caliwag

All really fascinating.. To my mind you're going at it the absolutely right way: live in it for a while and see what your collective feelings are. I guess it's not for everyone, especially with Swambo pressures....Haha...'desire lines'...as you'll know, the watchword of landscape architects and designers. Must say it sounds superb...I do miss west of Scotland where I used to regularly carry out land surveys for a medium sized builder. I hope Mrs CPD is of a like mind re taking it slowly. and you did well by saving the 100 year old spot...you'll end up with a more valuable place, and full of character. Glad you liked the blog, I'm afraid it was another case of a picture/drawing saves etc etc. Good luck.

Yes cable ducting, another issue with all the kit we have now...Electric keyboard, fender amp, floor pedals, but I again digress. Love those LGP. ..for a small art collection perhaps? Elderly dinkies perhaps?...nice one, oh and obviously one for the Scotch with Jacuzzi!

Aye...You do need to be creative. I think extensions tend to generate left over spots, and it's good to think through in your listing/must-have stage of what can 'disappear'. interesting that people tend to overlook/underestimate the spaces for storage of essentials they will need, over and above the thought of 'it'll come in handy one day'and it's too valuable to tip or give to a charity shop'. A good friend of mine towed around 6 suitcase size bags ( suitably vacuum sealed), of exclusive, not to say expensive, bespoke clothes ( She had been in the ragtrade, no matter that she had gone up 3 or 4 dress sizes since acquisition), only in a fit of downsizing to pass the lot to a lucky charity shop. Mind I do the same with books and vinyl! A digression I know. Long while since I heard of dwangs...in the realms of rhones, tobies and skew putts!

Excellent...good use of 'so-called' lost pockets. I've always suggested 'losing' the WM under the stairs, but people do get stuck in their ways, thanks

Ha, French for pocket: Not a term much used in building or design. A few blogs ago, I described a way of considering garden design as an alternative to creating borders and cutting shapes out of a lawn, or indeed starting in one corner and making shapes, of just planting specimen plants towards another corner. This is a more holistic approach based on listing all conditions of the garden (see site analysis blog), then listing wants, needs, desires, uses of spaces etc for the proposed garden, including the route and entrance threshold, and then considering the space covered in stuff. This may be lawn, grasses (trendy) herbs, shrubs (totally covered), etc then take out spaces for the needs and routes between them. It's really the same as house layout design, but more akin to decollage, the result of removing bits, rather like a political poster that people have attempted to remove. No matter, I hope you get the idea...It ties up the results of your site analysis with your list of must-haves. (The brief) The pocket idea is best seen in heavy walled churches, cathedrals, castles where there are often pockets in the wall created for chapels, spiral stairs, secret rooms and so on, and best exploited in more modern housing where built-in shelves, en-suite facilities, larders, even secret rooms and snugs are worked into spaces between rooms. Interesting spaces may be created where square edged rooms could appear clumsy, or passages would allow better flow. I would agree that it's not for the faint-hearted, but could be great fun especially when building the corrugated card model (one to amuse the kids on a wet holiday afternoon). Don't blame me if they want to be architects after that. It could add a sense of humour to a design and add bags of character...And you do want your extension or new home to exude character don't you! A word of warning, it will be more expensive as builders do not relish curves. Happy designing

That's interesting Jack...admittedly the house I referred to is in Richmond, West London. though much of it was by an Oxford builder. It came in at over £3000/m2, several years ago. Though the client did refer to it as Queen Anne front (a well proportioned Georgian Facade, a cheaper side and rear...very true of the originals)

Aye...Most of the commentary, ideas and thoughts, in these blogs are based around traditional thinking, based on some, in my opinion, of many of the most interesting architects of the last 150 years. My constant references to Baillie Scott, Arthur Martin, and thoughts about Arts and Crafts houses, must highlight this. References and quotes from Pattern Language, and even Charles Moore, do hark back to tradition. However tradition is well and truly part of the works of Aalto, Scarpa Hans Scharoun and Erskine, to say nothing of the genius of Lloyd Wright. However, this approach does not discount the employment of all the ideas in contemporary homes, regardless of whether you want something to be 'at one' with the area, (repose) or to stand out or indeed to win a prize and be published. I make mention of this because I had been involved in the design of a 400m2 house, which the client wanted to be white, crisp, steam-ship like internally...although He was an Arts and Crafts fan. He wanted the place to be capable of winning an architectural competition.. He wanted me to 'do a Lutyens' The main criterion was in detailing...'if you can do without a line or ledge...so much the better' was his mantra. This therefore was a modernist approach (gained by years of study of the masters) shoe-horned into an Arts and Crafts or even Regency facade. Actually a more common approach generally than I thought! It means of course no cover strips, no skirtings, no architraves, just shadow gaps... oh and absolutely no pipe boxes.As seamless construction as possible, as if the interior had been hewn out of a solid. Whether you like this idea, beware, it will cost more, because you need the best builders who will be working to precise dimensions and many detail drawings, not be wittering on about starting the next job halfway through! The end result requires a certain precise type of living. If you are messy like me, forget it.

