William (Bill) Mullins FRIBA, Honorary Fellow, died aged 94, following a short illness. He was an architect who played an important role in the design and development of the original College buildings, as well as numerous architectural projects around the world.
Bill joined the Sheppard Robson practice in 1947 as an architectural assistant. His early experience was in designing a variety of schools and colleges. Later, in around 1955, with the expansion of the universities, he designed Weeks Hall and Southside Halls of Residence for Imperial College, London, subsequently Grade II Listed.
In 1959, when the practice was invited to enter the competition for Churchill College, he was responsible for the office’s submission. Over the following few years developing the design turned into a full-time commitment, and on completion, the College was Grade II Listed.
In 1974, he designed the conversion of an old piano works for Sheppard Robson’s new offices when they moved to Camden Town. The offices received ‘Civic Trust’ and ‘Office of the Year’ awards. As the office expanded, Bill designed shopping centres, offices and housing and acted as consultant for a variety of projects in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the Philippines.
He taught briefly at Washington University in St Louis. He wrote ‘Student Housing Briefing’ and a book entitled ‘Student Housing: Architectural and Social Aspects’ with Phyllis Allen, published in 1971. In 1983 he completed ‘Sheppard Robson Architects’ published by Lund Humphries.
From 1988-91 he associated with Robert Venturi, the architect for the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery.
Bill retired in 1991 and became a consultant. In 2017, he was elected an Honorary Fellow of the College, for which he was deeply grateful. He lived in Buckinghamshire with his wife Monica in a house they designed together.
