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Practices

Basic Biographic Details

Rowand Anderson, Paul & Partners
Architectural practice
Year Only
1934
Year Only
1946
Arthur Forman Balfour Paul ('Baffy' to his friends and to his staff) was born in Edinburgh on 7 August 1875, the son of Sir James Balfour Paul, Lyon King of Arms. He was educated at Edinburgh Academy from 1885 to 1892 and was articled to Sir Robert Rowand Anderson from 1892 to 1896, remaining as a draughtsman until 1897 and studying at the School of Applied Art under Frank Worthington Simon and Stewart Henbest Capper. His travels in these early years included a short sketching tour in Belgium and Holland in 1895 and a three-month tour of England in 1897. In 1898 he obtained a place in John Belcher's office in London, staying there for a year and studying at the LCC School of Art before returning to Edinburgh to commence practice on his own account from home at 30 Heriot Row. Following the dissolution of the Anderson, Simon & Crawford partnership Sir Rowand Anderson invited him to return to his practice as partner in 1903. Paul joined the Edinburgh Architectural Association in the same year and it was on the recommendation of that association and of its President, James Bow Dunn, that he was admitted LRIBA in the mass intake of 20 July 1911.

The partnership was interrupted by the First World War. Paul was a keen territorial who had joined the London Scottish as a piper when with Belcher. He was commissioned as a major in the Royal Engineers and served with distinction in France, being awarded the MC and the Croix de Guerre with Gold Star. Anderson continued the practice, albeit in failing health, with some help from Alexander Lorne Campbell.

Paul resumed partnership in 1919 and became sole partner, Anderson having finally retired: Lorne Campbell was Anderson's executor and he, not Paul, as has been stated, designed the memorial cottage to Lady Anderson at Colinton. Crucially for the practice Paul retained the feuing of the Fettes Trust and Braid estates, providing a flow of business which saw it through a lean period. In 1930 Paul's former assistant William Kininmonth returned to Edinburgh from Lutyens's office. Paul's practice which was then managed by John McClure Anderson, was at a low ebb and he was unable to re-employ him. He did however offer Kininmonth a room in his office. It had only a drawing board and a telephone but it enabled him to form a partnership with his friend and colleague in Lutyens' office, Basil Urwin Spence. In 1930-31 both partners distinguished themselves in competitions, Spence winning the RIBA Silver Medal as the best student in the UK. The Kininmonth & Spence partnership had some success, the income from it being supplemented by teaching at Edinburgh College of Art. In 1934 Paul offered Kininmonth a partnership. Kininmonth felt he had to decline unless Spence was taken into partnership as well. Paul accepted this proposal and the Kininmonth & Spence partnership merged into Paul's as Rowand Anderson & Paul & Partners in 1934. By that date business had significantly recovered, enabling them to take on as an assistant Alan Reiach, previously of Lorimer and Matthews's office. The name, Rowand Anderson & Paul & Partners, remained until 1946 when Spence left to set up his own practice having been appointed as chief architect to the 'Britain can make it' exhibition. From 1938 Kininmonth and Spence were the only partners, Paul having died on 3 January of that year, leaving a widow Jane Prichard Montgomerie Fleming. In his later years he had moved from his original marital home at 32 Ormidale Terrace to Peffermill House, Craigmillar. His estate amounted to £24,365 18s 10d.

Paul was active in professional matters, serving on the RIBA Council after his election as FRIBA in 1933, for which he was proposed by John Begg, James Alexander Arnott and John Wilson. He was President of the Edinburgh Architectural Association 1934-36, and was President elect of the RIAS when he died.

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 was 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.

'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 1934After 1937

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
David Maxtone CraigChief DraughtsmanIn year 1934After 1937
John Lyon GauldieApprenticeIn year 1934In year 1935
(Sir) William Hardie Kininmonth PartnerIn year 1934In year 1946
Arthur Forman Balfour PaulPartnerIn year 1934In year 1938
(Professor) Edward Walter Rail WaughAssistant1934/101935/10
William Alexander Bruce RobertsonAssistantAfter 1934In year 1946
Ian Sinclair GavinApprentice1934 or 19351935 or 1936For 12 months
(Sir) Basil Urwin SpencePartnerIn year 1935In year 1946
Hamish Eadie BurdenApprentice1936/071940/09
Philistas Rognvald Howard Stoughton HolbournApprenticeIn year 1937In year 1937One month\'s office experience during studies
William Robertson AnnanAssistant1937/071937/08
John Malcolm McClure AndersonAssistant1938/02
James ('Jim') Ferguson Dickson DinwoodieApprenticeMid 1930sIn year 1939
Alexander ('Sandy') MacCallum (or McCallum) BrownApprenticeBefore 1946In year 1946
William Leslie Roworthc. 1946Role unclear

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
Housing estate for Berwickshire County CouncilAIn year 1932In year 1935BurnmouthBerwickshireScotlandBasil Spence and William Hardie Kininmonth as project architects
Murrayfield Golf ClubhouseAIn year 1934MurrayfieldEdinburghScotlandConversion of clubhouse into dwelling house
House for St Katherine'sAIn year 1934LibertonEdinburghScotland
22 Frogston Road WestAIn year 1934EdinburghScotland
40-42 Dick PlaceAIn year 1934EdinburghScotland
Falkirk Municipal BuildingsAIn year 1935FalkirkStirlingshireScotlandUnsuccessful competition entry
Unidentified ChurchAIn year 1935Scotland
Building Exhibition, Waverley MarketAIn year 1935EdinburghScotland
Broomhill HouseBIn year 1935Inverness-shireScotlandAddition
Timber HousesAIn year 1935In year 1939ForthLanarkshireScotland
L'Aperitif RestaurantAIn year 1935In year 1939EdinburghScotland
Dunedin HouseAIn year 1935In year 1939EdinburghScotland
57 Oxgangs RoadAIn year 1935EdinburghScotland
Upton, 141 Corsebar RoadAIn year 1935PaisleyRenfrewshireScotland
Liberton HouseAIn year 1935LibertonEdinburghScotlandRemoval of later additions and restoration

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 Ltdp1 Night view of the Glasgow Empire Exhibtion - from brochure. ICI Pavilionp12 Site plan and perspective of Timber Housing, Lanarkshirep96-7 Kilsyth Academy

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this architectural practice:

Period ref

Periodical NamePublisherDate CircEditionNotes
Builder1949/1/21p109
Builder1948/9/17p329
Builder1949/11/4p595