Giles Quarme&Associates

CV & Expertise | Lectures | Publications

DR ARCHIBALD G WALLS - DA (Edin), MSc, PhD, FSA, FSA Scot, FRAS, RIBA, AABC

Professional and Academic Qualifications

Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, London
Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Scotland
2007 - RIBA Architects Accredited in Building Conservation (AABC)
1969 - Member of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (Resigned 2006)
1969 - Member of the Royal Institute of British Architects (Resigned 1990, rejoined 2006)
1969 - Architects Registration Council UK
1979 - PhD, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh College of Art
1970 - MSc in Environmental Conservation (Urban and Built) - Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh College of Art.
1968 - DA (Edin.), School of Architecture, Edinburgh College of Art

Experience overseas and in the UK

As an architect with degrees in Environmental Conservation and in Islamic Architecture I have unique qualifications. For 20 years I worked on a wide range of archaeological, architectural and restoration projects in the Middle East beginning in 1968 as Architect to the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem. All were interesting and exciting projects such as UNESCO Consultant the Ministry of National Heritage in Oman (1977-78) when I reported on the restoration possibilities and the appropriate use of materials in historic forts and monuments, including Bahla (now a World Heritage Site); and also as Architect to the Ministry of Information in Bahrain (1984-87) when I excavated, consolidated, restored, and floodlit Arad Fort, now a symbol of Bahrain’s culture and history.

Based in London since 1987, I have been associated with Giles Quarme and Associates on projects in the UK since 1989. In 1998 we were the lead Consultants on the Princess Diana Memorial Museum created by her brother, the Earl Spencer. I have given advice and worked the repair and planned maintenance on listed buildings and ancient monuments, including the Royal Naval College, Greenwich and have restored buildings for the Crown Estates as well as other conservation matters. I have received Civic Trust and RIBA Regional Design Awards. During this time my overseas projects have included advising the authorities in Cairo following earthquake damage to monuments in 1993 on behalf of UNESCO. Also for UNESCO leading a team of technical advisors on the Dar al-Athar Al-Islamiyyah project, Kuwait from 1995 to 1996. From 1993-1997 I was the Architect for the restoration of the Old Dispensary in Zanzibar for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. In 1996 I was the mud brick advisor on the restoration of Qasr Al-Murabba, Darat al-Malik Abdulaziz, the Saudi National Museum project undertaken by Rasim Badran and Associates and Omrania Associates. In 1998 as UNESCO adviser I returned after ten years to Bahrain to advise them on the conservation and preservation of the archaeological sites of Saar and Barbar Temple.

Recently, in addition to lectures in the UK on Middle Eastern subjects, I have lectured in Oman, Dubai and Bahrain, and on mud brick techniques at the 9th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earth Structures at Yazd, Iran. After the conference I visited Bam (the fulfilment of a thirty year old dream) only three weeks before the earthquake. Consequently I have written a number of articles, made a presentation at St James’s Palace to the major donors of the British Red Cross in the presence of HRH The Prince of Wales just before he himself visited Bam, and I was the sole British representative at the Bam Workshop held in Bam in April 2004.

I am on the main committee of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings and a past member of the councils of the Royal Asiatic Society and the Palestine Exploration Fund, have served on UK Government’s committees for the Cultural Heritage and Tourism sector and the International Committee of ICOMOS-UK. I have lectured extensively, and in 2002-3 did so in Isfahan, Tehran, London, Muscat, Dubai, Bahrain and at the Terra 2003 Conference held in Yazd, Iran.

