caliwag

Yeah, nice one Joe 90... splendid doors, and to open into a conservatory really does make sense...thanks for posting

Greetings all...I am curious about the rise and rise of the use of bi-folds and similar devices to throw open a room to the elements. Virtually every illustrated Self/custom build appear to show bi-folds fully open. Could I ask why this is? Could members tell me how often they use them? Do you believe, in hindsight, are they such a grand idea or mere advertising puff? Surely, such huge glazed doors/windows are not very green and are net losses to a heating load. I live in a converted, yet inefficient, Yorkshire cottage with a pair of trad French windows to the living room...facing a lush garden and receiving the sun until 2.30ish. The French windows have never been fully open in my 3 years here...I don't want a living room full of leaves. Just wondering!

Aye...I live in the kitchen...lean-to conservatory at West end, Front door East end facing garden and visitor parking...all I need is a bed deck above a shower room. Never use the living room and don't watch TV. A good guide to a 'What do you really want' brief making kit. I do have a painting studio in a formerly disused basement however. I could happily live in an old railway carriage...but enough about me. Thanks for update and explanation.

Thanks...I;m not computer literate. At least your stair as built lands centrally...neat

Sorry, this just comes out as lists of code...I know not of what to do with it.

Indeed, only if you fancy.

Aye...interesting: perhaps a plan? The one shown in the link was probably built for Hertfordshire County Council (an enlightened outfit...you cannot ever imagine a private house builder even considering such a thing) and they would need to adhere to strict Parker Morris standards of the day. I guess you could narrow it be a 2-3 feet at a push. Also British Gypsum make (or did) PDP, a form of partition 57mm wide which, they say, performed acoustically as well as a 100mm timber partition. There was a terrace of 20+ of these...One sold a few years back (The modern House...estate agents) as a listed building. The owners had put a glass roof over a courtyard too...almost an extra living room! You can follow up similar house forms in a cracking little book called 'The Modern Courtyard House' by Duncan MacIntosh...if you can find a copy. Cheapest on ABEbooks is over £50...err posted from Australia: or your local library perhaps. Worth digging!

This was a response to a forum thread (elsewhere) and something that has been touched on in an earlier blog. I designed a small mock coach house, at the end of a very long garden. (It was mock to the planners, and a possible nimby backlash, and their were no coaches) The site was less than 5.6m and agreement had been reached to build on the boundary thus leaving an internal width of 3.6m. Plainly there were no projections over the neighbour's land and the wall and gutters etc were designed to be virtually maintenance free. One trick (such as it is) is to create the main entrance half way along, into the side, rather than front. If necessary, the daylight can be dealt with internal courtyards...see Peter Phippen's project in Hatfield for a terrace of very narrow houses...https://www.themodernhouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/THE_RYDE-TMH.pdf Thus, anything is possible within the blessing of planners and neighbours... a gift of a bottle of good whisky works wonders (obviously not to a planner!) So, don't discount a narrow site...all problems are an opportunity: the wise tell us! huh

Ah, nice one Ferdinand, thanks.

Good thinking Dave, and spot on. I did look round a house once for a friend and family...plenty of land, great view, but in the lee of a hill...on researching sun angles etc, it got no sun at all for 10 weeks.

This is a blog that I posted a while back on another forum that encourages people to look beyond prejudices fashion wth a view to exploring a pre-owned house that on first glance does not meet up with expectations and even the list of wants. A Peter Aldington House, near Doncaster, from 1967 (arguably one of the finest Post War Architects in the UK) recently changed hands. It was sold via a bold estate agent calling themselves "The Modern House" Plainly this doesn't mean a house that's been built in the last few years, but houses that that have some Architectural merit. I cannot post a link because the article was in Times (Paywall) by Jayne Dowle, who writes in the Yorkshire Post. I mention fashion in the opening paragraph because at first glance you might think, 'exposed breeze blocks, peeling bargge boards, and pine, that's a bit old and tired, but in fact it has a great plan and probably did not cost much to build. Indeed the three daughters of the original and only owners, now in their forties, all have fond memories of growing up in the Tardis like house..."We grew up with such pride in our house, when I brought friends home, I would be watching their reaction. As children we were privileged to live there, the windows would be open, and we would be in and out of the garden and the house" Peter Aldington himself said "My idea has always been contacting the inside with the outside" and "in this house, there is no wasted space, there is no wasted space, everything is connected". A little group of his houses is also feature in 'The house in the 20th century' by Richard Weston (less than £3 inc P+P on ABE), and the gardens are open as part of the charity driven National Garden Scheme...Turn End Haddenham, Bucks . So, look through and beyond the fashions of the 1960s and just absorb the rich use of space and light...all is still possible in your conversion or newbuild.