Interesting...I'm a bit confused by the thread. I have to say that the Killearn one looks as though it could be anywhere, and does rather lack character! Sorry. Is the model the same as the low pitched roof one, as I cannot see the water. If different it does appear to turn its back to the landscape. I agree a larger area of map/landscape would highlight the relative scale. Is the low pitch roof to allow for a planted roof or just to present a lower profile. The non-vernacular form might irk the planners.

Hello, I touch on this subject again because it can be and should be as important as the house. I looked at this a few years ago, on another forum, in response to a member who had been asked to submit a rough design for the front garden and, by his own admission, had no idea where to start. I mention in the book an approach to garden spaces by listing likely activities, desires, wants etc all dependent on relationship to house, climate, sun angles, overshadowing etc, but this blog is more about learning from enthusiasts via their books A sponsored Sunday Telegraph article featured a piece by Sir Roy Strong (former director of the National Portrait Gallery and V+A in London) on a garden. which he and his late wife had been creating since the early 70s. It is an intriguing garden, large by most domestic standards and formal in layout. The garden is now open to the public. (National Garden Scheme) The formality derives from the axial nature of the plan, with 'events' at path intersections and vista ends. Events for example include bird-baths, sculptures, fountains, seats in bowers, a sun dial and even a knot garden. You could of course, following your listings, have important points like a practice goal mouth or cricket stumps, a herb or fruit garden, sunny spots, a fragrant bower and so on, all dependent on size. Their garden is called Laskett gardens in Hertfordshire. Sir Roy has produced garden design books...I recommend ' on Garden Design, on ABEbooks.co.uk for under £3 inc P+P. A trawl around your local secondhand bookshop may well uncover one or two of the many books by John Brookes...'The Small Garden', 'The New Garden' or 'Well Designed Garden' all under £3 from ABE...cheap from an excellent designer...just be careful where you plant that avenue of Limes!! Good gardening s they say on a well known Radio 4 programme.

Apart from 'A Place of Houses, see earlier blog and several Frank Lloyd Wright books, I don't seem to come across many American house design books but I recommend William Turnbull's 'Buildings in the Landscape'. He worked Charles Moore et al on the Californian Sea Ranch project back in the 70s. OK there's lots of land there and plainly rather less planning restrictions, but the buildings are most interesting...double height living and circulation spaces, timber frame, with timber cladding in most cases, good planning with of course views to the ocean from big bay windows. I managed to pick up my remaindered copy in York bookshop, but they are available via abebooks.co.uk from the states, quite cheaply, though the postage is steep...to be recommended though. About £20 inc P+P...good luck all

Aye, a bit of a diversion here. One of my students alerted me to this place a few years ago. It is an expanding arts centre, now owned by Cambridge University, but set up by Jim Ede and his wife. in the 50s. It started as a cluster of small cottages, converted to a home, gallery and workshop to display the couple's interesting collection of 20th century art. The point is that the cottages were tiny and the whole now is an interesting exercise in creating the best from a finite space. The University left it 'as bequeathed', and the art centre next door is undergoing further conversion and expansion, kettlesyard.co.uk for details. It's well worth a visit if you are in the area, but check opening times as much of the site is closed till Spring 2018. A pair of 7 facet bay windows were added to the ground floor living space, which gives the cottage great connection with the gardens, the sill heights being sufficiently low, and just brings the space alive. They are generous enough to sit in with a small table and chair, and with a display of small scale collectables and found objects. Another delightful feature of the conversion is the working in of small, glass-door fronted, display cabinets. As they are back to back and carefully constructed, they are not intrusive, do not impede circulation, yet really contribute to the spaces. Very much the case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. There is a small element of 'poche', French for pocket, in action here. see later blog.

