an extraordinary work ethic and he drew beautifully. He had a lasting impact on the work in his studio where he helped, discussed, cajoled and nurtured a team who responded with gratitude commitment and affection.
Alistair retired to Cornwall with Susan his wife where he continued to design and mentor and for a while they ran a gallery and event space together.