Chronological Record

1998 - UNESCO Consultant in Bahrain
1996 - Mud-brick Advisor for the Restoration of Qasr Al-Murrabba (old palace of King Abdul Aziz) for Saudi National Museum Project, Riyadh in association with Rasam Badran.
1995-1996 - UNESCO Advisors to Dar al-Islamiyya (the New Islamic Museum), Kuwait, (Team Leader)
1995-1997 - Architect for the restoration of The Old Dispensary, Zanzibar for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture.
1992 - Part of UNESCO team advising on the monuments of Cairo following the earthquake of October 1992
1992 - present - Giles Quarme & Associates, London, as historic building architects working on Grade I and II* buildings.
1990-1992 - The Conservation Practice
1987-1998 - Archie Walls Design, London
1984-1987 - Restored Arad Fort whilst the Senior Architect to the Ministry of Information, Bahrain
1981-1983 - Project Architect for Conservation projects in Baghdad, APP, Baghdad
1980-1981 - Assistant Professor in Architecture, University of Jordan, Amman
1980 - UNESCO Consultant to the Yemen Arab Republic
1977-1978 -UNESCO Consultant to the Sultan of Oman
1976-1979 - Doctoral Student in Jerusalem and Cairo
1970-1975 - Architect to the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem
1969-1970 - Master of Science in Environmental Conservation (the Urban and Built)
1968-1969 - Architect to the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem

Lectures

2007

‘Overseas Consultancies and GQA Projects’, lecture to final year Conservation students, Architectural Association.

2006

‘The Historic Buildings of Oman and their Foreign Relations’, the English Speaking Union, Chiltern Art History Scholarship Lecture.
‘Overseas Consultancies’, lecture to final year Conservation students, Architectural Association.
‘The Church of the Nativity and its Mosaics’, St Paul’s Church, Clapham Old Town

2005

The Bam Earthquake and Earthen Architecture’, lecture to the Institute of Structural Engineers History Study Group.
‘Examples of the Mason’s Art in Jerusalem’, lecture to the Palestine Exploration Fund held at the British Museum.

2004

‘A Processional Way in Jerusalem: Ideas elucidated by the compasses’, lecture to The Globe, London.
‘Bam – Context, construction, culture, conservation’ presentation as part of the Iran Earthquake briefing on the Red Cross/Red Crescent response hosted by HRH The Prince of Wales at St James’s Palace, London.
‘Overseas Consultancies’, lecture to final year Conservation students, Architectural Association.

2003

‘The 3000-year-old history of an Arabian Mud Brick Technology’, paper presented to the 9th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architecture, Terra 2003, Yazd, Iran
‘Arad Fort, Bahrain’ an evening lecture to The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, London.
‘The geographical extent and chronology of an indigenous building technique in the deserts of Arabia and beyond’, lecture to the Institute of Structural Engineers, History Group, London
‘The Restoration and Materials used at Arad Fort’, public lecture given at the National Museum, Bahrain at the invitation of the Ministry of Information.
‘3000 year old mud brick technology of the Arabian Deserts’ public lecture given at the request of the Historic Buildings Section, General Projects Department, Dubai Municipality, Dubai.
‘Preservation of Historic Sites – the Oman Experience: Some Thoughts’, presentation made at the Oman – Tourism Seminar held in Muscat, Oman and arranged by the British Embassy and Department of Trade and Industry.
‘The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: The Theoretical Reconstruction of Two Ancient Mosaics’, lecture to The Globe, London
‘Conservation and International Consultancies’, lecture to the final year of the part time Conservation students at the Architectural Association, London.
The Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem: The Theoretical Reconstruction of Two Ancient Mosaics’, to Faith and Image Forum, London
‘Overseas Consultancies’, lecture to final year Conservation students, Architectural Association.

2002

‘A Sacred and Mysterious line in Jerusalem’ lecture to The Globe, London.
‘Cultural, Heritage and Tourism and British Expertise’, presentations were given in Iran, on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry UK, to the Chamber of Commerce, Isfahan, to the Directorate of International and Cultural Relations, Iranian Heritage Organisation, Tehran and to an invited audience at the British Embassy, Tehran.
‘Overseas Consultancies’, presentation to Cultural Heritage and Tourism Showcase Presentation, arranged by Department of Trade and Industry, London
‘Selected Projects’, a joint presentation with Giles Quarme to the Chief Planner and other Executives of the Hong Kong administration in London.