Aye thanks each...link attached http://library.uniteddiversity.coop/Ecological_Building/A_Pattern_Language.pdf Interesting there Ferdinand. I bought mine from the wonderful Architectural Bookshop way back, but found a copy in the remainder bin for £3 in Blackwells in York, a while ago, no wonder they don't exist there! Cheers, Jamie

Aye, as a guide for design decision making, prompts and reminders if you're starting out, this is a must. I make no apologies for this recommendation, which I started using in 1979. " A Pattern Language" by Chris Alexander, Ishikawa, Silverstein and colleagues is a must...throw away the plan books and use words to explore any sketches to assist in list making of wants, desires, must-haves, dislikes etc. There's no glossy fashion shots, many black and white photos to amplify the theme. The book is built around 253 themes (patterns), which are cross-referenced where appropriate ranging from town-design to placing your miss-matched armchairs...in a nut shell. The book is difficult to describe in a few words, so I'll quote from the jacket..." At the core of the book is the idea that people should design for themselves: their own houses, streets, communities...Coming from the observation that most wonderful places of the world were not made by architects but by the people." The book is still available (difficult to see it ever being withdrawn) and is available on abebooks for about £35 and as afree PDF download on a site called 'Diversity Univercity' for how long I know not!, but it's worth looking out for secondhand, because printing out 1200+ pages does not look fun. Of course, you could also support your local independent bookshop (Use it or lose it, and all that).

Aye LGP...some serious works there. My view is that the only way to approximate or reconstruct vernacular or indeed nature (artifice if you will) is to observe and study many examples of historic works or natural events. I say this as when I was, as a student, exploring a building project which had a degree of collapse or chaos built into it (don't ask) an artist friend said to me ' why are you making all this up? Just go to the Uni library and study how nature has done it and then rework. Must say it enlivened my project...Interesting that an art student (a good one mind, she just gained a first in her MA) could see what was going wrong and why I was stuck, whereas my architecture tutor couldn't help! Recently I was asked to consider a 'rockery' in a garden in Yorkshire, and applied exactly the same approach, so rather than a rock garden looking like a pile of alien rubble as though a tipper truck had dumped them, I studied Yorkshire hillsides where natural formations of variously exposed rock (cannot remember the Geological term), but all at the same angle, surfaced at the edge of the lawn and resurfaced at another part of the garden (I Know, a picture saves a massive description, but I don't have a snap to hand...sorry) + some indigenous plants planted in the crevices.

Aye, that's why I'm a sucker for internal windows, often as a result of extensions or severe alterations...glimpses to other places and circulation, often through strategically placed foliage. Take note in pubs or hotels that have expended...that defo makes a place seem larger. There is a natural assumption that they just get closed off, bricked up or whatever. Mind they could turn out to be pockets (poche`)! Thanks for your comment LGP

Aye, the subtitle of a book, that inspires me, by Diane Maddex called "Wright Sized Houses". Published in 2003 (about £20 on ABEbooks), this is a dissection of some of Frank Lloyd Wright's house designs over six decades. He lived from 1867 to 1959. As the title implies, he shows how, amongst his big houses on huge spreads in the States, his tenets apply equally to small houses on conceivably restricted sites. Commenting on FLW's attitudes to entrances Ms Maddex writes "...You couldn't tell where the architecture leaves off and the garden begins". She writes "Front Doors of FLW houses do not usually call out to visitors, who are gently taken in hand on a little voyage of discovery...The Architect makes us work hard to uncover his grand scheme" (Ha, romantic stuff eh?)...This is an attitude (however) espoused by Arthur Martin, Chris Alexander, Baillie Scott, Peter Blundell-Jones and others mentioned in former blogs and blogs to come...intriguing stuff! The book generally takes a cross-referenced page a theme, with some plans and excellent illustrations. Some of the themes are 'open plans, 'human scale', 'built-ins', private spaces', 'outdoor rooms', 'natural materials', 'entrances', 'walls and screens' (interior) etc etc. Altogether I thoroughly recommend this interesting design book which forms yet another useful check-list, reminder and inspiration to add character to your home.

Aye, this was a question raised on another forum, some time ago, and my thoughts. Whether 'Passive House Design should or would spawn spatially exciting architecture?' To my mind passive house design can end up with too much glass, which seems to be trend in new houses. That in itself provoked an inconclusive discussion, mainly based on heat loss versus heat gain...To be honest the jury seemed to be out on that one, without active participation of occupants to open and close external shutters and the attempt to store heat gain in the heavy structure. A digression from spatial interest I know. Anyway it did get me thinking about the whole notion of 'Spatial Interest and Excitement...well does it give pleasure and make you smile' It does open up a vast area for discussion as, perhaps, why all buildings, to a lesser or greater degree, aren't spatially exciting. Plainly there is the impact of walking through a small door into a vast, decorated Cathedral or Minster, or the main stair of St Pancras Chambers, which is awe inspiring...All the senses are bombarded at once. As I haven't written a book on the subject (yet) I'll leave you to ponder on that one. Similarly, a concert hall or theatre can have that effect, especially some of the twentieth century ones: I'm thinking of the Berlin Philharmonie by Hans Scharoun (Post second World War), which appears to have an extra dimension in that the interior is impossible to understand or photograph...Acoustically it is reputed to be one of the finest in the world. However, these examples are rather a long way from domestic expectations. I cited, in said forum, the Petersham Nurseries near Richmond in Surrey, which are a surprise and a delight...an expensive culinary delight but a delight none the less. They are just normal timber commercial greenhouses, still selling plants, but also serving as a restaurant. As you can imagine, glare and overheating can be an issue (I guess the place is heated with large blow heaters or gas radiants) so the roof and side walls are randomly shaded with rush matting, and climbers, all with a sort of post-hippy relaxed ease. Marvellous. I may say that the place is also full of distressed furniture and assorted paintings, rusting urns and statuary; but it works: Walking in through the small door is as delightful and surprising as a visit to Durham Cathedral and the Berlin Philharmonie. Full of digressions I know but there is a lesson from Petersham: from the outside it's just a dilapidated greenhouse, the Philharmonie hall from the outside is frankly unusual, and some might say somewhat ungainly, (though 40+ years ahead of its time in that respect!...getting architecturally controversial there, but that's just fashion and expectations, and it was fittingly designed from the inside out according to acoustic needs. As someone on the other forum said, any spatial excitement, at least in 20th buildings, will come entirely from the people who want it. as in any house, if you put your mind to it! Of course it may just come from decoration, but I think that the control of light and shade, surface finish, glimpses to other ares and activities, vistas and awareness of the senses, will all naturally, and by design, work towards a fascinating goal...of course it may be like a model railways, it's never really finished!

Haha...thank you...most interesting. I guess the jazz horn player could find a few more thousand notes to the total with his quarter tones and bent notes...err do bent notes count?

Mmm...Mathematically no doubt you are correct, but I feel that in the Rock World it seems way less...Right I'll stop digging!

