The 59ers: A Tribute to the Early Days at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture

In the late summer of 1959, ten young students arrived at the recently established Scott Sutherland School of Architecture at Garthdee - full of promise and ambition, they developed a camaraderie that would define them for decades to come. These students, who became affectionately known as the 59ers, helped shape the early spirit of the School and forged friendships that would last a lifetime.

The Scott Sutherland School had moved to its dedicated home at Garthdee in 1956. Surrounded by quiet woodland and the sweeping grounds of Garthdee House, the School offered an inspiring and serene environment for architectural study. With a small teaching staff of specialist lecturers headed by E. F. Davies, and the calming presence of ‘Wattie’ the caretaker, it was an intimate and close-knit learning community. A small refectory at the end of the west drive served as an important social hub, where days of work and study were often punctuated in shared meals and conversation.

The 59ers were pioneers of the School’s six-year part-time course. Their first two years balanced four days a week apprenticeship in a local architectural practice with one full day and two evenings of lectures, supplemented by a programme of ongoing project work. The workload was challenging, especially for those earning modest apprentice wages, some had to take on additional jobs to support their studies. Despite such intensity, the experience fostered strong bonds among the group which would endure for the rest of their lives.

Outside studio hours, the 59ers embraced the lively student life in Aberdeen. They joined activities at the Students’ Union on Rubislaw Terrace - where Bruce Cochrane and Sandy Gallacher later served as Chair and Vice-Chair. They bonded with members of other faculties, explored Deeside and the Cairngorms, were heavily creative in the annual Arts Ball, patronised the Blue Lamp and took part in audacious student “rags.” Their stories range from boating down the River Dee in flood conditions to being winched into the depths of Rubislaw Quarry - adventures that defied Health and Safety but became cherished memories.

 Alongside their own architectural education, the 59ers developed lasting personal friendships within the Aberdeen student fraternity - but especially with students from the School of Domestic Science and Gray’s School of Art, where several ultimately achieved wedded bliss! These cross-faculty connections enriched their student experience, broadened their creative perspectives and strengthened the sense of community that characterised life at Garthdee during those formative years.

A defining aspect of the 59ers’ experience in the days of the embryo RGU was the rich, hands-on learning opportunities that complemented their formal studies. In the summer of 1962, six members of the group were invited to work with the renowned firm Robert Hurd and Partners on a major survey project in Old Aberdeen, funded by the McRobert Family Trust. This was a unique opportunity created by the School and Private Practice to harness the enthusiasm and latent skills of the students. Working with only drawing boards, tape measures and T-squares, they gained deep insight into the discipline of architectural recording long before digital tools transformed the profession. The students survey work subsequently formed the basis of the future regeneration programme for Old Aberdeen.

Another signature experience in their Course studies came through the required “measured work.” Using their own initiative, the students divided into two groups and, ignoring convention, travelled to France to survey Renaissance architecture—with John, Jim and Ian heading to the chateau Azay-le-Rideau in the Loire Valley and Stuart, Sandy, Douglas, Alan and Forbes going to Maisons-Laffitte near Paris. This was a novel approach to fulfilling part of the architectural syllabus which required detailed organisation plus formal approval from the French Government. Survey days were spent taking measurements from punts on moat waters, navigating hidden roof spaces and hidden passageways, and drafting their findings on portable drawing boards in hotel rooms. The trips were not only academically enriching but formative journeys into European architecture and culture, including visits to visionary early works by Le Corbusier.

By 1965, the group completed their studies and set out on their individual professional journeys. Two members - Ian and John - went on to Edinburgh to earn further qualifications in Town and Country Planning. Their paths diverged as families grew and individual careers progressed via private practice, local government, planning, consultancy, and even international work in Africa. But whether they remained in Scotland or ventured further afield, the grounding they received at Garthdee shaped their careers and shared sense of professional purpose.

In 2009, fifty years after they had first met at Garthdee, the 59ers marked their anniversary with a reunion dinner at the Royal Northern and University Club in Aberdeen -eight of the original ten were able to attend. From that gathering grew annual dinners, regular coffee mornings, and excursions across Scotland to explore historic and modern architecture, thereby continuing the spirit of curiosity that began in their student years. Though several members have sadly since passed, their stories, laughter, and enduring friendship remains central to the

Today, the remaining 59ers continue that tradition of togetherness – now with the welcome recruitment of friends from the following student years. The group get together for a relaxed twice-monthly coffee and chat, along with the annual dinner, most recently held in December 2025, ensuring that the bonds formed in 1959 remain as strong and warm as ever.

Reflecting on their experiences, the 59ers often remark on how the modern RGU provides extraordinary facilities, technology, opportunities, and networking - far exceeding anything they could have imagined as fresh students in 1959 and the early ‘60s. They view the evolution of the University with admiration and pride, recognising how architectural education has expanded in ways once unimaginable.

Their experiences at Scott Sutherland shaped not only their careers, but their lives. Through study, travel, challenges, and shared adventure, the 59ers embody the essence of architectural education at its best: a blend of creativity, discipline, exploration, and lifelong connection. Viva the 59ers. Ian King & Sandy Gallacher, 2026.