John McAslan was educated at Dunoon Grammar School, Dollar Academy and University of Edinburgh, Scotland, obtaining an MA in Architecture in 1977 and a Diploma in 1978. He trained in Boston, USA, with Cambridge Seven Associates before joining Richard Rogers and Partners in 1980. He founded John McAslan + Partners in 1996, where he remains as Executive Chairman and is active in all of the practice's work. While much of McAslan's work focuses on new buildings, he is also well known for his careful restoration and redevelopment of historic buildings in the UK and overseas, including iconic London landmarks such as the Roundhouse. Such work typically brings both new form and function to old structures; the 2012 western concourse at London's King's Cross station, for example, combines striking design with efficient and practical central purpose, allowing large numbers of people to move freely between platforms at the busiest times of day. McAslan has taught and lectured widely and is a trustee of a number of cultural bodies.
Philanthropy
In 1997 McAslan established the John McAslan Family Trust, a registered charity which provides support for arts and educational projects both in the UK and overseas. In 2008 the Trust acquired the Burgh Hall at Dunoon from a property developer for the token sum of £1, with the aim of restoring the building and creating a new community-focused centre for contemporary arts. The final phase of this project was completed in 2017. In 2004, John McAslan + Partners, the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Institution of Civil Engineers jointly established a new bursary to recognise and support innovative design projects. In recent years, the bursary has strengthened its focus on the role of design as an instrument for positive change, particularly in projects addressing environmental and community issues. In 2015, the Environment Agency contributed £10,000 to the bursary scheme to support projects demonstrating progress towards sustainable climate change solutions. In 2019 John McAslan + Partners and the American Institute of Architects jointly launched the McAslan Architecture Travel Fellowship which awarded two US Architecture students annually with a study and travel scholarship to work with the World Monuments Fund in the restoration program for the Madame Gauthier Villa in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
