CREATING AN IDENTITY FOR KIPLIN HALL:
BRINGING NEW LIFE TO A HISTORIC MANOR HOUSE
by
Jill Cathleen McClure
Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the
University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment
Of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Architecture
Fall, 2003
Advisory Committee:
Associate Professor Brian Kelly, AIA
Lecturer Julie Gabrielli, AIA
Associate Dean John Maudlin Jeronimo, FAIA

ABSTRACT
Title of Thesis: CREATING AN IDENTITY FOR KIPLIN HALL: BRINGING
NEW LIFE TO A HISTORIC MANOR HOUSE
Degree Candidate: Jill C. McClure
Degree and Year: Master of Architecture 2003
Thesis Directed By:  Gary Bowden, Professor
School of Architecture
 The preservation of historic properties allows a specific time period to be
captured, and a former lifestyle of those that lived upon the historic site to be conveyed
and understood to a visitor of the site.  Although, historic sites provide educational
services to the community, they often, have financial challenges.  The upkeep and
restoration of a historic site is costly and often the demanding budget can not be met by
visitor ticket sales.   In order to give vitality to a historic property, it must be understood
that a site has to consider new uses or additional buildings in order to survive.
Kiplin Hall, located in North Yorkshire, England, is facing many of these
challenges.  This thesis proposes the addition of contemporary buildings to Kiplin Hall in
order to help it continue as a historic amenity as well as offering new and additional
services to the North Yorkshire community.  The addition of new buildings and the
restoration of gardens to the site will help support the original building of Kiplin Hall.
These additions will help educate the visitor not only about the lifestyle and history of the
families that lived at Kiplin but also will provide them with other cultural opportunities
such as landscape history, gardening, music concerts, and educational lectures.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
List of Figures
Introduction???????????????????. 8
Chapter I: The Setting
North Yorkshire, England???????????..12
The town of Richmond????????????..15
The town of Northallerton???????????.16
Chapter II:The Site of Kiplin Hall
History of the Site??????????????..18
History of the Building????????????.26
English Heritage Listing????????????35
Kiplin Hall Mission statement??????????36
Chapter III: Site Analysis
Physical conditions?????????????.?38
Site Orientation??????????????.?..43
Climatic conditions?????????????.?43
Chapter IV: New Demands and New Program????????.???.45
Chapter V: Building Type and Precedent
Bloedel Reserve ???????????.???. . 57
Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center???????... 61
Hillwood Estate??????????????.?.63
Atlantic Center for the Arts???????????66
Dumbarton Oaks??????????.?????69
Dulwich Picture Gallery????????????.72
Beyeler Foundation??????????????.76
Chaper VI: Garden Type and Precedent
Dulles Residence???????????????.79
Greywalls??????????????????80
Darwin D. Martin House????????????.81
McIlhenny House???????????????82
Miller House?????????????????83
Munstead Woods???????????????.84
Chapter VII: Design Considerations
Program Objectives??????????????86
Parti diagrams???????????????.?87
Chapter VIII: Design Conclusions????????????????..93
Bibliography?????????????????????????.104
LIST OF FIGURES
Number Page
Figure 1Front fa?ade of Kiplin Hall????????????????..9
Figure 2Map: North Yorkshire county in England. ????...?????..12
Figure 3Map showing the location of Kiplin Hall in relation to Durham,
York and the A1 Motorway. ???????????????...13
Figure 4Site plan of Kiplin Hall showing the main hall, the outbuildings,
the lodge houses and the B6271 highway. ?????????.?14
Figure 5Aerial photograph of Kiplin Hall showing the front fa?ade, the
southern library addition and the outbuildings to the north of
the Main Hall. ????????????????????.?14
Figure 6General view of the town of Richmond, North Yorkshire???.?.15
Figure 7General view of the town square of Richmond. ????????.15
Figure 8The main street of the market town of Northallerton?..?????16
Figure 9The city hall along the main street of Northallerton???????16
Figure 10East fa?ade of Kiplin Hall???????????..?????.26
Figure 11Conjectural plan of the 1620s building???????...????.26
Figure 12Plan of manor house in 1720. ????.???????????27
Figure 13Plan of manor house from 1820. ????.??????????27
Figure 14Plan of manor house and additional buildings from the 1890s???28
Figure 15Map of the grounds of Kiplin Hall. ????.?????????29
Figure 16West fa?ade of Kiplin Hall..???????????????.....29
Figure 17Kiplin Hall library wing, south view????????????...30
Figure 18Vacation cottages (formerly servants? quarters) located on the
 north side of the house????????????????..?..30
Figure 19Richmond lodge (the north gate) located along one of the original
entrances of the property. ????.????????????..31
Figure 20Farm outbuildings of Kiplin Hall. ????.????????.?31
Figure 21Garden wall located northeast of the main Hall. ?????.??...32
Figure 22Greenhouse located on the north wall of the property??????.32
Figure 23Lady Tyrconnel?s Garden, located north of the house and south
of the greenhouse????????????????????..32
Figure 24Avenue of the Limes located to the east of the Hall??????.?33
Figure 25View of the lake which is located behind Kiplin Hall?????.?33
Figure 26Folly located along the western side of the lake????????..34
Figure 27Boxwood garden along the front side of Kiplin Hall?????..?.34
Figure 28Aerial view of Kiplin Hall with views of the countryside
and the River Swale??????????????????.?38
Figure 29Campers and bathtub located behind the Kiplin Hall Study Center?39
Figure 30Gravel piles from the quarries at Kiplin Hall??????????39
Figure 31The topography of Kiplin Hall??????????????.?40
Figure 32The property boundary of the site??????????????40
Figure 33Brick wall that defines part of the original property of Kiplin Hall?..41
Figure 34Traffic patterns along the B6271??????????.??.?...41
Figure 35Diagram showing the forest or wooded areas?????????.42
Figure 36Diagram showing the open spaces. ??????????.???42
Figure 37Diagram showing important corridors from the Hall???..??....43
Figure 38General view of the Beaux-Arts style Bloedel estate???.???58
Figure 39Bloedel Reserve site plan????????????????....59
Figure 40The Reflection Garden at Bloedel Estate????????...?......59
Figure 41Moss Garden designed by Richard Haag?????????.?....60
Figure 42Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education Center???????...??..60
Figure 43Plan of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center???????..61
Figure 44View of the courtyard of the Wildflower Center????????.62
Figure 45North-South section through courtyard buildings??????.?...62
Figure 46Front fa?ade of Hillwood estate????????????.??..63
Figure 47Site plan of Hillwood Museum and Gardens????????.?..64
Figure 48The French Parterre garden???????????????..?65
Figure 49Site plan for the Atlantic Center for the Arts????????..?..67
Figure 50View of the Painting Studio at the Atlantic Center
for the Arts????????????????????..?..?.67
Figure 51The boardwalk between the theater and the
dance studio. ??????????????????..?..??.68
Figure 52Garden side of Dumbarton Oaks???????????..?.?...70
Figure 53Aerial photo of the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks. ?????.??....70
Figure 54Site plan of Dumbarton Oaks. ??????????????.?..71
Figure 55 Site plan and elevation of the Dulwich Picture Gallery
and addition???????????????????????73
Figure 56General view of the cloister addition to the Dulwich
Picture gallery??????????????????????.74
Figure 57Interior view of caf??????????...?????????.?74
Figure 58Fa?ade and entry of the Beyeler Foundation?.??..???..??..?76
Figure 59Plan of the Beyeler Foundation???..?????..??????...77
Figure 60Plan of the Dulles Residence????.????????????..79
Figure 61Plan of the Greywalls???????????????????..80
Figure 62 Plan of the Martin House??????????????????81
Figure 63Plan of the McIlhenny House????????????????..82
Figure 64Plan of the Miller House????????????...?????...83
Figure 65Plan of Munstead Woods??????????????.?.??..84
Figure 66Parti I:  buildings forming a quadrangle????????.??.??88
Figure 67 Parti II: locating the buildings near Lady Tyconnel?s
garden??????????????????????.?...?..89
Figure 68 Parti III:  buildings located across the lake?????????.??.90
Figure 69 Parti IV:  Buildings creating a new entrance to
Kiplin Hall????????????????????????91
Figure 70Parti V:  Reclaiming the Northallerton Lodge and
providing an entrance through the Avenue of the Limes????..?..92
Figure 71Site plan of Kiplin Hall????????????????.?..?.95
Figure 72Visitor Center and Administration Building plans??????..??96
Figure 73Visitor Center and Administration Building elevations?????96
Figure 74Classroom and caf? plans?????????.???????.97
Figure 75Classroom and caf? elevations??????????????..97
Figure 76Recital Hall elevations????????.?.????????98
Figure 77Recital Hall plan????????????????????98
Figure 78Perspective of Richmond Gate??????????????..99
Figure 79Perspective of forecourt and Visitor?s Center????.???.?.99
Figure 80Perspective of green lawn????????????????..99
Figure 81Perspective of classroom and caf? loggia??????????..99
Figure 82Perspective of Recital Hall lobby?????????????..100
Figure 83Perspective of Recital Hall????????????????100
Figure 84Perspective of Chinese Gate???????????????..100
Figure 85Perspective of garden trellis???????????????..100
Figure 86Perspective of Kiplin Hall????????????????..101
Figure 87Aerial perspective???????????????????..101
Figure 88Elevation bay?????????????????????.102
Figure 89Elevation wall section??????????????????102
INTRODUCTION
9
Kiplin Hall, located in North Yorkshire, England, was built in the 1620s by
George Calvert.  Calvert, who was the Secretary of State to James I, later became the 1st
Lord Baltimore and the founder of Maryland. The estate was owned by four families over
the next four hundred years.  During this time, many alterations and additions were made
to the house and the grounds. Sadly, the once elegant estate has seen neglect over time
and only recently has effort been placed on the stabilization and restoration of the
Jacobean Hall.
