Larmont Douglas Penman was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 9 September 1868. He was articled to Thomas Lennox Watson (1850-1920) in Glasgow from 1884 to 1889 and remained with him as his assistant until 1890. He also attended Glasgow School of Art during these years. In 1890 Penman moved to Edinburgh where he studied at Heriot-Watt College. He briefly worked as an assistant to George Washington Browne (1853-1939) in 1890. He was then employed as an assistant by Charles Davidson (c.1841-1925) from 1890 to 1892; by Robert Thomson (c.1854-c.1914) in 1892; by Hippolyte Jean Blanc (1844-1917) in 1892-93 ; and by Joseph Hall Morton (1849-1923) from 1893 to 1898.
In 1898 Penman commenced practice as an architect in partnership with his brother-in-law, Arthur John Fryers (1867-1954), as Fryers & Penman. The firm had offices in Glasgow and Largs. The most important project by the practice was the St James' Building (1911-12) on Oxford Street, Manchester for the Calico Printers' Association. At the time it was probably the largest commercial building in the UK.
Penman was elected a Licentiate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (LRIBA) in 1912. He died in West Kilbride, Scotland on 31 October 1931
Works: St. James' Buildings, Oxford Street. Manchester; Sudbourne Hall, Orford. Suffolk; Glentana, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire; Villa Zoraide, Cap Martin, France; Crawley Court, &c, Crawley, Hants; Millport Infectious Hospital, and the hospitals and school under competitions; St. Thomas's Church, Aboyne, Aberdeenshire ; Annaginny, co. Tyrone, Ireland. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1914]
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For an additional detailed list of architectural projects by Larmont Douglas Penman see the Dictionary of Scottish Architects 1660-1980 [link below]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 141, 6 November 1931 p.756