Inglis was raised as a child in Milan, Italy, where she became interested in architecture. Illness forced her to stay in her room, which helped her find her passion for drawing and constructing 3-D miniature buildings from paper. At age 12, her parents sent her to England, and she attended a British boarding school. Eventually she would go on to be an apprentice, at the age of 18, in Cheltenham before attending the University of Edinburgh for architecture. Inglis received a traveling scholarship, allowing her to study post-war architecture in Europe and North America. Her interest in landscape design encouraged her to gain a certificate from University College London, England in 1957 for this field . After moving to Kingston, Ontario, architect Wilfred Sorensen provided her with practical training between 1962 and 1963. In 1953, she married Edinburgh psychologistJames Inglis, lasting 45 years. In London, she started her own architectural firm and practiced there for six years. In 1959, Inglis and her husband moved to Kingston, Ontario after James received a teaching job opportunity from Queen's University, Kingston. Her an her husband had two daughters, Jane and Kate. She produced work from home, while also having to care for her two daughters, until 1984. After this point, she created a firm alongside architect Bruce Downey called Inglis & Downey Architects, who was a previous Carleton University graduate. The two became knowledgeable in redesigning group homes to create barrier-free accessible areas. There, she found inspiration in the stone architecture of the city and decided to explore building preservation by utilizing the stone style of Kingston in her own designs, paying homage. She also worked to redesign heritage buildings for contemporary use and conservation. Some of her notable projects include the Kingston Public Library, Chez Piggy restaurant, the Kingston Brew Pub and the Wolfe Island ferry terminal. Inglis also gained connections with Margaret Angus, who was a historian and author. Together, they worked to give Kingston heritage buildings a voice when they were being threatened with demolition. Instead, they were advocating for preservation which went against the typical practice occurring within the city. This caused the city to create "The City of Kingston Act, 1970", recognizing the heritage value of buildings in Kingston . Overall, the quote "my pleasure is in seeing people enjoying places I have helped to make" by Inglis describes her main focus when designing. Inglis was known by the community as a social activist who fought for children and homeless rights. With her passion for Kingston's social welfare, a shelter was renamed Lily's Place in 2012. The address of this family-oriented shelter is 333 Kingscourt Ave, Kingston, Ontario. Inglis passed away from cancer on 11 January 2010.
Projects
This is an incomplete list of projects. Most if not all of these projects are restoration, renovation, heritage conservation projects or additions to preexisting buildings:
