Patrick Nuttgens
Encyclopedia
Patrick John Nuttgens CBE
(March 2, 1930 - March 15, 2004) was an English
architect and academic.
Patrick Nuttgens was raised in Piggotts Hill, near High Wycombe
, Buckinghamshire
. His father, stained-glass artist Joseph Edward Nuttgens, married twice, and Patrick was one of four children from the first marriage. His mother died when he was seven years old. Joseph remarried and had eight more children, the eldest of whom was named Joseph Ambrose and is also a stained glass designer, still living and working at Piggotts Hill.
One day, when Patrick was twelve and a student at Ratcliffe College
, he walked off the rugby
pitch with a terrible pain in his back and, within a day, was paralysed from the chest down with poliomyelitis
. He was hospitalised for nearly two years while he recuperated.
He studied architecture
and painting at Edinburgh College of Art
and Edinburgh University. He met Bridget Badenoch, an English Literature student at Edinburgh University; they married in 1954. In 1962, he became director of the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies at the University of York
, and subsequently became Professor of Architecture there. In 1969, he was appointed as the first director of Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Metropolitan University
).
He was awarded honorary doctorates by several universities, and was appointed CBE in 1983. His books include The Story of Architecture, The Art of Learning: a Personal Journey, The Home Front: Housing the People (1840-1990), York... the Continuing City (illustrated by Dr John Shannon), Leeds: The Back to Front, Inside-out, Upside-down City (1979) and The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Architecture.
Over the years, Patrick carved out a distinctive profile in the media, writing and presenting TV programmes on architecture and appearing as a panellist on radio programmes such as the Round Britain Quiz and Any Questions.
In hid mid-fifties, he experienced worsening disability mistakenly diagnosed as multiple sclerosis
now ascribed to post-polio syndrome. He operated from a wheelchair from 1985.
He died in 2004.
Patrick and his wife Bridget had nine children, including Giles Nuttgens
, the award winning cinematographer, and the composer Sandy Nuttgens
.
CBE
CBE and C.B.E. are abbreviations for "Commander of the Order of the British Empire", a grade in the Order of the British Empire.Other uses include:* Chemical and Biochemical Engineering...
(March 2, 1930 - March 15, 2004) was an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
architect and academic.
Patrick Nuttgens was raised in Piggotts Hill, near High Wycombe
High Wycombe
High Wycombe , commonly known as Wycombe and formally called Chepping Wycombe or Chipping Wycombe until 1946,is a large town in Buckinghamshire, England. It is west-north-west of Charing Cross in London; this figure is engraved on the Corn Market building in the centre of the town...
, Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire
Buckinghamshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan home county in South East England. The county town is Aylesbury, the largest town in the ceremonial county is Milton Keynes and largest town in the non-metropolitan county is High Wycombe....
. His father, stained-glass artist Joseph Edward Nuttgens, married twice, and Patrick was one of four children from the first marriage. His mother died when he was seven years old. Joseph remarried and had eight more children, the eldest of whom was named Joseph Ambrose and is also a stained glass designer, still living and working at Piggotts Hill.
One day, when Patrick was twelve and a student at Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College
Ratcliffe College is an independent Catholic boarding and day school in Leicestershire, England. The College, situated in of parkland on the Fosse Way about six miles north of Leicester, was founded on the instructions of Blessed Father Antonio Rosmini-Serbati in 1845 as a seminary. In 1847, the...
, he walked off the rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
pitch with a terrible pain in his back and, within a day, was paralysed from the chest down with poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis
Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute viral infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route...
. He was hospitalised for nearly two years while he recuperated.
He studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and painting at Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art
Edinburgh College of Art is an art school in Edinburgh, Scotland, providing tertiary education in art and design disciplines for over two thousand students....
and Edinburgh University. He met Bridget Badenoch, an English Literature student at Edinburgh University; they married in 1954. In 1962, he became director of the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, and subsequently became Professor of Architecture there. In 1969, he was appointed as the first director of Leeds Polytechnic (now Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University
Leeds Metropolitan University is a British University with three campuses. Two are situated in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England while the third is situated in Bhopal, India...
).
He was awarded honorary doctorates by several universities, and was appointed CBE in 1983. His books include The Story of Architecture, The Art of Learning: a Personal Journey, The Home Front: Housing the People (1840-1990), York... the Continuing City (illustrated by Dr John Shannon), Leeds: The Back to Front, Inside-out, Upside-down City (1979) and The Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guide to Architecture.
Over the years, Patrick carved out a distinctive profile in the media, writing and presenting TV programmes on architecture and appearing as a panellist on radio programmes such as the Round Britain Quiz and Any Questions.
In hid mid-fifties, he experienced worsening disability mistakenly diagnosed as multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
now ascribed to post-polio syndrome. He operated from a wheelchair from 1985.
He died in 2004.
Patrick and his wife Bridget had nine children, including Giles Nuttgens
Giles Nuttgens
Giles Nuttgens BSC, is a British cinematographer. He is best known to fans of independent art house fare for his work on Deepa Mehta's "Elements trilogy", consisting of the films Fire , Earth and Water , and to general audiences for his work as cinematographer on the big-budget science fiction...
, the award winning cinematographer, and the composer Sandy Nuttgens
Sandy Nuttgens
Alexander "Sandy" Nuttgens is a British composer and a member of the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.He is principally known for scoring television programmes mainly in the realm of children's TV and documentaries...
.