However, much work still needs to be completed on the estate--especially on the
outbuildings and the landscape as they have both been overlooked due to limited
economic resources.  Like many preservation sites, Kiplin Hall has the challenge of
funding.  Visitor income provides the running cost of the house, but additional money is
Figure 1.  Front fa?ade of Kiplin Hall
10
needed for other services and continued restoration of the estate.  To obtain greater
community interest and to increase income, the estate has begun to offer events such as
musical concerts and educational lectures.  The response to these events has been positive
but unfortunately the facilities are lacking and inadequate.
This thesis proposes to construct a new building complex that would contribute to
the revitalization of the site, by attracting and directing visitors, in addition to
accommodating the on-going management and improvement to the property.  The
construction of new architecture would contain a much needed tea room, a gift shop (both
currently occupying a main part of the house), classrooms, employee offices, volunteer
rooms, a concert hall, and rooms for live-in study conservation work.  As mentioned, the
restoration of the landscape is one of the most important issues.  Currently, there is little
left of what was a romantic landscape garden.  The estate of Kiplin Hall once had almost
five thousand acres of property but because of the need for funding, the land was parceled
and sold, now leaving Kiplin Hall with one hundred and twenty acres.  It is necessary to
restore the gardens and grounds, as they would enhance and compliment the estate, as
well as providing additional interest to tourists and visitors. Facilities, such as a
conservatory and spaces for landscape and horticultural management, might also be
included in this thesis.
By studying Kiplin Hall and its site, a combination of issues will be focused upon
in this thesis: the construction of new architecture, the preservation of old architecture,
and the reconstruction and restoration of the landscape.  In order to re-establish the spirit
of Kiplin Hall, attention will be devoted to each of these individual issues, as well as their
holistic impact on the grounds of this historic manor house.
11
CHAPTER I:
THE SETTING
The County of North Yorkshire, England
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Northallerton, North Yorkshire
12
North Yorkshire, England
England is known for its industrial cities, its quaint villages, and its beautiful
countryside.  The site of Kiplin, is no exception, lying along the rolling countryside of the
Vale of Mowbray, in the county of North Yorkshire, the largest county of England and
also one of the most rural. The area is characterized by farms and farmland, a true
agricultural environment.
Within the county there are four distinct regions, the Dales, the Moors, the Vale,
and the North Yorkshire Coast.  The North Yorkshire Dales are in the Pennine hills
where fields are lined with dry-stone walls and many natural features such as rivers and
waterfalls can been seen.  On the eastern side of the county, lie the North Yorkshire
Moors.  Both the Dales and the Moors are National Parks.  The coastline of North
Yorkshire is characterized by cliffs and small towns with cobbled streets.   Between the
Moors and the Dales lies the Vale of York where the ancient city of York lies.  Rural
market towns and historic attractions are widespread in the Vale.  This area is known for
its rolling landscape.  Rivers which start as small streams in the Dales pass through the
Vale towards the North Sea.
Figure 2.  North Yorkshire county in England.
Source: www.northyorks.com/frmain.htm
13
Kiplin is located in the Vale region of North Yorkshire County.   Although less
than five miles east of the A1, the main motorway link to the south, the country estate is
in a remote area of farmland.  The River Swale runs through much of the countryside,
north of Catterick but south of South Ellerton and Kiplin Hall.  Two market towns,
Richmond and Northallerton are located to the east and west (respectively) of Kiplin and
are linked by the B6271 which runs along the north property border of Kiplin Hall.
Although narrow, the two lane road is quite busy with automobiles traveling at a high
speed of travel.
Figure 3. Map showing the location
of Kiplin Hall in relation to
Durham, York, and to the A1
Motorway.  Source:  Kiplin Hall
and Its Families.
14
Figure 4.  Site plan of Kiplin Hall showing the main hall, the outbuildings, the lodge
houses, and their relation to the B6271 highway.
Figure 5.   Aerial photograph of Kiplin Hall showing the front fa?ade,
the southern library addition, and outbuildings to the north of the Main
Hall
15
Richmond
Richmond is located at the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, at the foot
of the Swalesdale. The town of Richmond dates back to the 2000 BC and evidence of
Roman habitation has been found there. Richmond is historically perhaps best known for
being a medieval city with a castle and town walls set upon its hill site.
1
  The castle sits
on a cliff edge high above the river.  Today, steep streets lead to Richmond?s cobblestone
market square which is lined with Georgian and Victorian buildings.
                                                  
1
 It was here in 1071 that a Norman French Count called Alan the Red (Rufus), a Norman French Count,
built the castle in 1071.  The castle was built on a hillside overlooking the River Swale.
Figure 6.
General view of
the town of
Richmond, North
Yorkshire.  The
medieval castle
can be seen in
the distance.
Figure 7.
General
view of the
town
square of
Richmond.
Photograph
taken from
the walls of
the
Richmond
castle.
16
Northallerton
Northallerton is a small traditional market town, but despite its small size, it is the
county town of North Yorkshire and houses the County?s administrative headquarters.
Originally the town was a coach stop providing a place for people to rest while on their
way northward.  Today the town is small but it is still alive with activity.
Figures 8 and 9.  The main street of the market town of
Northallerton.  The city hall (in the above photo) is set within
the main street and serves as a focal point along the
commercial street.
17
CHAPTER II:
The Site of Kiplin Hall
History of the Site
History of Building
English Heritage Building
Kiplin Hall Mission Statement
18
The History of Kiplin Hall
Kiplin Hall was built by George Calvert (1580-1632), the first Lord of Baltimore,
proprietary founder of the colony of Maryland.  The Hall was built between 1622 and
1625 in the Jacobean style of architecture. Designated by English Heritage as a Grade I
listed building for its architectural and historical significance, the house provides visitors
with information about their local heritage as well as historic links to the new world.
2
During the thirteenth century, the civil parish of Kiplin
3
became part of the
landholdings of the Easby Abbey monastery.  The monks built upon the site a grange and
a monastic farm.   However, upon Henry VIII?s English Reformation, the monastery was
dissolved and the property that the monastery owned became part of the royal holdings
and thus helped the failing financial situation of the crown. Easby Abbey was included in
the first stage of the dismantling of the monasteries and in 1537 the holdings of the Easby
Abbey were given to John, eighth Lord Scrope of Bolton.  In 1559, the Scrope family
sold the grange, house, mill and lands to Thomas, first Lord Wharton.
The Calvert Family
George Calvert bough the property from the Wharton family in 1619, but it is
believed that his father Leonard leased the property from a much earlier period.  Records
indicated that George Calvert?s birthplace was ?Kipling in the chapelry of Bolton in
Yorkshire?.  Interestingly, the Calvert family was part of the Yorkshire gentry that
resisted the English Reformation and remained Roman Catholic despite Henry VIII and
                                                  
2
 A Grade I listed building is designated by the English Heritage due to it having ?exceptional interest? that
relates to the history or architecture.  If buildings were constructed before 1700 and remain close to their
original condition, they receive a Grade I listing.
3
 The parish was not known as Kiplin at its founding but was part of the landholdings of Easby Abbey, a
Premonstratensian monastery whose history dates back to 1155.  (Schulz, 3)
19
Thomas Cromwell?s demands for Protestant uniformity.  However, Leonard Calvert was
demanded to place his sons, George and Christopher, under the direction of a Bilton
Protestant schoolteacher.  The path of George Calvert?s education continued to Trinity
College Oxford (a university only for Protestants) where he received a B.A. degree in
municipal law in 1597 and later received a M.A. in 1605.
?Travel, the study of law at Lincoln?s Inn in London, and marriage in 1604 to
Anne Mynne (who was from a devoutly Catholic family) led Calvert to seek public
office.
4
  While traveling through Europe, Calvert met Sir Robert Cecil, the chief minister
of Elizabeth I, who had become the Secretary of State and Master of the Court of Wards
to James I. Cecil was impressed by the young Calvert and employed him as one of his
private secretaries.  Cecil was made the Earl of Salisbury in 1605 and with this promotion
of rank, Calvert followed.  In his experience with political office, Calvert was entrusted
with many diplomatic duties and because of his work on several missions; Calvert was
awarded knighthood in 1617.  He later became the Secretary of State under James and
remained at this position until 1625.