2001

‘A Design Family: Three interrelated geometrically decorated panels in Mamluk Jerusalem’, lecture to The Globe, London.

2000

‘Arad Fort, Bahrain: Its restoration and its foreign relations’, lecture delivered at The Archaeology of Bahrain: The British Contribution, SOAS, July 2000
‘Wisdom, Strength and Beauty: Examples of the Masons’ Art in Jerusalem’, lecture to The Globe, London.
‘Wisdom, Strength and Beauty: Examples of the Masons’ Art in Jerusalem’, lecture to The Quadratic, Middlesex.
‘Symmetry and Asymmetry in a Cairo Cemetery’, lecture to The Globe, London.

1998

‘Archaeology and Conservation Proposals for the Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem’, lecture given to the Bethlehem 2000 Conference held at the British Museum in association with UNESCO, BM, the Palestine Exploration Fund and the Palestinian General Delegation and supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
‘British Consultants in the UK Heritage Export Sector’, lecture given at a conference organised by the Department of Trade and Industry and the British Council, and held at the DTI

1995

‘First impressions of Kuwait and the conservation problems of the country’s historic buildings’, lecture given under the auspices of the Dar al Athar al-Islamiyyah, Ministry of Information, Kuwait.

1994

‘Construction techniques of Arabia’, lecture to the Department of Architecture, Birzeit University.

1993

‘A 3000 year old building construction technique; its discovery and conservation’, lecture at conference on Architecture and Development in the Islamic World, Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, York University.

1992

‘The conservation of the Zanzibar Stone Town; the possibilities and potential problems’, keynote address to the International Conference on the History and Culture of Zanzibar.

1990

‘Geometries in medieval Islamic architecture’, lecture to postgraduate students at the Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, York University.

1989

‘Qasr Kharanah in Jordan, its foreign relations’, lecture to the British Institute of Archaeology and History in Amman held in the rooms of the British Academy, London
‘A medieval design family in the Turkan Khatun, Jerusalem and the Minbar of Sultan Qaytbay in the Khanqah of Farag ibn Barquq, Cairo’, lecture to the Palestine Exploration Fund held in the Society of Antiquaries of London
‘An architectural sequence in the historic monuments of Mocha, Yemen Arab Republic’, lecture to the Seminar for Arabian Studies held in Oxford.

Publications

2004

‘A view from Bam’, Architectural Review, February issue. The article described one of the finest and most ancient mud cities in the world, Bam, in Iran’s Kerman Province, which had been damaged by an earthquake in December 2002 and considered its past glories and possible future.
‘Return to its Roots’, article on Bam in Building Design identifying the only way to repair earthquake-shattered Bam is to rebuild with the original mud-brick methods that have proven themselves for thousands of years.

2003

‘The 3000-year-old history of an Arabian Mud Brick Technology’, Pre-Print of Papers, 9th International Conference on the Study and Conservation of Earthen Architecture, Terra 2003, Yazd, Iran pp630-655.
Restoration of Buckden Towers, the Saint Claret Centre, Cambridge, a report in collaboration with Giles Quarme on the restoration possibilities and proposals for enhanced landscaping for visitor and public use including designs for a labyrinth laid out using herbs.
‘Arad Fort: its restoration and foreign relations’, The Archaeology of Bahrain: The British Contribution, Proceedings of a seminar held to mark exhibition ‘Traces of Paradise’ at the Brunei gallery, SOAS, ed. Harriet Crawford, BAR International Series 1189, pp43-60, London.
Manor House Library, Lewisham a short report using photographs to illustrate the building’s condition and the inherent problems.

2002

The Haven Arms, Ealing: Assessment of the Existing Condition and Recommended Remedial Actions. This was a detailed statement accessing the condition and making recommendations in order to return the building to an acceptable state of repair.

2001

The Old Post Office, Derby: An Historic and Architectural Assessment. This report assessed development plans prepared by others and identified features of special interest and in addition considered historic materials, the various historic phases and their details. The report was considered by the Local Authority to be a model of its type and requested a special edition to be deposited in the City’s Public Library.
Brackenhill Tower, The Graham Stronghold: A Review of the Development Plan of June 1997, prepared on behalf of the Brackenhill Trust in collaboration with Global Tourism Solutions (UK) Ltd. This advised on potential options of use and restoration and costs for the various buildings forming the complex with a review and updating of the regional tourism statistics and projections of future economic trends.

2000

Great Fosters Hotel: A Master Plan for the Hotel Grounds prepared by Giles Quarme and Associates and Kim Wilkie Associates. Contributed a section on the history of the Tudor house and the proposed architectural changes and extensions to it being designed by GQA.

1999

Stowe House Preservation Plan: Phase 1. This was a submission to the Trust and included as its main section illustrations of defects that would need to be addressed.
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This was a submission to the Trustees for the production of a Conservation Plan and included photographs with complimentary drawings identifying the many fine architectural features but also the problems for visitors and for the curatorial staff.

1998

The Coach House, Preston report addressed the issues raised by the Development Scheme and the Local Planning Authority’s requirement to identify all historic features that are likely to be affected as a consquence of the proposed alterations, alterations to which GQA had not been a party.
Reviewed The Garden in Ancient Egypt by Alix Wilkinson, Architectural Review, October
Reviewed The Traditional Architecture of Saudi Arabia by Geoffrey King, Architectural Review, July
Reviewed The Mosque and the Modern World: Architects, Patrons and Designs since the 1950s by Renata Holod and Hasan-Uddin Khan, Architectural Review, May
Reviewed Back to Earth: Adobe Building in Saudi Arabia by William Facey, Architectural Review, April
Reviewed An Architecture for the People: The Complete Works of Hasan Fathy, by James Steele, Architectural Review, March

1997

Reviewed Sinan: An Interpretation by Hans G Egli, Architectural Review, November
Reviewed The Christian Art of Byzantine Syria by Ignacio Pena, Architectural Review, July
“From the Old Dispensary to the Stone Town Cultural Centre”, ed. Stefano Bianca, Historic Cities Support Programme: Zanzibar Stone Town Projects, The Aga Khan Trust for Culture

1996

Dar Al-Athar Al Islamiyyah (American Missionary Hospital) 20th-28th September, prepared for Ministry of Information, Kuwait, Restricted Assignment Report published by UNESCO Paris
Dar Al-Athar Al Islamiyyah (American Missionary Hospital) 16th-20th June, prepared for Ministry of Information, Kuwait, Restricted Assignment Report published by UNESCO Paris
Dar Al-Athar Al Islamiyyah (American Missionary Hospital) 10th-14th May, prepared for Ministry of Information, Kuwait, Restricted Assignment Report published by UNESCO Paris
Dar Al-Athar Al Islamiyyah (American Missionary Hospital) 29th-9th April, prepared for Ministry of Information, Kuwait, Restricted Assignment Report published by UNESCO Paris

1995

Restoration and Conservation of the Islamic Museum in Kuwait (Dar Al-Athar Al Islamiyyah), prepared for Ministry of Information, Kuwait, Restricted Technical Report published by UNESCO Paris
“The Revitalisation of Zanzibar Stone Town”, The History and Conservation of Zanzibar Stone Town: Part One of the Proceedings of the First International Conference on the History and Culture of Zanzibar 14-16 December 1992, ed. by Abdul Sheriff, The Department of Archives and Museums and Antiquities, Zanzibar.

1994

Reviewed The Mosque: History, Architectural Development and Regional Diversity ed. by Martin Frishman and Hasan-Uddin Khan, Architectural Review
Reviewed Islamic Architecture: Form, Function and Meaning by Robert Hillenbrand, Architectural Review

1993

‘Ottoman Restorations to the Sabil and Madrasa of Qaytbay, Jerusalem’, A contribution to the Festschrift in honour of Professor Oleg Grabar, recently Aga Khan Professor of Islamic Art and Architecture at Harvard University, Muqarnas, vol. 10
“A 3000 year old building technique: its discovery and Conservation”, in Architecture and Development in the Islamic World, conference proceedings ed. Sultan Barakat, Post-War Reconstruction and Development Unit, Institute of Advanced Architectural Studies, Univ. of York, April
Reviewed Moorish Architecture in Andalusia, by Marianne Barrucand and Achin Bednorz, Architectural Review
Reviewed Hagia Sophia: from the Age of Justinian to the Present, ed. by R. Mark and A. S. Cakmak, Architectural Review

1992

Reviewed Fatehpur Sikri, by Attilio Petrucciolli, Architectural Review
The Islamic and Coptic Monuments in Cairo following the Earthquake of 12.10.92, a report for UNESCO prepared in collaboration with Richard Swift of Gifford and Partners, Consultant Engineers
Reviewed Sinan: Architect of Suleyman the Magnificent and the Golden Age, by John Freely et. al., Architectural Review
St Mary’s Priory: Design Report on the Masjid, being design proposals for a Sufi centre in North London

1991

Reviewed Formal Structure in Indian Architecture and Formal Architecture in Islamic Iran and Turkistan, both by Klaus Herdeg, Architectural Review
The National Heritage of Zanzibar: Its Future, written in collaboration with Louisa Crisp, financed by the British Council and presented to the President’s Office, Zanzibar
‘A 300-year Old Building Technique: its discovery and conservation’, Weald and Downland Open Air Museum Magazine III/6

1990

Geometry and Architecture in Islamic Jerusalem: The Madrasa Ashrafiyya, Scorpion Press, London
Arundel Conservation Study, prepared by The Conservation Practice and JMP Consultants Limited

1989

The Landscaped Systems of Delhi, India, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture
The Royal Palaces of Istanbul, Their Conservation, the Aga Khan Award for Architecture

1987

Arad Fort, Bahrain, published by the Ministry of Information, Bahrain

1984

‘The Third Jewel of the Third Shrine of Islam: Its Physical and Geometric Form’, Arts and the Islamic World
Reviewed The Islamic Perspective, by M. Derby , Architectural History

1982

‘Symmetry and Asymmetry in a Cairo Minbar’, Art International, XXX/3-4

1981

‘A Gap Site Problem: The story of a Jerusalem Architect Dr Abu Tannourah Haytan in the time of the Mamlukes’, Almuhandes Alurdoni, XIV/24
Yemen Arab Republic: The Architecture of Mocha, UNESCO, Paris

1980

Arabic Inscriptions in Jerusalem: A Handlist and Maps, co-authored with Amal Abul-Hajj, World of Islam Festival Trust, London

1979

An Attempted Reconstruction of Design Procedures and Concepts during the Reign of Sultan Qaytbay (872/1468 to 901/1496) in Jerusalem and Cairo, Heriot-Watt University and Edinburgh College of Art
‘The Sundial on the West Wall of the Madrasa of Sultan Qaytbay in Jerusalem’, co-authored with Dr David King, Art and Archaeological Research Papers 15

1978

Sultanate of Oman: Preservation of Monuments and Sites, UNESCO and UNDP, Paris

1977

‘The Mausoleium of the Amir Kilani: Restored Elevations’, Levant VIII

1975

‘The Mausoleum of the Amir Kilani Jerusalem’, Levant VII

1974

‘The Turbat Barakat Khan or the Khalidi Library, Jerusalem’, Levant VI

1970

Brechin: A Study in Conservation, Heriot-Watt Univ. and Edin. College of Art
Londonderry Conservation Study, Heriot-Watt Univ. and Edin. College of Art

1968

The Grassmarket: A Conservation Study, Edinburgh College of Art