{{Short description|British architect, conservationist and author (born 1926)}} {{Use British English|date=September 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} '''Sir Donald William Insall''' {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|CBE}} (born 7 February 1926)<ref name="Knighthood"/> is a British architect, conservationist and author, who has been described as "one of the leading conservation architects of his generation".<ref name="Cabinet Office">{{cite press release | url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/queens-birthday-honours-list-2010 | title=Queen's Birthday Honours List 2010 | publisher=Cabinet Office | date=11 June 2010 | accessdate=23 February 2014}}</ref> He is the founder of the architectural, conservation and architectural consultancy practice, Donald Insall Associates.
==Early life== Insall was born on 7 February 1926 in Bristol,<ref name="Knighthood"/><ref name="Horton">{{cite web | url=http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pace/graduation/honorary-degrees/hondeg04/insall.html | title=Donald Insall: Doctor of Laws | publisher=University of Bristol | work=Public and Ceremonial Events Office | date=18 February 2004 | accessdate=23 February 2014 | author=Horton, Mark}}</ref> where he attended Bristol Grammar School.<ref name="Horton"/> He served in the Coldstream Guards during the Second World War<ref name="Horton"/> and qualified in architecture at the Royal West of England Academy School of Architecture, now part of the University of Bristol.<ref name="Horton"/> He then studied at the Royal Academy and the School of Planning.<ref name="Horton"/>
==Career== Insall worked with the London architects, Phillimore and Jenkins.<ref name="Horton"/> During 1957 Insall published his report ''The Care of Old Buildings'', marking the 80th anniversary of the founding by William Morris of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings. During 1958 he founded architectural conservation practice Donald Insall Associates,<ref name="Horton"/> and was joined shortly after by Peter Locke (1929–2013),<ref name="Locke">{{cite journal | url=http://www.ribajournal.com/pages/march13_obituary_205702.cfm | title=Peter Locke, FRIBA, FSA, 1929–2012 | author=Insall, Donald | journal=RIBA Journal | date=March 2013 | access-date=23 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140226105040/http://www.ribajournal.com/pages/march13_obituary_205702.cfm | archive-date=26 February 2014 | url-status=dead }}</ref> both men having been Lethaby Scholars of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings in 1950.<ref name="Horton"/>
Insall was appointed the City of Chester's consultation consultant in 1960, a post he held until 1978.<ref name="Chester degree"/>
Donald Insall Associates continues its specialist work in conservation, historic consultancy, adaptive re-use and new buildings in sensitive sites. Insall ran the practice until his retirement in 1998, and continues active as a Consultant.<ref name="History Man">{{cite web | url=http://marylebonejournal.com/space/history-man | title=History Man; Sir Donald Insall | work=Marylebone Journal | author=Richardson, Viel | accessdate=23 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110020205/http://marylebonejournal.com/space/history-man | archive-date=10 January 2015 | url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Honours== In the 1995 New Year Honours, Insall was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to conservation.<ref name="Knighthood"/> Subsequently, he was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the Queen's 2010 Birthday Honours.<ref name="Knighthood">{{cite news | url=https://www.cheshire-live.co.uk/news/chester-cheshire-news/chester-architect-donald-insall-knighted-5207571 | title=Chester architect Donald Insall knighted in Queen's Birthday Honours | work=Chester Chronicle | date=16 June 2010 | access-date=23 February 2014}}</ref><ref name="Gazette">{{cite journal | url=http://www.london-gazette.co.uk/issues/59881/notices/1421625/all=CBE | journal=London Gazette | date=16 August 2011 | number= 59881 |title=Honours and Awards: Central Chancery of the Orders of Knighthood|accessdate=23 February 2014 | pages=15670}}</ref>
In recognition of his conservation work in Chester, Insall received the honorary freedom of the City of Chester in 1999.<ref name="Horton"/><ref name="Chester degree"/> He has also received Europa Nostra's Medal of Honour.<ref name="Horton"/>
Insall was awarded the honorary degrees of Doctor of Laws from the University of Bristol in 2004<ref name="Horton"/> and Doctor of Architecture from the University of Chester in 2012.<ref name="Chester degree">{{cite web | url=http://www.chesteralumni.com/index.php?page_id=238 | title=Sir Donald Insall CBE FRTIBA – Doctor of Architecture ''honoris causa'', of the University of Chester | publisher=University of Chester | work=Honorary Graduates 2012 | date=2012 | accessdate=23 February 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301060847/http://www.chesteralumni.com/index.php?page_id=238 | archive-date=1 March 2014 | url-status=usurped }}</ref>
==Personal life== Insall lives on Kew Green in Kew, south west London.<ref name=Fleming>{{cite news|title=OBEs, CBEs, and knighthoods all round as Richmond residents make it on to Queen's Birthday Honours list|url=http://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/8227529.Richmond_residents_on_Queen_s_Birthday_Honours_list/|work=Richmond and Twickenham Times|author= Fleming, Christine|date=20 June 2010|accessdate=7 February 2014}}</ref> He and his wife Libby<ref name="Horton"/> have two sons and one daughter.<ref name=Fleming/> His elder son, Robert Insall, is the professor of computational cell biology at University College London and a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Couple have become fellows|url=https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/13278778.couple-have-become-fellows/|access-date=2021-05-24|work=Glasgow Times|language=en}}</ref> He is a life member of the Royal Photographic Society which he joined in 1949.<ref>''The Photographic Journal'', June 1949, p. 148.</ref>
On 7 February 2026, he celebrated his 100th birthday.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sir Donald Insall celebrates his 100th birthday |url=https://dia.co.uk/news/sir-donald-insall-celebrates-his-100th-birthday |access-date=19 February 2026 |date=7 February 2026 |publisher=Donald Insall Associates}}</ref>
== Publications == * ''The Care of Old Buildings'', report (1957) *''Chester: A Study in Conservation'' (1968)<ref name="Chester degree"/> * ''The Care of Old Buildings Today: A Practical Guide'' (Architectural Press, 1972) * ''Living Buildings: Architectural Conservation, Philosophy, Principles and Practice'' (Images Publishing Group Pty Ltd, 2008 and 2018)
== Selected projects == * Windsor Castle restoration following the 1992 Windsor Castle fire<ref name="Knighthood"/><ref name="Chester degree"/> * Battle of Britain Monument in London<ref name="Wright">{{Cite web |url=https://c20society.org.uk/war-memorials/london-battle-of-britain-memorial|last=Wright |first=Jon |title=London: Battle of Britain Memorial |access-date=13 October 2022 |website=Twentieth Century Society}}</ref> * Palace of Westminster<ref name="Youde">{{Cite journal |last=Youde |first=Kate |date=8 July 2022 |title=ScottWhitbyStudio to revamp listed Church of England offices |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/scottwhitbystudio-to-revamp-listed-church-of-england-hq |journal=Architects' Journal}}</ref> * Cross Bath, Bath, Somerset, refurbished in the 1990s<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/crossbath/crossbath.htm|title=Reviving the Cross Bath|last=Carey|first=Peter|publisher=Building Conservation.com|accessdate=25 July 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/newhomes/3317425/Making-the-grade-The-Cross-Bath-Bath-Somerset.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112034950/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/newhomes/3317425/Making-the-grade-The-Cross-Bath-Bath-Somerset.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=12 November 2012|title=Making the grade: The Cross Bath, Bath, Somerset|last=Miller|first=Keith|date=20 September 2003|work=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=26 July 2009}}</ref> * Somerset House * Garrick's Temple to Shakespeare * Plumpton Place * Wotton House * Chester Conservation Plan<ref name="Horton"/> * Market Hall, Monmouth – a new flat roof for the single storey building, together with a Modernist metal and glass facade at the rear, overlooking the River Monnow, in 1968–69<ref name=newman>Newman, John. ''The Buildings of Wales: Gwent/Monmouthshire'', Penguin Books, 2000, {{ISBN|0-14-071053-1}}, pp.405–406</ref> * Kedleston Hall * Kelmscott Manor * Chevening, Kent * Goldsmiths' Hall, London * Mansion House, London * Somerset House, London * The Holme, Regents Park, London * The Vyne, Hampshire * Croft Castle, Herefordshire * Berrington Hall, Herefordshire * Speke Hall, Liverpool * Trafalgar Square paving, London * Queen Mother Memorial, The Mall, London
==References== {{Reflist}}
== External links == *[http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk/assets/newsletter-34.pdf Donald Insall Associates 50th Anniversary Newsletter]{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20150110020205/http://marylebonejournal.com/space/history-man Interview with Insall] *[http://www.donaldinsallassociates.co.uk Donald Insall Associates website] *[http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pace/graduation/honorary-degrees/hondeg04/insall.html Bristol University Honorary Degree and profile]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Insall, Donald}} Category:1926 births Category:Living people Category:Architects from Bristol Category:British men centenarians Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Conservation architects Category:Knights Bachelor Category:People from Kew, London Category:Writers from Bristol Category:People associated with the University of Chester Category:People educated at Bristol Grammar School Category:People associated with the University of Bristol