Behind the Name

Our name at Wolffe has a back story, and we are sad to say that the origin of that story passed away at the start of the year.

My father Wolfgang Schmidt was born in Germany in 1920 and came to Britain in 1937. The following year he was awarded the Andrew Grant Scholarship to study for a Diploma in Architecture at Edinburgh College of Art (ECA). During this time, due to his German descent dad was interned as an ‘enemy alien’ in the Isle of Man and Quebec, Canada, returning to continue his studies in early 1941.

Following this initial qualification, he undertook further study for a Diploma in Town and Country Planning, leaving ECA in 1944. 

After his graduation, my father remained in Scotland and had a long and successful career as a practising architect. He opened his office in Gatehouse of Fleet, Dumfries and Galloway in 1952, the same year he changed his name to Antony Curtis Wolffe, and continued to practice until his retirement in 2012, aged 92. He was awarded an MBE for services to architecture in 1975. 

His college portfolio was more of an illustration or graphic design portfolio and you can see some of his work here https://canmore.org.uk/gallery/1007931 I remember looking through some college work and finding beautifully hand drawn typefaces and saying to dad that he was really a graphic designer, his answer was that no such career existed when he was young.

His architectural output was prolific; mainly private housing commissions and I always felt dad sensitively combined Bauhaus German styling with traditional Scottish elements. His houses can be seen all over Galloway and employ angular white planes, crow step gables and astragal windows.

So our name at Wolffe has a meaningful back story, we are very proud of our name, and are saddened at AC Wolffe's passing.

Rest in peace dad.