The Crowe Family
The Calvert family?s wealth declined and thus they sold the Kiplin property to
Christopher Crowe (1682-1749) in 1722.  Crowe was not a member of titled aristocracy
but instead was a member of the country gentry. Through the political and financial
connections of his older brother, Mitford Crowe, Christopher Crowe was able to secure
position and wealth.  In 1705 he became Consul at Livorno on the west coast of Italy near
Florence.  He was able to garner great profits as England was involved in the War of the
                                                  
4
 Schulz, Constance.  Kiplin Hall and Its Families: a History.  England: Kiplin Hall Trustees, 1994. p.3.
20
Spanish Succession (1703-1711), and thus the naval supply contract provided rewarding
profits.
While in Italy, Crowe was able to establish large financial wealth, and also served
as an art agent for fellow Englishmen.
5
  In Italy he also met and married Lady Charlotte
Lee (1678-1721) who was the widow of Benedict Leonard Calvert, the fourth Lord
Baltimore.  Christopher Crowe and his wife, Lady Charlotte Lee returned to England and
settled at Woodford Hall in Essex.  Charlotte passed away in 1721 and by then her eldest
Calvert son, Charles, the fifth Lord of Baltimore was having financial difficulties and
thus sold Kiplin to Christopher Crowe for ?7000 pounds.  Crowe began selling his estate
at Woodford and used the money to buy additional lands surrounding Kiplin.  These
purchases included the manors and lands of Ellerton-on-Swale and Tunstall (both
purchased for ?17,000).  Throughout the eighteenth century, the Crowe?s continued to
extend the property of Kiplin through the purchase of land, manors and manorial rights.
By 1727, Crowe had fully sold the estate at Woodford and had made Kiplin his residence.
The Crowe family used Kiplin as a home, and the estate lands provided their
income.  Under the direction of the Crowe family, the Kiplin estate grew substantially
?research suggests 5000 acres.  Likewise, the house grew and expanded to better serve
the owners and to adapt to new styles.
Under the direction of Christopher Crowe, the estate continued to improve its
annual estate yields (in 1749 the profit was ?1200).  Upon Christopher Crowe?s death in
1749, his son Christopher, the younger took over Kiplin and continued to add to the
property of Kiplin by purchasing Bolton-on-Swale and Scorton.  Christopher Crowe was
                                                  
5
 It is known that he purchased statues in Florence for the Duke of Marlborough?s salon at Blenheim and
also worked with Lord Strafford in acquiring a set of bronzes for Wentworth Castle.
21
noted for being a good farmer and agricultural experimenter who employed many males
and females to support and work his farms.
Substantial changes were not only made to the estate grounds of Kiplin but also to
Kiplin Hall.  Christopher Crowe the elder was primarily responsible for the changes to
the Hall during the 1730s and 1740s.  One of the main changes was the addition of a
central staircase connecting the ground floor to the second floor gallery (see figure 12).
In order to accommodate the new staircase, it was necessary to truncate the western end
of the east-west axis of the house.  The room located on the southwest corner of the
ground floor was expanded into the centre of the hall and the remaining space became the
stairwell space.  At the time of the construction of the new stairwell, many decorative
features typical of the Georgian era were added, such as egg and dart molding in the
ceiling cornices.  Along with the construction changes to the main hall, additional
buildings were added to the property of Kiplin as well as a serpentine lake along the
western side of the house.  This lake was formed by damming and channeling Kiplin
Beck.
Christopher Crowe married Barbara Duncombe of Duncombe Park in 1752 but
they had no children and thus Christopher?s younger brother George Crowe (1719-1782)
inherited Kiplin estate.  During the time that George Crowe owned the estate, little land
was added to the estate due to some business ventures that went bad.  George Crowe?s
eldest son Robert Crowe (1755-1818) took over the estate upon his father?s death and
began to once again add to the lands of Kiplin.  The Kiplin estate consolidated the
holdings to include most of the townships of Bolton-on-Swale, Ellerton-on-Swale, and
Kiplin as well as major portions of Catterick, Scorton, and Tunstall.   Under the
22
ownership of the Crowe family, the estate holdings grew to reach from the Swale on the
south and Catterick on the west nearly to the village of Uckerby on the north and to Great
Langton on the east, encompassing at its height nearly ten thousand acres.
6
The construction that occurred during the Crowe family?s ownership of Kiplin is
illustrative of the fact that they made Kiplin Hall their main home.  By adding immense
amounts of land to the property, the Crowe family established Kiplin as a landed estate
with an elegant country house.
The Carpenter Family
 The country house became an established item of property in England during the
nineteenth century.  Because of advances in transportation, families were not as removed
from the urban lifestyle and thus the country house became increasingly popular as a
residence and a retreat.   Kiplin seems to have fit into this category as guest lists and
photos show that there were many visitors to the estate.  Because of the guests to Kiplin,
modernization and improvements were made to Kiplin to better accommodate visitors.
Because Robert Crowe and his wife, Anne Buckle had no sons, the estate passed
on to their daughter, Sarah (1799-1868) who married John Delaval Carpenter.  The title
of Lord Tyrconnel was passed on to John Carpenter from his uncle and thus Kiplin was
owned by Lord and Lady Tyrconnel.  Lord and Lady Tyrconnel further improved Kiplin
Hall which can be seen by the drawings commissioned by P.F. Robinson in 1818.  The
drawings illustrate the wing that was added to the south of the hall, which balanced the
kitchen and servants? quarters added by the Crowe family in the 1730s to the north of the
house (see figure 13).   The forty-five foot southern addition was designed in the then
                                                  
6
 Schulz, 13.
23
popular Gothic style and served as a new drawing room which could be used for
entertaining and social gatherings.
The house was not the only thing that received additions, but so too did the
landscape.  Lady Tyrconnel enjoyed gardens and the landscape on the north and east of
the house received enhancements.  Two fish ponds, pathways, and a wooded pleasure
garden were designed on the estate as well as a walled orchard and what was known as
?Lady Tyrconnel?s Garden?.  Lord and Lady Tyrconnel did not have any children and
thus had to find a suitable heir to the estate.  The designated heir was Walter Cecil Talbot
(1834-1904) who was a distant cousin to Lord Tyrconnel.  The conditions of inheriting
the estate required that Walter Talbot legally change his name from Talbot to Carpenter
and also that he marry a Protestant and remain a Protestant himself.  Talbot complied
with these requirements and married and had a daughter, Sarah.  Kiplin once again
underwent improvement with the addition of outbuildings and the construction of a new
stable wing (see figure 14).  Tenant farm houses and the servants? wings underwent
improvement and a new gate house along the Northallerton road was constructed.
Upon his second marriage, Walter Carpenter continued with improvements to the
estate.  He raised the roof over the southern addition (which Lord and Lady Tyrconnel
built) to provide another floor of living space.  The gothic drawing room was redesigned
in the Victorian style and became a library.  Other additions to the landscape included a
sunken tennis and badminton lawn south of the library.
The Carpenter family made Kiplin Hall a distinguished country house.  The once
more formal and classical house of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries was
transformed by the addition of a Gothic library wing that was later remodeled in the
24
Victorian period.  Walter Carpenter added the last significant pieces of land to the estate,
making the land holdings reach several miles in each direction.
The Talbot Family
Walter Carpenter died in 1904 and his daughter, Sarah Marie Talbot Carpenter
became the sole heir to the estate.  Sarah began to sell large portions of the Kiplin
property, particularly the areas in Catterick and Scorton.  In 1907, Sarah Carpenter
married Christopher Turnor of Stoke Rochford in Lincolnshire. Since the estate had no
resident family, Kiplin was rented out to tenants.  After the First World War, financial
necessity required for more of Kiplin?s property to be sold, reducing the once 5000 acre
estate to 400 acres.  All of the farms and most of the cottages in the townships of Bolton-
on-Swale and Ellerton-on-Swale were sold.  In 1930, the original lands that were
purchased by George Calvert in 1619 were sold as well as the Lodge at the entry gate
along the Northallerton Road, the Kiplin Mill, and the lands of the Kiplin home farm.
7
After the 1930 sale, the property of Kiplin Hall contained the Hall, its immediate
outbuildings, and the surrounding landscape, which included, the avenue of the limes, the
serpentine lake, the L shaped woodlands to the north and east sides of the a park, and the
field which provided access to the folly.  The total acreage was just over 100 acres.
Bridget Talbot, Sarah Talbot?s cousin, became the owner of the estate in 1938;
however, lack of financial resources had caused Kiplin Hall to decline before then.
Bridge Talbot sought for means to save Kiplin through a variety of alternatives.
Unfortunately, many of her attempts, such as using Kiplin as a school, failed.  During the
Second World War, Kiplin Hall was divided into a series of flats, which were leased to
                                                  
7
 Schulz, 27.
