Fred Roche

Frederick Lloyd Roche, CBE (11 March 1931 – 9 November 1992),[1] was a British architect who worked on the programme of new towns in the United Kingdom. He was Chief Architect of Runcorn Development Corporation from 1965 to 1970 and General Manager of the Milton Keynes Development Corporation from 1970 to 1981. In 1985, he was appointed a CBE.

For the Australian cyclist, see Fred Roche (cyclist).

Frederick Lloyd Roche

CBE
Born(1931-03-11)11 March 1931
Died9 November 1992(1992-11-09) (aged 61)
Alma materRegent Street Polytechnic (now University of Westminster)
OccupationArchitect
SpouseValerie (second wife)
Children2 children (1st marriage)
1 daughter (2nd marriage)
BuildingsRuncorn Shopping City

Career

Roche trained at Regent Street Polytechnic (now University of Westminster) and qualified in 1955. He remained in London for three years working as a housing architect and moved to Coventry in 1958 where he became an architect specialising in schools. In 1963, he returned to housing when he became principal development architect for the Midlands Housing Consortium.[2]

In 1965, Roche became chief architect and planning officer for Runcorn new town.[3] He led on the design of the new town centre, Runcorn Shopping City.[4]

In 1970, he moved to Milton Keynes in north Buckinghamshire to be General Manager of the Development Corporation at the age of 39. He oversaw the major growth of the 'new city' through to 1981.

Thereafter, he joined with Terence Conran to establish the new architecture and planning consultancy, Conran Roche. The company developed a number of projects during the 1980s, including Butler's Wharf and Michelin House in London. He retired as managing director in 1988 due to ill health.

Awards and recognition

In 1985 Roche was appointed a CBE. He was a vice-president of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1983 to 1985 and honorary treasurer from 1985 to 1986.

He is commemorated in Milton Keynes by having a linear civic garden named for him.[5]

References
  1. "Archive". Fred Roche Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2014. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  2. "Fred Roche". The Times. 25 November 1992. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
  3. Ling, Arthur (1967). Runcorn New Town Master Plan (PDF). Runcorn Development Corporation. OCLC 311425. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 June 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  4. "Runcorn main shopping centre". The Architects' Journal. 155 (25): 1377–1392. 21 June 1972.
  5. "Fred Roche Memorial Gardens officially unveiled". Milton Keynes Citizen. 9 November 2012.
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