SPECIAL FEATURE DAVID ROSS
Needless to say, David lasted the
course and is now thriving in his
Glasgow-based company. However,
if he had his way, Ayrshire would
be a legitimate option for those
wishing to study architecture.
“From this experience I thought
perhaps construction would be
the career for me. I enrolled in
what was then Ayr College and
studied ONC Building Craft. The
course was not for me yet there
was something about it that caught
my imagination and that was the
building design side.
“I found out about a part-time
course at the Glasgow School of
Art which you could attend if you
were working in an architect’s
office. So I moved to a new job
with Keppie and at the age of
22 years started a seven year
apprenticeship.”
Becoming an apprentice at such
an advanced age is a daunting
prospect, but it’s not something
that fazed David. In fact, it inspired
him to be the best he could be.
He said: “I remember being told,
‘You’ll never last the course’ but
this made me more determined to
achieve success. I really enjoyed the
course and I truly believe that if it
had not been for the college course
in Ayr I would not be an architect
today. It’s made me a better
architect because it filled the gulf
between the academic and practical
side. Finally I had found what I
was good at!”
THE STUDENT VOICE: EDITION 3
David said: “Although I was born
in Glasgow, I’m an adopted son of
Ayrshire after living in Kilmarnock
for almost 40 years. It really pains
me that you have to apply to
Universities in Glasgow or the
other major cities in Scotland to
find a course.
“My dream would be to help
change that and support the
formation of a new creative course
in Ayrshire through a college /
university partnership but driven
and supported by private practice.”
They’re not just empty words –
David is really making an impact
in Ayrshire. Thanks to his role as
a local Business Leader for East
Ayrshire Council’s Enterprise
Fund, his design company is in
the middle of an enterprise project
with pupils across East Ayrshire
schools. Ayrshire College is also
playing its part.
“ My dream would be
to help change that and
support the formation
of a new creative
course in Ayrshire
through a college /
university partnership
but driven and
supported by
private practice.”
INTERACTION
INTERACTION sees eight
secondary schools attempt
to design an inspirational,
flexible and open learning
space for the College’s
new Kilmarnock campus.
The winning school works
with Keppie’s design team
as their design is then
actually implemented in
the new building.
“At this stage in their education
young people really have to
think about what they might
be good at, so we have a
launched a design competition
to inspire interest in the creative
industries.” David explains.
“...young people
are our future.”
“As an employer I believe it is
important to work with our
educational partners to provide
opportunities and encourage
talent into our profession young people are our future.”
It’s an exciting time for David
who is just about to release his
first novel.
‘The Last Days of Disco’ is a
fictional story set in Kilmarnock
in 1982 about two young friends
trying to start a mobile disco
business against the backdrop of
the Falkands War.
It’s due for release as an e-book
from December 2014, and as a
paperback from February 2015.
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