25
the government as quarters for army officers who were stationed nearby and after the
war, to individuals.   Bridget Talbot pursued the National Trust to acquire Kiplin as one
of their properties.  But because of the lack of financial resources to ensure the repair and
upkeep of the estate, the National Trust could not accept the property.  In 1968, Bridget
Talbot established a private Charitable Trust in order to ?permanently preserve [Kiplin
Hall and its appurtenances] for the benefit of the nation as a place of beauty and historical
and architectural interest.?
8
   The trustees? main objective was to limit the deterioration of
the estate. Unfortunately in 1975, the decision was made to demolish the curved wing on
the north side of the house (that Christopher Crowe had added) as well as, the
passageway connecting the wing, the servants? quarters and the main building for fear
that they were structurally unsound.
Stabilization, rehabilitation, and adaptive reuse are strategies that Kiplin Hall has
used in order to preserve the Hall and estate.  The outbuilding which provided servants?
housing has been converted to holiday flats which provide income that helps maintain the
estate.  The trustees also agreed to the quarrying of gravel beds in the former park west of
Kiplin Beck in order to generate income for the restoration and stabilization of the Hall
and the grounds.  Other outbuildings provide dormitories for students.
                                                  
8
 Schulz, 30.
26
History of the main building of Kiplin Hall
The building of Kiplin Hall has undergone many transformations over the last 400
years.  Initially the house is believed to have the basic floor plan of two rooms to either
side of a central hallway that ran from front to back of the house.
Figure 11. Conjectural plan from 1620s building
Source: Kiplin Hall and its Families: a History
Figure 10.  East fa?ade of Kiplin Hall.
27
The towers located on the north and south side of the house served as stairwells.  By
1730, the Hall had been transformed.  The main hall running throughout the house was
divided so that a grand staircase could be located at a central point of the house.  By
moving one of the staircases, the adjacent rooms changed in their size.
In 1820, the plan was dramatically changed with the addition of the library on the south
side of the house.
Figure 12. Plan of building in1730.  Source:
Kiplin Hall and its Families: A History.
Figure # Plan of building in1730 (from Kiplin Hall and its
Families by Constance Schulz)
Figure 13. Plan from 1820.
Source Kiplin Hall and its Families: A History.
28
From the 1890s to the 1970s, the house had again undergone major
transformations.  Most notably, a curved addition was made to the west of the main house
thus connecting the main house to the service wing and as a result creating a triangular
service wing.  Other structural changes apparently occurred on the upper floors as well as
the ground floor.
Figure 14. Plan from the 1890s which was based on architectural drawings done in the
1970s before the curved portion of the building was dismantled.  Source:  Kiplin Hall
and its Families: A History.
29
. Figure 16.   West fa?ade of Kiplin Hall, the library addition
is located on the south side of the photograph.
Figure 15.  Map of the grounds of Kiplin Hall.
Source: Kiplin Hall and Its Families: A History.
30
Figure 17.  Kiplin Hall library wing, south wall.
Figure 18.  Vacation cottages (formerly servant?s quarters) located on the
north side of the house.
Figure 17. Kiplin Hall library wing, south view.
Figure 18.   Vacation cottages (formerly servants? quarters)
located on the north side of the house.
31
Figure 19. Richmond gate (north gate) lodge located along one of
the original entrances of the property.  Another gate lodge was
located on the east side of the property but is no longer owned by
Kiplin Hall.
Figure 20.  Farm outbuildings to Kiplin Hall, which were
converted to living accommodations for students studying
at Kiplin Hall.
32
Figure 21.   Orchard wall located northeast of the
main Hall.  Source:  Randall Mason
Figure 22.   Greenhouse located on the north wall
of the property.
Figure 23. Lady Tyrconnel?s Garden, located north of the
house and south of the greenhouse.
33
Figure 24.   Avenue of the Limes located to the east
of the Hall, which creates an east west axis through
the landscape and Kiplin Hall.
Figure 25.  View of the lake which is located behind Kiplin Hall.  The lake is
one result of the quarry mining.  Although the lake is located to the west of
the Hall, it is in a different location than the historic serpentine lake.  Today,
the lake is stocked with fish and individuals from the community fish
throughout the week.
34
.
Figure 27.  Boxwood garden along the front side (to the east)
of Kiplin Hall.
Figure 26.  Folly located along the western side of the lake.
35
English Heritage Listing
The English Heritage designates and grades buildings thus enabling them to better
protect the architectural heritage of England. Listed buildings are placed on a legislative
list of buildings of ?special architectural or historic interest? compiled by the Secretary of
State for Culture, Media and Sport under the Planning (Listed Buildings and
Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
The English Heritage does not wish to limit or confine a property by placing a
designation of a listing upon a building, instead the intention of an English Heritage
listing helps insure that any alterations to a historic building are carefully considered.
The main criteria that the English Heritage uses for selecting listed buildings are:
? Architectural interest:  all buildings which are nationally important for
the interest of their architectural design, decoration and craftsmanship;
also important examples of particular building types and techniques,
and significant plan forms
? Historic Interest:  This includes buildings which illustrate important
aspects of the nation?s social, economic, cultural or military history
? Close Historical Association: with nationally important buildings or
events
? Group Value, especially where buildings comprise an important
architectural or historic unity or are a fine example of planning (such
as squares, terraces and model villages)
9
                                                  
9
 http://www.english-heritage.org.uk
36
The English Heritage lists all buildings built before 1700 which remain near or in
their original condition. Most buildings constructed between the years 1700 and 1840
also fall into this qualification.   However, designation becomes stricter especially for
buildings dated after 1945.  Designation is divided into three grades, which are:
Grade I buildings which are of exceptional interest
Grade II  buildings, which are important buildings with more than special interest
Grade III buildings which are buildings are of special interest
10
Currently (as of 2003) there are approximately 370,000 listed buildings; the majority of
these entries (over 92%) are Grade II.  Kiplin Hall is listed by the English Heritage as a
Grade I building.  This listing places it among the top one percent of the buildings and
monuments in England and Wales.
Mission Statement of Kiplin Hall
The mission statement of Kiplin Hall is as follows: ?The mission of the Trustees
of Kiplin Hall is permanently to preserve Kiplin Hall and its appurtenances for the benefit
of the nation as a place of beauty and historical and architectural interest, and to arrange
for the chattels and furniture in the hall to be displayed to the public.?
                                                  
10
 http://www. english-heritage.org.uk
37
CHAPTER III:
Site Analysis
Physical Conditions
Site Orientation
Climatic Conditions
38
Physical Conditions
The estate of Kiplin Hall covers 120 acres of property (with about 20 acres
currently being used by the Kiplin Hall Quarry).  The natural physical elements and
conditions of the site include climate, topography and landscape features.  At the present,
Kiplin is not fully utilizing the scenic qualities of its site which would further improve the
historic and picturesque attributes of the estate.
Many parts of the landscape are littered with garbage and debris ?everything from
old farm equipment to a claw foot bathtub to remnants of a campsite.   Farmland is
largely located to the east side of Kiplin Hall and wooded areas are mainly located on the
north side of the property bordering the estate grounds from the B6271.  LaFarge
Aggregates currently runs the Kiplin Hall Quarry and occupies the property located to the
west of the Kiplin Hall (surrounding the western side of the lake).   Because a quarry
Figure 28.  Aerial view of Kiplin Hall with views
of the countryside and the River Swale.  Source:
David Fogle
39
requires the removal of soil, large piles of dirt and heavy machinery fill the area of
property that LaFarge Aggregates occupies.
Directly around the main building of Kiplin Hall are several smaller buildings; the
Holiday Flats, the Crewe Cottage (now the Study Center), the Lodge, the ?Gothic? folly,
Bay Tree Cottage, a Gardner?s Cottage, a Greenhouse, a ?fishing hut? and various storage
Figure 29.  Campers and bathtub behind the Kiplin Hall
Study Center buildings.
Figure 30.  Gravel piles from quarries at Kiplin Hall.
40
outbuildings.  Likewise, there are some landscape features that are in close proximity to
the main house; the walled orchard, the Avenue of Limes, Lady Tyronnel?s Garden, two
ponds, and a boxwood garden.
Figure 31.  The topography of Kiplin Hall is characterized by a rolling landscape.
Figure 32.  The boundary of the site.
Figure 31.  The topography of Kiplin Hall is characterized by a
rolling landscape.
Figure 32.  The boundary of the site.
41
Figure 33. Brick wall that defines part of the original property of
Kiplin Hall.
Figure 34. Traffic patterns along the B6271.
42
.Figure 35.  Diagram showing forest or wooded areas.
Figure 36.  Diagram showing open spaces.
43
Site Orientation
The manor house at Kiplin Hall faces east with the lake located on the west side
of the house.  Outbuildings to the hall are located to the north of the manor hall.  The
B6271 highway runs east/west and borders the property to the north.  Arrangement of the
additional buildings on the site may be designed to address the sides of the house and
thus design factors may need to confront issues, such as sunlight, that are influenced by
the cardinal points.
Climatic Conditions
England is often typified as having rainy and cool weather, however regions do
vary drastically.  It is estimated that as an average, it typically rains one day out of three
in England.  However, rainfall depends on the season with winter being the wettest and
the summer a bit drier.
Figure 37.  Diagram showing important view corridors from the
Hall.
44
CHAPTER IV:
New Demands and New Program
45
New Demands
Kiplin Hall needs support and assistance for its survival. England and more
specifically, North Yorkshire is blessed with a large number of historic properties that are
worthy of visiting.  Unlike other historic properties in the North Yorkshire area, Kiplin
lacks the grandness, and thus the publicity, of other North Yorkshire properties such as
Castle Howard, Fountain?s Abbey and Studley Royal.  All of the aforementioned
properties are extremely successful as visitor?s attractions and are better attended and
have larger monetary endowments.  Kiplin is not as remarkable of a site due to the size
and condition of the property, building and gardens.  However visitors to Kiplin are able
to fully comprehend what life was like for a member of the country gentry.  Kiplin is also
unique in that it offers visitors a view of life in a manor house during different historic
periods.  Areas of the house are in keeping with each family?the Calverts, the Crowes,
the Carpenters and the Talbots, but also portions of one of the flats from the Second
World War remain.  Thus, visitors to Kiplin are able to view and experience several time
periods in one building, as Kiplin Hall acts like a physical timeline.  Because of the
relatively large size of the property that is unoccupied, the site is easily able to handle
additional building program.  The added program can provide alternatives other than just
visiting the house museum and therefore will provide resources for tourists and for the
surrounding community.
By creating a building that serves educational purposes, visitors and residents of
the North Yorkshire community will be able to spend time at Kiplin, not just to visit the
Hall, but also to have a pleasurable learning experience, of which historic Kiplin Hall is
part.  By creating support structures, such as a tea room, a gift shop, a garden center, etc.,
46
a visitor to the property will not solely visit the Hall but also will attend the support
buildings which help with the finances of maintaining a historic property.
The trustees and the curator of the estate are currently trying to improve the name
recognition of the estate by hosting community events, such as a ?Harry Potter? day for
children, lectures on antiques, community concerts, and wedding receptions.  These
would increase the usability of the estate and increase community support.  By providing
support buildings to help accommodate some existing but misplaced functions and also
by adding spaces for new functions, the estate will accrue more life and interest.
47
New Program
Educational Center
Gallery/Exhibition space: 900 square feet
Classroom space (2): 600 square feet each
Classroom/conservation area: 900 sq. ft
Storage: 300 square feet
3300 square feet net total
Function
? To provide spaces where classes, lectures, and exhibits can be conducted for use
by Kiplin Hall as well as the surrounding community
? To provide spaces for visiting artisans and restoration workers (such as tapestry
restorers) to work on their projects
Major Design Criteria & Considerations:
? Air conditioning for conservation work
? Lighting
? Loading Space
? Storage for materials
? Specialized equipment for conservation work
Adjacent Program/ Relationships:
? Classrooms may need to be in close proximity to the administrative offices
48
Recital Hall/Lecture Room
Recital Hall : 2400 square feet
Lobby/Reception area: 400 square feet
Restrooms:  300 square feet
3100 square feet total
Function:
? Allows for a place (other than the library of Kiplin Hall) for concerts and lectures
? Provides a more flexible area and better acoustics for program activities
? Area would provide space for 200 people
Major Design Criteria and Considerations
? Acoustics
? Stage area
? Seating arrangement for visibility
? Space for storage of instruments and chairs
? Service area needed for bringing in sets, grand pianos, etc
? Lighting
Adjacent Program/Relationships
? Proximity to Caf?/ Tea Room Kitchen so that receptions following lectures and
concerts can be held in that area
49
Gift Shop/ Bookstore  
Shop and display area: 1200 square feet
Retail storage: 600 square feet
1800 square feet total
Function:
? Offers visitors a place to purchase books about Kiplin Hall and other North
Yorkshire properties.
? Sells items (such as artwork, crafts) that were made in the North Yorkshire area
? Sells garden accessories and plants from the grounds of Kiplin
Major Design Criteria and Considerations
? Service to the area is of importance, placement of the service should be
?invisible? to the visitor
? Storage as well as display areas are of up most importance to any retail site
? Lighting for displays
? Space should be flexible in order to provide for rearrangement of displays.  Space
should also allow high visibility to the employees so that theft is prevented.
Adjacent program/ Relationships
? Beneficial to have located near the tea shop/caf? as well as the lecture hall
50
Tea Shop/Caf?
Dining area: 1500 square feet
Kitchen/prep area: 900 square feet
Restrooms:  300 square feet
2700 square feet total
Function:
? Provides visitors to the estate as well as area residents a place to dine while
visiting the estate of Kiplin Hall
? Provides a stopping place where visitors can sit and relax while enjoying the
ambiance of Kiplin
? Since Kiplin has received a license to hold weddings and also sponsors lectures
and concerts, the tea shop and caf? kitchen may also be needed for catering
purposes
Major Design Criteria and Considerations
? Flexible space that allows service for everyday to event occasions
? Effective and efficient service space for delivery trucks is importance for the
space, but the service area should not detract from the character of the manor
house and the gardens.  Therefore, providing effective service roads and a loading
area should not compromise the historic and scenic quality of the site.
Adjacent Program
? Ideally, the tea shop and caf? would be in close proximity to the concert
hall/lecture room as well as the gift store.
51
Administration
Office (5) 120 square feet each
Restrooms (2) 100 square feet each
Breakroom: 200 square feet
Workroom: 200 square feet
Conference Room: 400 square feet
1600 square feet total
Function
? To provide the  curator, the caretaker, interns, and other staff with office space
housed in one location
? To provide meeting places and administrative offices convenient for the staff
Adjacent Program/ Relationships
? Administrative offices will probably need to be centrally located to much of the
proposed program, especially the classroom program.
Plant Center
?Study? and ?growth? gardens
Classroom:   900 square feet
Storage:   900 square feet
Greenhouse: 600 square feet
2400 square feet total
Function
? To educate the visitor about plants and landscapes
? To provide an educational showcase for plants that are grown in the gardens of
the estate
? A place for starting plants that can then be transferred to the more formal gardens
of the estate
52
Major Design Criteria & Considerations:
? Reusing the existing (but damaged greenhouse) to recreate the original purpose of
the structure
Adjacent program / Relationships
? Accessibility to the gift shop so that can plants also can be sold there
Gardens/Landscape Design
 140 acres
Function
? To keep portions of the current landscape (woods and grazing areas for sheep),
but to develop and recreate more formal gardens around the Hall
? To further enhance the estate of Kiplin Hall by providing grounds that
compliment the historic site and thus bring additional visitor interest
? To allow for architectural growth that does not disturb or detract from the historic
character of the site
Major Design Criteria & Considerations:
? Topography of site
? Lake formed by quarry
? Placement of existing buildings and new buildings
53
Parking
Parking spaces for 100 cars
Function
? Allows visitors a place to park their vehicles while touring Kiplin Hall
Major Design Criteria & Considerations:
? Parking should be able to hold enough cars for special events (concerts, lectures,
weddings, etc) but should be landscaped so as to not intrude on the site
? Should be located fairly close to the main road, therefore allowing visitors to
easily find parking and to experience the landscape and architecture of the estate
while walking rather than driving through it.
? Paved parking for one hundred spaces and additional space (possibly a grass
lawn) for overflow parking
Adjacent program / Relationships
? Some if not all parking should be located near the tea room and bookstore/gift
shop.  By locating the parking near retail, the likelihood of the visitor stopping at
the gift store/bookstore and the tea room/caf? is heightened.
54
Summary of Program
Space Sq. FootageNet
Educational Center
Gallery/Exhibition space900    sf
Classroom space (2 @ 600)1200  sf
Classroom/conservation area900    sf
Storage 300    sf
3300 sf
Concert Hall/
Lecture Room
Concert Hall 2400  sf
Lobby/Reception 400    sf
Restrooms300    sf
3100 sf
Gift Shop/ Bookstore
Shop and display area1200 sf
Retail storage600 sf
1800 sf
Tea Shop/Caf?
Dining area 1500  sf
Kitchen/prep area 900    sf
Restrooms300    sf
Dining area: 1500 square feet
2700 sf
Administration
Office (5 @ 120 sf) 600    sf
Restrooms (2 @ 100 sf) 200    sf
Breakroom200    sf
Workroom200    sf
Conference Room400    sf
1600 sf
Plant Center
Classroom900    sf
Storage 900    sf
Greenhouse600    sf
2400 sf
55
Total net square footage of built space14900 sf
Total gross square footage(x 1.3) 19370 sf
Master plan for landscape, including gardens140 acres
56
CHAPTER V:
Building Type and Precedent
Bloedel Reserve
Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center
Hillwood Estate
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Dumbarton Oaks
Dulwich Picture Gallery
Beyeler Foundation
57
Bloedel Reserve
Bainbridge Island, Washington
Richard Haag
Bloedel Reserve is a 150-acre series of gardens located on Bainbridge Island in
the Puget Sound (west of Seattle, Washington).  The purpose of the Reserve is to provide
a place for people to enjoy walks and wildlife.   Formerly a private estate, the property is
centered around a large house built in 1931 in the Beaux Arts style.   The house now
serves as the visitor center for the Reserve and is surrounded by a series of formal
European gardens characterized by man-made lakes, weeping willow, and English elms.
Woods surround the formal gardens but among them are the Glen, the Japanese Garden,
the Moss Garden and the Reflection Garden.  As mentioned, the estate was once privately
owned but today, the reserve is now run by the Arbor Fund and has been open to the
public since 1988.
Richard Haag designed four gardens at the reserve?the Garden of the Planes, the
Anteroom, the Reflection Garden and the Bird Sanctuary.  Each garden has an individual
feeling but they work together to give the viewer an experiential event.  Although the
Bloedel Reserve displays a variety of architectural as well as landscape styles, it shows
how successful the contrasts can be when orchestrated correctly and sensitively.
Likewise, the buildings on the Reserve are quite different.  As mentioned, the original
house was built in the Beaux Arts style, but the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education
Center is a contemporary addition to the site.
The owner of the estate wanted an occasional home to be added to the site,
allowing him to be near the grave of his late wife.  The owner employed James Cutler
58
who designed the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education Center in 1992.  The building?s
intention is to function as a weekend home, but upon the owner?s death it is to ultimately
become a small education center and visitors? quarters.
Conclusion
Cutler?s design for the education center was designed to have minimal impact on
the land.  Set in a grove of Douglas fir trees, the building was designed to be on axis with
the owner?s wife?s gravesite, located at the end of the Reflection Garden pool. The axial
relationship of the building to the memorial site continues from an entry bridge, through
the building, over a meadow, where a boulder was placed, through woods and to the
memorial site.  Emphasis was placed on this axial relationship with the new building and
the gravesite.  Not only was symbolism realized in its axial connection, but meaning was
also placed in the choice of materials of the new building.  The wood used for the
framing of the house will eventually decay, leaving the stone foundation and supports to
remain and symbolize the owner?s relationship with his wife.
Figure 38.  General View of the Beaux-Arts style Bloedel
estate.  Image from American designed Landscapes Volume
I.
59
Figure 39.  Bloedel Reserve site plan
Figure 40.   The Reflection Garden at Bloedel Estate offers
seclusion in its enclosed geometric simplicity. The pool is fed by
a natural spring and encompasses many of the main elements of
gardening?sky, early, grass and trees.
60
Figure 42. Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education Center by James Cutler.
Source:  James Cutler monograph.
Figure 41.  Moss Garden designed by Richard Haag. Source:
American Designed Landscapes Volume I.
61
National Wildflower Research Center
Overland Partners
Austin, Texas
The National Wildflower Research Center was founded by Lady Bird Johnson in
1982 and was built in 1995 on 42 acres of property, southwest of Austin, Texas.  The
Research Center provides programs in Landscape Restoration, Plant Conservation,
Horticulture, and Education.  The complex also features Garden Exhibits (seventeen
gardens total), Nature Trails (four different trails), Outdoor Classrooms (four outdoor
classrooms) and Visitor Facilities.  The Visitor Facilities include an auditorium, a gallery,
classrooms, observation tower, a cistern, a library, a research center, a learning center and
administrative offices.
Figure 43. Plan of Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.  An
auditorium, gallery, caf?, and gift shop are arranged around the
courtyard.  The angular wing, to the north of the site, contains staff
offices.  Demonstration gardens are located to the west.
62
Conclusion
The architecture of the site utilizes materials native to Hill County, Texas.  The
chosen architectural style emulates that of the region?s early settlers.  The focus of the
design is to educate the visitor on wildflowers, but the design allows education to occur
in several ways?through classroom (both indoor and outdoor), through nature trails, and
through garden exhibits.  In essence, the Wildflower center serves as an educational tool
that ?celebrates the ecological, economic, and esthetic value of native plants?.
1
.
                                                  
1
 Architecture, July 1995, p. 73.
Figures 44.  View of courtyard of the Wildflower Center.
Figure 45.  North-South section through courtyard buildings showing
multipurpose room, entry arcade and garden shelter.
63
Hillwood Museum and Gardens
John Deibert, Alexander McIlvaine
Washington, DC
Hillwood was the home of Marjorie Merriweather Post from 1955 until 1973.
The house was built in the 1920?s and is sited overlooking Rock Creek Park.  Ms. Post
hired the architect, Alexander McIlvaine to reconstruct and enlarge the house.  The
architect John Deibert designed the estate in 1926 on twenty-five acres of natural
woodlands.  When Ms. Post purchased the estate, elements of the existing landscape were
incorporated into the new garden design.  The landscape architect Perry Wheeler was
hired by Mrs. Post to transform the landscape into garden rooms and outdoor living
spaces that reflect historical periods and horticultural trends of the time.  When Mrs. Post
died in 1973, she bequeathed Hillwood as a museum.
Today, the museum houses a large collection of French furniture and porcelain
and Russian art and collectibles.  The mansion is the main attraction to the site; however
the gardens and the outbuildings complement and add further interest to the site.  The
secondary buildings on the site include the Dacha, the Adirondack Building, the Butler?s
House (which is now the Library), the Visitor Center, the Caf?, the Old Garage (which
now houses the administrative offices) and the Cutting Gardens and Greenhouses.
Figure 46. Front fa?ade of Hillwood
Estate which overlooks Rock Creek
Park.
64
Figure 47. Site plan of Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Washington, D.C.
(Compliments of Hillwood Archives)
Conclusion
Hillwood is a useful precedent as it shows the enhancement of a mansion house
through gardens and outbuildings.  This enhancement was begun by Marjorie
Merriweather Post and later by the museum foundation.   In particular, the visitor center
is of interest to this project since it was designed only a few years ago and addresses
several issues that historic properties face.  The visitor?s center provides space for an
information desk, a reception area, a theater (where a short movie is played before the
tour begins), bathrooms, a small kitchen, a gift shop and a meeting area for group tours.
Because of the site grade, the placement of the visitor center allows for a fairly
65
unnoticeable ascent and a change of grade (about fifteen feet) from the visitors? parking
lot level to the main house.
The design of the gardens also helps create a sequential tour through the house
and into the outdoor rooms of the property.  Visitors are able to experience the estate as it
would have been during the day of Marjorie Merriweather Post.  The gardens include a
forecourt, a French Parterre, Rose Garden, a Friendship Walk, a Putting Green, the Lunar
Lawn, a Japanese-style Garden, a Vista Terrace, and a Pet Cemetery.
Figure 48.  The French
Parterre designed by
Innocenti and Webel
landscape architects.   The
garden is divided into four
quadrants and emphasizes
symmetry and geometry.
66
Atlantic Center for the Arts
Thompson and Rose Architects
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
The Atlantic Center for the Arts is a series of buildings created to house an artist-
in-residence program.  The idea was to create spaces where ?mid-career artists? apply to
work with ?master arts? that they can learn and interact with for a period of three weeks
or longer.  The Atlantic Center for the Arts wanted to create ?a unique environment
wherein creative experimentation is pursued in a protected atmosphere?
12
.  Along with
this statement came the program requirements, which included workspaces and practice
spaces for dance, drama, visual arts, music and writing.  It was important for Thompson
and Rose to preserve the site?s palmetto shrubs and scrub oaks and thus they created a
system of pavilions linked by an elevated boardwalk.  Each pavilion served the needs of
an individual art.  Thus, instead of creating one art building, a complex of buildings
linked by a path became the answer for the Atlantic Center for the Arts.  The sixty-seven
acre site allows for pavilions to be spaced with vegetation to grow between the buildings.
Therefore an atmosphere of surprise is created for the site?s visitor as each pavilion has
privacy and emerges from the foliage and natural vegetation.
Each pavilion is representative of the disciplines  contained within them, whether
that involves lighting, privacy, outdoor work areas, etc.    The new structures include a
black box theater, dance rehearsal space, painting and sculpture studios and a recording
studio.  The total square footage for programmed spaces is 10,630,  with the boardwalk
included the square footage reaches a total of 16,713 square feet.
13
  Design studies were
                                                  
12
 Stein, p. 99 from the center mission statement
13
 Progressive Architecture January 1995, p. 92-3.
67
conducted in order to alleviate the harsh weather conditions through architectural
elements, such as louvers, north facing glass walls, wind scoops, etc.
Figure 50.  View of the Painting Studio from the Atlantic
Center for the Arts.  Source Architectural Record, June 1997.
Figure 49.  Site plan for the Atlantic Center for the Arts
68
Conclusion
The Atlantic Center for the Arts is of particular importance because of its reaction
to the landscape.  Great effort was made to preserve a majority of the landscape.  The
architects were environmentally responsible in how they designed shading devices for the
pavilions (although air conditioning is still needed in the summer months in Florida).
