Tag Archives: pastiche

We Need More…But Not More of the Same

Given the imminent arrival of the Leveson Report, Planning Minister Nick Boles’ foray into the difficult territory that is UK green-field development did well to make Newsnight last night. During most of the day I had been following the opening … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Development/Land-Use | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on We Need More…But Not More of the Same

Kilmeena Village: Regionally Distinctive?

I was at RIBA HQ last week, and wandered into a rather boisterous opening-party for an exhibition of the winners of this year’s RIAI Irish Architecture Awards. A project by Cox Power Architects caught my Ruralise eye – a small … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Kilmeena Village: Regionally Distinctive?

Tayler and Green #11 – Critical Regionalism?

A pervading narrative in UK housing-design is that of ‘local distinctiveness’. The idea that new homes should ‘fit in’, or ‘reflect local character’, is enshrined in national and local planning guidance. For house-builders – and most of the local authority … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Tayler & Green | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Tayler and Green #11 – Critical Regionalism?

The Wide-Fronted House #4

In a recent post I described how the square-on-plan semi, with front and back living rooms became ‘universal’ during the inter-War period. Private house-builders built three-quarters of the 4 million news homes produced in the period, mostly without the help … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Wide-Fronted House #4

Grant Shapps and the ‘New Normal’

I’ve followed with interest, on Twitter and elsewhere, Grant Shapps’ thoughts on the Natural House, the Prince’s Foundation show-home which he unveiled recently at the Building Research Establishment in Watford. It culminated in a proclamation this week from the GLG … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Grant Shapps and the ‘New Normal’

The Cork Rural Design Guide

In a recent post I talked about the impact that local ‘design guides’ might have on how developers approach the design of new housing, and previously I’d talked a bit about the Norfolk Residential Design Guide. I noted that aside … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Cork Rural Design Guide

On ‘Local Distinctiveness’

In my previous post I reflected on the complex issue of ‘local distinctiveness’. Back in 2006 I attended a seminar run by the English Historic Towns Forum entitled ‘Designing for Housing Growth: Sustaining Historic Towns’, and was quite alarmed by … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Local Materials Faux Pas

While writing the recent posts on local building materials, I was thinking about an estate in Wymondham called Whispering Oaks. The development is set at the very northern tip of the town, over a mile from the town centre and … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Building Norfolk

Matthew Rice’s book ‘Building Norfolk’ attracted quite a lot of attention when it was published last year; not surprisingly. It is a beautiful book full of exuberant, colourful drawings. I could write a whole other post, lamenting the death of … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Building Norfolk

More Norfolk ‘Stuff’

So the vast majority of Norfolk is covered in brick-built houses with pan-tiled roofs, with plenty of surviving older timber-framed buildings, typically rendered over and painted – but that’s not the end of the story, of course.

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments