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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Rowand Anderson Kininmonth & Paul
Architectural practice
Year Only
1946
Year Only
1976
William Hardie Kininmonth was born in Forfar on 8 November 1904, the son of John Kininmonth and his wife Isabella McLean Hardie. He was educated at Dunfermline High School and George Watson's College and was articled to William N Thomson of Leith. While there he studied at Edinburgh College of Art 1924-29 under John Begg and at Heriot-Watt College, for some of this time also working as an assistant in the office of Rowand Anderson & Paul (1925-29). From there he obtained a place in the office of Sir Edwin Lutyens in London where he renewed his friendship with a former contemporary at Edinburgh College of Art, Basil Spence, who was three years younger. From 1929 to 1930 he attended classes at London University working in an atelier there.

Kininmonth was awarded the RIBA Diploma in 1931 and was placed second in the Rowand Anderson Silver medal competition. He returned to Edinburgh in 1910 but Paul could not afford to re-employ him. He did, however, offer him a room in his office. It had only a drawings board and a telephone but it enabled him to form a partnership with his friend and colleague in Lutyens' office, Basil Urwin Spence as Kininmonth & Spence in October 1931. It specialised in presentation work for other practices as well as original design work, supplemented by teaching at Edinburgh College of Art. Kininmonth and Spence's practice was immediately successful, Kininmonth's own modernist house at 46A Dick Place (1933) acting as an excellent advertisement. In 1934 Paul offered Kininmonth a partnership but he felt he had to decline unless Spence ws taken into partnership as well. Paul accepted this proposal and the Kininmonth & Spence partnership merged into Paul's as Rowand Anderson & Paul & Partners. Kininmonth and Spence continued teaching although by that date business had significantly recovered. This arrangement continued until June 1938 when Paul died. From 1939 to 1941 Kininmonth held the post of senior lecturer in design at Edinburgh College of Art. In 1942 he was called up and served with the Royal Engineers in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy.

On their return from war service Kininmonth and Spence found that there was little work on offer. Spence left the practice in 1946 to found Basil Spence & Partners. Kininmonth continued the Rowand Anderson partnership as Rowand Anderson Kininmonth & Paul. During the post-war years of this partnership Ian C Gordon, William Gray Leslie and Richard Gale Ewing were partners, but the latter two did most of the design work. In 1963 Thomas Duncan was assumed into partnership and Alex Somerville in 1976. Later that year the firm split into two with one part remaining at Rutland Square and Gordon, Duncan and Somerville moving away.

Kininmonth was President of the RSA from 1969 to 1972 and was knighted in the latter year. He died in Edinburgh in August 1988.

'Biography authored by the Dictionary of Scottish Architects Compilation Team.'

Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this architectural practice:

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2

AddressTypeDate FromDate ToNotes
16 Rutland Square Edinburgh ScotlandBusinessIn year 1964
Forres House Forres Morayshire ScotlandBusinessIn year 1964Branch office?

Partners, Employees and Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this architectural practice (click on an item to view details):

Employees or Pupils2

NamePositionDate FromDate ToNotes
John Edgar Alexander BaikieAssistant Architect
(Sir) William Hardie Kininmonth PartnerIn year 1946In year 1976
James BeveridgeApprenticeIn year 19461946/11Began apprenticeship in this office but quickly moved to join Spence instead
Thomas WhiteApprenticeIn year 1950In year 1954
Hamish Eadie BurdenArchitectIn year 1950
Hamish Eadie BurdenPartnerAfter 1950In year 1983
Ian Charles GordonAssistantIn year 1951In year 1958
Thomas WhiteAssistantIn year 1957In year 1959
Ian Charles GordonPartnerIn year 1958In year 1968
Ian Mitchell Dunsire1960s
Jack McRobertsArchitect1960s
William Gray LesliePartnerIn year 1963
Thomas Hynd DuncanPartnerc. 1963
James Westwood TaylorArchitectBefore 1965After 1970
Richard Gale EwingPartnerc. 1971

Buildings and Designs

This architectural practice was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2

BuildingPartnership GPRoleDate FromDate ToTown DistrictIslandCity CountyCountryNotes
HotelsAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947MorayshireScotlandRenovations
Scotsman BuildingsCArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947EdinburghScotlandScheme for redevelopment?
New ClubCArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947EdinburghScotlandScheme for alterations or new building
Battery HospitalAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947DunbarEast LothianScotlandScheme for renewal or new buildings?
Elsie Inglis Memorial HospitalLArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947EdinburghScotlandScheme for new buildings?
Houses for the Scottish Veterans Garden City AssociationAArchitectIn year 1945In year 1947MorayshireScotland
Buildings for the Forestry CommissionAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947MorayshireScotland
Buildings for the Forestry CommissionAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947Inverness-shireScotland
Housing for Forres Town CouncilAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947ForresMorayshireScotland
Housing for Linlithgow Town CouncilAArchitectIn year 1945In year 1947LinlithgowWest LothianScotland
Housing for Duns Town CouncilAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947DunsBerwickshireScotland
Housing for Dunbar Town CouncilAArchitectural practiceIn year 1945In year 1947DunbarEast LothianScotland
Fettes College, LibraryAArchitectural practiceIn year 1947EdinburghScotlandProposal
George Watson's College, libraryAArchitectBefore 1947EdinburghScotlandProposal
Nelsons Publishing WorksBArchitectural practiceBefore 1947EdinburghScotlandProposal for work on Nelsons

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this architectural practice:

Bib ref

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
Glendinning, MilesRebuilding Scotland: The Postwar Vision, 1945-75 1997Tuckwell Press Ltdp4 Pollock Halls; Adam House (Examination Hall); Drylaw Church pp35-6, 150, 164 Scottish Provident Officespp74-5, 151 Martello Courtp163 Pollock Halls
Bailey, Rebecca MScottish architects' papers: a source book1996Edinburgh: The Rutland Pressp124
Glendinning, Miles and Muthesius, StefanTower Block: Modern Public Housing in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland1994Yale University Press: New Haven and LondonMartello Court: p43, p215, p216, p321, p326p380 Gazetteer 2p238 Photograph
Willis, PeterNew architecture in Scotland1977p11 Scottish Provident Officesp84-7 The New Club
RIBARIBA Directory of practices1975
Glendinning, M, MacInnes, R and MacKechnie, AA History of Scottish Architecture1996p552
Municipal AnnualScottish Municipal Annual19641964-1965

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Builder1951/10/26p570
Builder1951/12/7p813
Builder1964/01/10p96
Builder1964/10/23p902
Builder1951/5/4p640
Builder1952/06/06p865
Builder1964/12/11p1284