The design of the complex separates functions by buildings, and the stylistic design is
based on interpretations of vernacular architecture of the region.  The architects,
Thompson and Rose, were very sensitive to the site, the vegetation, the climate and the
style of the region.
Figure 51. The
boardwalk between the
theater and the dance
studio.  Source:
Architectural Record,
June 1997.
69
Dumbarton Oaks
Washington, DC
Dumbarton Oaks consists of a Georgian Manor house and gardens located in the
Georgetown area of Washington, DC.  Diplomat Robert Bliss and his wife, Mildred Bliss
bought the property in 1920 and turned to Lawrence White (son of  Stanford White) to
update the house and to Beatrix Jones Farrand to redesign the ten acres of gardens. White
and Farrand worked together to incorporate design themes so that the house and gardens
would relate to one another.  The design of the gardens for Dumbarton Oaks occurred
over a twenty-five year period and exhibits strong European garden influences that have
been adapted to an American site.  The site of Dumbarton Oaks is located on a hilltop
which descends into a tributary of Rock Creek.
The design arrangement of the garden spaces is extremely well designed,
considering the property?s topography.  Farrand was able to design outdoor rooms, each
with a different character, and by terracing certain areas of the garden, she was able to
control the slope of the site.  Farrand was able to create more architectonic gardens
around the exterior of the house, and these more formal gardens led to the softer, more
natural garden areas closer to the creek.
Conclusion
The sequence of spaces is very important in this garden, and the use of axial
relationships is of prime importance to this sequence of spaces.  Walls, pergolas, and
plantings allow for separation between spaces, creating an environment that cannot be
viewed at once, but instead has to be experienced by moving from one space to the next.
70
.
Figure 52.  Garden side of Dumbarton Oaks showing the formal grass
terraces designed by Beatrix Farrand.  Farrand designed the terraces to
accommodate the slope of the site.
Figure 53. Aerial photo of the gardens of Dumbarton Oaks showing the
formal rose garden and the system of axial paths.
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Figure 54.  Site plan of Dumbarton Oaks.  The main house is on axis with
the grass terraces that lead to the ravine of Rock Creek Park.  To the east of
the house are the more formal gardens which include the rose garden, the
fountain terrace, the lover?s lane pool, and the ellipse.
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Dulwich Picture Gallery
Sir John Soane, original building
Rick Mather, addition
London, England
The Dulwich Picture Gallery was designed by Sir John Soane in 1811 to house a
collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century paintings collected by Noel Desfans and
Francis Bourgeois for Stanislaus Augustus, the King of Poland.  However, by 1795 the
kingdom of Poland was no longer in existence and thus the collection became England?s
first public art gallery.  Realizing that restoration was needed on the art gallery and
additional facilities were needed for the art gallery, the Dulwich Picture Gallery
established a design competition.  After several years of proposals, Rick Mather
Architects was hired in 1996 to create an addition for the museum that housed visitor
amenities, which include a 60 person caf? and a multipurpose room for education.
Mather successfully inserted a modern addition to the museum that does not detract from
the historic building and creates an elegant building deferential to the main building.
Mather?s design establishes a one story building located on the east side of the building.
The addition forms a cloister, organizing the site around a quadrangle.
The cloister parti allows for new program of the caf?, education room and the
lecture room to remain ?detached? form the main art gallery building, but also provides
an enclosed link to the gallery.   In the design of the addition, Mather picked up on the
articulation and rhythm of the blind arcades of Soane?s Dulwich fa?ade.  However,
instead of using brick as the main material, Mather used mainly glass surrounded by
bronze frames.  An external bronze frame supports a brise-soleil, since the main glass
walls face the south and west.
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Figure 55.   Site plan and elevation of the Dulwich Picture
Gallery and the cloister addition by Rick Mather.  Source:
74
Figure 56. General view of the cloister addition to the
Dulwich Picture Gallery designed by Rick Mather.
 Figure 57.  Interior view of caf? in the
addition of the Dulwich Picture Gallery
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Conclusion
The addition to the Dulwich Picture Gallery illustrates how contemporary design can
enhance and complement a historic structure.  By examining the lines and designs of
Soane, Rick Mather was able to pick up and understand the patterns of the existing
building and reinterpret them into an elegant contemporary structure.
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Beyeler Foundation
Renzo Piano
Basel, Switzerland
1992-97
Renzo Piano was hired to design a contemporary building for the art collection of
Hildy and Ernst Beyeler.  The building forms a 127 meter wall facing on one side a busy
highway and on the other a park.  The park is similar to a English landscape as it is
pastoral with a few buildings scattered across the grounds.  The plan of the museum is
based on a series of walls that are parallel to the road?thus the galleries are formed
through a series of walls that continually cause the visitor to penetrate the thick masonry
walls to enter into a room.
Figure 58.  Fa?ade and entry of the Beyeler Foundation.
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Figure 59.  Plan of the Beyeler Foundation.
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CHAPTER VI:
Garden Type and Precedent
Dulles Residence
Greywalls
Martin House
McIlhenny House
Miller House
Munstead Woods
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Dulles Residence
Mellor Meigs  and Howe
Villa Nova, Pennsylvania
1917
The Dulles Residence is based upon a wall that forms a forecourt.  The
uncomplicated mass of the house is built behind this wall liner.  A simple upper and
lower terrace form the gardens of this house.  Although this plan is perhaps minimal, a
sense of intimacy and relationship is formed between the house and the gardens.
Figure 60.  Plan of the Dulles Residence.
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Greywalls
Edwin Lutyens
Gullane, Scotland
1901
Greywalls was built as a vacation home and is set on the Muirfield Links.  Edwin
Lutyens?s design is based on creating a sense of symmetry throughout the site.  Although
the site is actually quite irregular (due to the entrance from the road and its setting next to
the golf course), Lutyens was able to create symmetry and establish a sense of rhythm
through the positioning of outbuildings, the establishment of walls, and the creation of
gardens.
Figure 61. Plan of Greywalls.
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Darwin D. Martin House
Frank Lloyd Wright
Buffalo, New York
1904
In the design of the Martin House, Frank Lloyd Wright was able to create rooms
that flow effortlessly from one to another.  Likewise, these spaces flow from the indoors
to the outdoors.  The landscape crescent creates a natural terminus for the dining room
projection.  Continuing  a built form from the house out into the landscape, a trellis
establishes a circulation path while dividing the property into two pieces.
Figure 62. Plan of the Darwin D. Martin House
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McIlhenny Residence
Mellor Meigs and Howe
Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
1918
The McIlhenny House is set upon a hill and it is this setting that determined the
placement of many of the rooms and the arrangement of the gardens to those rooms.  The
property measures almost four acres and the hill slopes northeast.  The landscape was
kept simple in the design?concentration was placed on mass and open spaces.  A formal
entrance of pleached apple trees leads to a paved forecourt .  A parterre garden is on axis
with the Hall of the house.  Outbuildings such as the tool room, the belvedere and a porch
anchor the corners of the simple parterre and act as end points to the simple shrubbery
and trees that line the parterre garden.  A service court, vegetable garden and a
greenhouse are located on the other side of the forecourt.
Figure  63. Plan of McIlhenny Residence.
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Miller House
Dan Kiley
Columbus, Indiana
1955
The Miller House and gardens are on a 15 property in Columbus, Indiana.  Eero
Saarinen designed the house located on the eastern side of the property. A plinth
extending from the house blurs the boundaries between outdoors and indoors.  Dan Kiley
the landscape architect, established a system of  outdoor rooms on the large
site?creating some intimate and some expansive spaces..  Tree canopies, hedges, all?es,
and outdoor sculpture form these outdoor rooms.
Figure 64.  Plan of the Miller House.
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Munstead Wood
Edwin Lutyens
Godalming, Surrey, England
1896
Gertrude Jekyll who owned Munstead Woods hired Edwin Lutyens to design her
house here.  The grounds were mainly laid out before the construction of the house
therefore  some awkward angles (evident in plan) between the house and the gardens
were created.  Vegetation and the establishment of formal axes have enabled these angles
to be masked.  A combination of a paved court, a water tank, woods, formal walkways,
and a system of stairways help create a wonderful garden that relates to the house and to
the site.
Figure  65.  Plan of Munstead Woods,
85
CHAPTER VII:
Design Considerations
Program Objectives
Parti Diagrams
86
Design Considerations
The project address many needs and encompasses a great amount of land acreage.
The objectives are as follows: first, to create a landscape that complements the historic
character of Kiplin Hall, second, to create contemporary buildings on the estate?s
property with particular attention to how the new architecture relates to the historic
architecture; and third, to create a relationship between the proposed architecture and the
landscape.  In order to successfully address these issues, it is necessary to create a master
plan for the landscape of the site that enriches and complements the historic character of
Kiplin Hall.  New contemporary buildings on the site will accommodate additional
program to meet current and future needs of the estate.  Furthermore, contemporary
architecture, additional program, and sensitive landscape design will help create a
cohesive estate property and will bring vitality to the historic property.
