In 1969 Richard Gibson, who has died aged 89, was appointed deputy county architect in Shetland. Moving with his family from north London to the northernmost islands of the United Kingdom enabled him to keep alive the ideals of modern architecture – in particular that good design should serve the public benefit – long after they went out of fashion elsewhere in the country.
After three years he set up his own practice, Richard Gibson Architects. He kept going through its unremunerative early years with the help of income from his wife Victoria’s successful knitwear business.
