Charles Herbert Aslin

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(15 December 1893 – 18 April 1959) was a British architect. He was born in Ecclesfield, Sheffield, the son of steelworker Arthur William and Louisa Aslin and educated at Sheffield Central School and

Sheffield University The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Firth College in 1879 ...

. During the First World War he served in the

Army Pay Corps The Royal Army Pay Corps (RAPC) was the corps of the British Army responsible for administering all financial matters. It was amalgamated into the Adjutant General's Corps in 1992. History The first "paymasters" existed in the army before the fo ...

and the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry before being made a captain in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. After the war he was admitted to the

Royal Institute of British Architects The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is a professional body for architects primarily in the United Kingdom, but also internationally, founded for the advancement of architecture under its royal charter granted in 1837, three suppl ...

(RIBA) as an associate, becoming a fellow in 1932. He took a post in the city architect's department in Sheffield, and in 1922 was appointed as borough engineer in Rotherham, where he designed the new municipal offices. After a few years as a lecturer at Sheffield University he became an associate of the

Institution of Civil Engineers The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) is an independent professional association for civil engineers and a Charitable organization, charitable body in the United Kingdom. Based in London, ICE has over 92,000 members, of whom three-quarters ar ...

and was appointed deputy county architect of Hampshire. left, 240px, Exeter Bridge In 1929 he became the Borough Architect for Derby responsible for the planning of major changes in the layout of the town under the title of Central Improvement Plan (CIP). In that role he is credited with the design of several major buildings both within the CIP and also elsewhere in the town, including the original 1933 Bus Station, Police Station/Magistrates' Courts, Council House, Riverside Gardens, Exeter Bridge, Exeter Place Apartments and the former Covered Market. After the Second World War he moved to become county architect of

Hertfordshire County Council Hertfordshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Hertfordshire, in England. The council was created in 1889. It is responsible for a wide range of public services in the county, including social c ...

, where he introduced the concept of pre-fabricated construction techniques to meet an urgent demand for new schools. Over 100 such schools were built over the next decade to his C20 pre-fabricated design. In 1945, he was elected to the council of R.I.B.A. and elected president for 1954–56. He retired in 1958 and died in Hertford in 1959. He had married Ethel Fawcett Armitage, with whom he had one daughter.

Works

* Exeter Bridge, Derby (1931) *

Derby Bus Station Derby Bus Station serves the city of Derby, England. The old bus station The original bus station was the first purpose-built bus station in the United Kingdom. Designed by Charles Herbert Aslin, the Borough Architect, it opened in 1933. It ...

(1933, closed 2005, demolished 2006) * Derby Magistrates Court and Police Station (now known as the Riverside Chambers, and used as the Local Studies Library, as well as providing office space) * Derby Council House * Exeter House, Derby * Queen Street Swimming Baths, Derby

Gallery of architectural work

File:Derby 023.JPG, Council House, Derby File:Exeter Bridge.jpg, Exeter Bridge, Derby

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Aslin, Charles Herbert 1893 births 1959 deaths 20th-century English architects Presidents of the Royal Institute of British Architects Architects from Yorkshire British Army personnel of World War I Royal Army Pay Corps soldiers Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry soldiers Royal Artillery officers Associates of the Royal Institute of British Architects Military personnel from Sheffield Architects from Sheffield Commanders_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire