The practice has just obtained a Planning approval for a replacement dwelling on an agricultural site. A single storey tin bungalow has been replaced with a two storey eco-house on a farm location. Planning legislation states that the dwelling should be of similar scale and proportion. However, this was not appropriate in this instance and the case was argued for a replacement two-storey dwelling. Despite an Officers recommendation for refusal, the committee overturned their recommendation on the grounds of the quality of the design in this location.
Electronics Factory
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Monday 29 November 2010
How the weather affects design
When designing houses I encourage the client to keep a scrapbook of images they like from house magazines and books. I think this focuses the mind on what they are looking for in a home. As the design process progresses the images are often removed and replaced by other pictures as their ideas mature and develop. I also show clients photos of past projects and this one of sliding folding doors opening onto a terraced area from a kitchen elicits the most positive response! There is something about the way the wall is removed and the outside merges with the inside that strikes a chord with so many people.
Our climate is such that for much of the year and for long periods we are enclosed within the confines of our homes...our environment within our homes is largely defined by the need to keep the outdoors at bay. The pleasure of looking through a window at the view is all the more acute because we are not experiencing the cold air, or indeed getting damp and cold. We enjoy and appreciate the immediate outside environment because of the fact we view it from our own world and are surrounded by our chosen possessions and artefacts. At night when the curtains are drawn we fully withdraw to our refuge.
In the Netherlands a tradition exists of leaving the curtains open to the windows of the main living room, if it faces onto a public street. Passers-by can look into the house and enjoy the display of furniture and ornaments. It may seem odd but perhaps we should think of this as just a different way of presenting yourself and your home, to the way the traditional parlour in this country was used in Victorian times as a formal room to present yourself, rather than a private family space.
But back to that disappearing wall created by those ‘bi-fold doors’! Generally doors like this are located to open onto a private courtyard or paved terrace. To work effectively this is important ...one needs to feel that the space outside is your own, as is the space inside. In this way the outside becomes an extension of the house. All the pleasures of the garden come into the house, the scent of the plants, the breeze, the sounds. The house has grown to encompass the garden. For me the real pleasure is not just the classic balmy summers day but those unexpected moments and hours when the outside can be invited in ...such as the crisp May morning or a mild October day.
To work effectively at night the garden or courtyard may need to be lit to allow it to continue to be seen and appreciated after dark.
It a very different approach to how we have traditionally considered spaces in our home, but it is now very much an option and can have a dramatic effect on not only the house but also the garden!
Stirling prize 2010
Stirling prize 2010
So much of our domestic lives is functional and practical. We are driven by the necessity of all we have to achieve in the day just to maintain our existence. The buildings that we use serve us in this...our homes, schools, surgeries, shops, colleges, offices etc. We are fortunate enough to live in a Country where the evolution of these building types has been an ongoing process over the Centuries and one which has left a rich variety of buildings which we continue to use albeit not always in the way that they were intended. We adapt buildings to enable them to remain useful to us. If we like the aesthetics and appearance enough we often put up with idiosyncrasies of the original design...low ceilings, narrow corridors, steep stairs etc. There comes a time however when the functionality is too compromised and we relocate to something that better serves our needs.
Some new building projects escape the mundane ties of the everyday due to their intended purpose being one that is out of the ordinary...a special activity that transcends the common. One such a building type is an Art gallery or a Museum. By its very nature the role of this building gives more opportunity for freedom of expression in its design.
This year the Stirling prize for Architecture has two museums and an Art gallery amongst its six shortlisted finalists. Earlier this week the judges discussed the merits of two of these entries in a radio broadcast. It was interesting to hear some of the comments on what they felt these buildings should offer “A functional space which gives the individual a changed sense of themselves”, “A building that engages with the people who visit it at an emotional level, subtly adding to the experience of the displays themselves.” Other comments note that the design must be complete in a holistic way as well as in the aesthetic sense.
We may well find it overpowering if we were to take in a museum or galley on a daily basis but on the occasion when we do visit them I think we expect to be prompted or moved to re-consider our existing ideas or have our perception altered.
It is worth noting that these projects have been some years in their development, usually far longer than a standard building project. They are the result of a very deliberate and conscious thought process with their own unique criteria. The result in every case is an inspired individual building. This is a form that does not conform to those utilitarian practicalities that constrain our everyday buildings but opens our minds to other possibilities and ideas. They are a thought provoking and inspirational break from the ordinary!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)