OK, a slightly different blog format...suggestion from aregular member... I am moved to recommend a book by Bill Bryson, who seems to shoot from the hip as it were to inspiring effect! In fact I pick up everything he's written in the local charity shop now. Sorry Bill if you're reading this, (which is extremely unlikely I know) I did by 'At Home...a short history of private life' at full hardback price, and worth every penny! The Book (reviewed in Guardian Weekend with a small excerpt), is a must, if only because it's a wonderful ramble through the history of how we have lived and survived: it's all loosely based around his 19th century rectory in Norfolk. He's adopted England, or exchanged his Stateside upbringing, in favour of various spots around the UK. There are many digressions and meanderings from extravagant country piles and the Crystal Palace to public health improvement, but it is very entertaining: worth £2.50 from abebooks or less in your local charity shop, indeed for the bibliography alone. Basically Mr B uses each room of the house and its activities, as a vehicle for history, discussion and development. I guess a Victorian rectory is a good a device as any. Essential reading for all architecture students and anyone who lives in a house and who is remotely curious about how we have arrived at 600 square feet dwellings without any storage or even a window in the kitchen. Right! Look out for all Bryson Books, covering the continents, and especially the development of our living habits, spaces and quirks of home life. Bill Bryson 'At Home...A short History of Private Life'...possibly to be compared fashion-wise with early Country Life yearbooks and the like.

Point taken and hopefully lesson understood! Cheers...I suppose I understand, as many of these issues have been bubbling around, in the back of the mind for a while in varying forms! I expect some of my students thought I was a right blawearie...God here he goes again! Thanks LGP. Look forward to the cottage garden project.

I mention in an earlier blog the desirability of considering the outdoor spaces and gardens at the same time as the house design. Circulation and spatial thinking are very similar to the house layout. Making decisions about entrances and thresholds, capitalising on views and vistas, (to say nothing of orientation and overlooking/shadowing...See Survey blog) sitting places in morning and evening sun as well as dappling if you cannot stand direct sun! It's a good idea to list activities and needs just as you would for the home. In general the garden changes, both with the seasons and plant growth more quickly than the home. I say this because I was recently alerted (via the excellent Garden Illustrated magazine) to two approaches to garden structure and use. Admittedly one is more urban, three dimensional and controlled than the other., but they are at opposite ends of a wide garden design spectrum, yet both gardeners impress and are not creating sculptural 'do not use' gardens. It is interesting that there are hundreds of garden design and planting magazines out there, all by and large playing with the same palettes (a bit like Western music...How many variations with just 12 notes?) yet very few true house design books. Those that exist tend to veer into construction issues. I am not posting images as there are quite a few websites on these two, but please take a look at Luciano Giubbilei and Beth Chatto. Luciano has a rigorously strict palette and Beth, as a delightful explorer of rare plants and ones for hostile environments, seem to employ everything available. Both have won Chelsea Flower Show prizes. Remember ABEBooks.co.uk for copious source material Explore, plant and enjoy!

Aye, I suppose I originally was referring to constructed poche` to create more of the medieval approach as in small rooms, sngs or spirals or even an ingle nook as if hewn out of solid. I suppose a spiral stair is a good one as it could be constructed with curved walls as if out of solid, and even with slots for the collection of dust...or more constructively wine or beer bottles, CDs, art, collections, interesting lighting and so on, the possibilities are endless, particularly for extensions...it's all about imagination. It could, of course, work well with a constructed 3D approach to a garden, a reverse of topiary!! Well maybe. Am I making sense?

Indeed, love 'em...two way jobs, as big as possible, and partially glazed.

A diversion, but with reference to earlier blogs. I usually buy the Times on Fridays for the excellent property section 'Bricks and Mortar' which has been running for quite a few years now. Unfortunately they operate a paywall, so it's not so simple, and annoying, to quote from the paper, I find. However in the recent edition (3 November '17) in the section called Prime Properties, they briefly review a 17th century cottage, a true doll's house, with the 'Downside comment' "the back garden lacks interest" I leave you to make up your own minds. Photographs and house plans can be seen on the Strutt & Parker site. The house is on sale at £575k and the location is Langthorpe near Boroughbridge...huh no station sadly.