The new program includes new gardens, a landscape education area, a concert
hall, a lecture room, classrooms, a restoration classroom, a gallery, a cafe and a visitor?s
center.  With functions at the site, it could be used year-round instead of its current six
month usage.  Expanding the program from a house museum to an educational center,
focusing on landscape, arts, and music enables a larger and broader range of individuals
to find interest in Kiplin.
Five proposals have been examined which address the needs of the new program.
These partis are the beginning of the design process and have helped identify particular
design issues.  The relationship and sensitivity of the new program to the historic
building is of major concern.  Also the location of the entry is of great importance, as it
begins the procession of experiencing the property of Kiplin Hall.  The placement of new
87
buildings and their relationship to proposed gardens as well as view corridors are major
design considerations.
Another aspect in the design process will be on the materials used for the
buildings, which will be based on the vernacular and contextual architecture of the site.
Stone is used throughout the region.  The main building of Kiplin Hall is entirely of
brick, and the outbuildings are a mixture of brick and stone.  As the area is rich with
stone, and in deference to the main building, the new buildings will have a mixture of
brick and stone facades with interior wood detailing.
Perhaps one of the most important matter this thesis begins to confront is
movement through the Kiplin Hall property.  A well organized circulation system needs
to be established in order to accommodate the parking of cars, but more importantly the
circulation system should enable the pedestrian to experience relationships within the
landscape.  It is important to continually orient the viewer to Kiplin Hall but also to
provide them with a processional movement through the landscape, whether they are
visiting only part of the program or the whole property.
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Parti ideas
Parti I  Quadrangle/Cloister
The first parti proposal retains the current entrance to the site.  By locating the
new development near the entrance, there is little impact upon the current property of
Kiplin Hall.  Also there is little change in the current procession to the main building.  By
placing the buildings in a quadrangle formation, the program is easily linked and thus
various functions are easily accessible to one another.  Problems with this scheme are that
it does not make enough of an impact upon the property and thus does not take advantage
of the opportunities the landscape provides.  Another problem with this scheme is that it
densifies the main entrance to the Hall, making it more of a city street than a county drive
lined with the occasional farm outbuilding.
Figure 66. Quadrangle parti
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Parti II  Buildings located near Lady Tyrconnel?s Garden
The second proposal for the placement of the buildings is to arrange the buildings
at the northern part of the lake, in close proximity to the current parking area.  Like, the
first parti, the effects upon the property would be minimal.  The views from the main
building would not be comprised.  By separating the buildings and grouping them
according to use, the character of the buildings relates back to the agricultural
outbuildings and also allows for greater program flexibility.  The concentration of the
buildings is still kept to the north of the main hall, and particular attention would need to
be placed on how the visitor would experience the buildings as they move to the main
building.
Figure 67. Buildings located by Lady Tyrconnel?s Garden.
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Parti III  Buildings located across the lake
The third scheme proposes to construct buildings across the lake from the main
Hall.  The proposed buildings would have a wonderful view of the west fa?ade of Kiplin
Hall and the lake.  By creating a ?village? of buildings, the new program is separate from
Kiplin Hall but still has a visual relationship with the house museum.  Although this
scheme benefits the new program, it fails to take into account how the historic buildings
relate to the new program.  As mentioned, the new program would have a wonderful
view of the historic building, but the view from Kiplin Hall would be greatly altered.  In
order to keep the view of a pastoral landscape from the west fa?ade of Kiplin Hall, it
would be necessary to consider sensitive building and landscape designs.
Figure 68. Parti III:  buildings located across the lake.
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Parti IV   Buildings creating a new entrance off of the highway
Creating a new entrance suggested  Parti IV.  The current main entrance to Kiplin
Hall is poorly located, with limited site vision.  The addition of new program will
increase the safety of the entrance.  This issue encouraged the exploration of relocating
the main entrance to the east of the current one.  By placing the new program near the
entrance, it could be easily used independently of the main hall. Also, by locating the
program in a forested area, the new buildings would be less intrusive to the site. The new
entry way might also let a visitor to move to Kiplin Hall down the axial path created by
the Avenue of Limes.  This scheme suggests a more orchestrated progression through the
Kiplin property.  By relocating the main entry, visitors would pass through the wooded
area (where the new buildings would be located) and then come to the pastoral rolling
landscape before viewing Kiplin Hall.
Figure 69. Building creating a new entrance.
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Parti V: Reclaiming the East entrance and establishing an entrance through the Avenue of
the Limes
The fifth proposed scheme requires property to be reclaimed by Kiplin Hall.  For
financial reasons, Kiplin Hall had to sell most of its property.  This scheme proposes the
purchase of the land to the east of the house that lines the B6271 leading to the town of
Northallerton.  Purchasing this property would reconnect the second lodge house with the
historic estate.  Like Parti IV, this scheme proposes a new entrance and locates the new
program elements close to the main entry, creating an entrance through the Avenue of the
Limes and the agricultural park.
Figure 70. Parti V: Reclaiming the East entrance.
93
CHAPTER VIII:
Design Conclusions
94
Design Conclusions
This project has been a combination of many of my own interests: historic
preservation, landscape, garden design and contemporary and vernacular architecture..
The final design for this thesis project is a result of a semester?s worth of examination
and exploration.  The majority of this semester was spent in examining the property site
in order to discover where to locate the building(s) for the final design.  Studying garden
precedents also was a huge part of the semester work.  The design partis discussed in the
previous chapter provided a starting point however, they were quickly abandoned as
more study, analysis, and judgment were given to the site design.    Rediscovering an
entryway, procession to the site, and the addition of buildings sympathetic to the historic
character of the site were the impetus for the final design.
Particular attention was placed in procession and sequence in this thesis study.
That sequence beginning with the arrival by car to the site, and the views and procession
that one would follow from the car, to the visitor?s center, through the building
quadrangle, and through the garden to lead to the final destination of the arrival to Kiplin
Hall.  The  intention of adding contemporary buildings to the site was to help revitalize
the historic site by making it more accommodating to the visitor and also to make the
historic site more valuable to the community.  By providing additional functions, the site
could become operational throughout the year and could act independently, or in
conjunction with, the historic Hall.
95
Figure 71. Watercolor site plan of Kiplin Hall, gardens, and proposed buildings.
96
Figure 72. Visitor?s Center and
Administration Building plans.  The
Administration Building (at the bottom
of the image) was designed from two
existing parallel walls.   It was thought
best to reuse the existing walls and
have the building serve as a link
between the new and old buildings. The
Visitor?s Center building (at the top of
the page) has a porte cochere, (a
characteristic much like an existing
building on the site, which allows
visitors to catch a glimpse of the great
lawn as they arrive in the forecourt.
The Visitor?s center also contains an
information area, exhibition space, a
gallery, and an indoor and outdoor
shop.
Figure 73. Visitor?s center and Administration building
elevations.
97
Figures
Figures 74 and 75.  Classroom and Cafe Plans and Elevations.  The
Classroom building was located directly across from the Study Center
building therefore if additional space was needed for classes or conferences,
this building could easily be used.  The caf? building was located in a
separate building so that it could be used year round (even when the house is
closed) .  Also, its location was chosen so that it could work independently or
in conjunction with any activities in the Recital Hall.
98
Figures 76 and 77.
The Recital Hall
elevations and plan.
The masonry west
fa?ade of the Recital
Hall was intended to
convey a wall that was
contrasted with the
glass wall of the East
fa?ade.  The east
fa?ade faces a small
meadow, a pond, and a
forest.
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Figures 78 and 79.  A series of perspective vignettes were created to
suggest the arrival sequence of a visitor to Kiplin Hall.  Figure 70 is the
Richmond Gate, the re-established entrance to the site.  Figure 71
shows the forecourt entry to the Visitor?s Center.
Figure 80.   The grass lawn with the Recital Hall terminating the axis.
Figure 81.  The loggia walkway along the classroom and caf?
buildings.
100
   
   
Figure 82 and 83.  Interiors of the Recital Hall.  The lobby on the left
and the interior of the performance space on the right.
Figure 84   The formal entrance into the garden, through the Chinese Gate.
Figure 85.  The garden pergola.
101
Figure 86.  The
arrival to Kiplin Hall
from the garden.
Figure 87.
Watercolor aerial
perspective of Kiplin
Hall, and proposed
buildings and
gardens.
102
     
Figure 88 and 89.  Watercolor elevation bay and wall section of
the Recital Hall.
103
Conclusion
This thesis project has proven to be an exploration of many issues: historic
preservation, urban design, garden design, contemporary architecture and site design..
Constant development and refinement of designs and ideas created a huge amount of
process work that is not seen in this document.  This semester has been a semester filled
with learning?particularly about landscape and garden design.  Through this project, it
has become increasingly apparent to me that resolving site issues and using landscape to
help inform architectural design is necessary for a truly cohesive site plan.  Furthermore,
the possibilities and numerous solutions to this thesis problem (as well as all others) are
endless which is what makes the challenge of architecture and design interesting,
engaging and inspiring.
104
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105
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