OK I admit, I had to web-search the opposite of 'improvements'. My Chambers dictionary suggests ''to decrease the value of, by a given amount' . You may well ask where I'm going with this. I sometimes do wonder, when I see extensions and, er, improvements if some people are obsessed with decreasing the value of their property! Plainly not, but I feel that some don't give as much thought and design attention to detail, and ask questions that they might if building from scratch. The considerations should include assessment of the impact of the extra room (s) on existing daylight, ventilation and circulation, for a start. Stand back and consider the new massing rather than going with your first thoughts, a builders suggestion, or even a neighbour. This is especially true for internal circulation and possibly resultant dead spots. Consideration can simply be of the choice of materials. Trying to match old and new bricks rarely works, with differing formats, to say nothing of the abilities of a bricklayer achieving thin coursing. Instead consider contrasting materials, (or joining by separation, visually) which can work and is especially dependent on locations and local vernacular...there may well be a local tradition of change (driven by necessity or availability) from days of less ridiculous nimbyism and the "that doesn't fit in brigade" that you can show evidence of to support your desires to a planner, who should instinctively be in your side. If I can again put in a plea for consideration of 'separated' addition (a pavilion in the rear or side garden) which the builder could get on with without disruption to the existing house. This can joined with a corridor or glazed link, and create, perhaps, an interesting, protected courtyard...quite a case for a picture sparing saving a thousand words. OK it's probably a loss of some garden, yet only lawn anyway. but it's really just another way to look at spatial issues, and discovering fresh advantages. there will no doubt be height issues, with a neighbours blessing you could even build a windowless wall of the pavilion on a boundary, if space is tight...Throw away the prejudices and think of the benefits and positives...a corrugated card massing model anyone?

There's an outfit up here in West Yorkshire called the 'Wooden Door company' who I have seen at Homebuilding and Renovating shows in Harrogate (next one first weekend in November) website is doormerchants.co.uk...that makes them sound dodgy but they've been around for a few decades I think.

Modern Houses, especially developer built ones, seem to have extremely mean windows...not helped by extremely thick frames and mullions. Consider the room you're in now. What effect would it have if the sill(s) were 18" higher or indeed 18" above floor level. The former would be be rather depressing, the latter quite enlivening, particularly if you have an interesting view, or likely to collect winter sun. Our old friends Chris Alexander et al in A pattern Language have much to contribute on the subject of windows and sill heights..."One of a window's most important functions is to put you in touch with the outdoors. If the sill is too high, it cuts you off." As mentioned, the award winning property journalist Anne Ashworth of the Times suggested "...a Georgian rectory remains the dream home of most of those house-hunting in the country" (indeed a growing trend if current reports are to be believed). I suspect one reason is that the main rooms have low sills, as well as comfortable, proportional attributes. I wonder why developers do not notice this. Many of Baillie Scott's early 20th century houses were built with low sills in at least one room, especially if it was a bay window. (see Diane Haig's book of Baillie Scott's houses, The Artistic House.) Alexander also talks of having windows in two walls of a main room. This seemingly has several advantages, animation of the room, objects and furniture, different glimpses of sunlight and a choice of seating location. You will notice in a cafe or clear-windowed pub that, given a choice, people will gravitate, almost without discussion, to a window seat. Bailie Scott in his 1906 book "Houses and Gardens" railed against anything other than one window in a room..."It is best, therefore, to concentrate the window space so that the light comes from one side only..."and so on. Interestingly most of BS's houses after that date contradicted that, at least in the main rooms. It should be uppermost to note in your portable notebook when walking around or visiting a pub, cafe, hotel foyer, friend's houses, or browsing through the design magazines or weekend newspaper supplements, surprising or pleasing window arrangements and relationships with the rooms. Window are often characterful devices used to advertise other things...sofas, curtains/blinds, wallpaper, an Aga and so on, so keep your eyes open for ideas that might add character to your design and take note, sketches, photos before you forget. Excerpt from the book on cargocollective.com/selfbuilddesign. Happy designing

Interesting, thank you for the 'reinforcing' comment...indeed cold-bridging, a real issue to avoided 'on the fly'

Ok, Spell check always pulls me up when I use the word 'joinings', but it is the most succinct and appropriate word for how materials, and planes meet...OK it's a clumsy and ugly word, but then...Are you ahead of me here? So many of the inelegant bodges you can get if you leave it to chance. I would have to say that if you involve an architect on your project, you should end up with no visual nasty detailing, junctions and the "how the hell do we get round this" type of phone call. Many people know my views on CAD (this discussion started 10 years ago and I trust things have improved!)...it stands for computer aided drawing, not computer aided design. It is also a fine example of 'rubbish in, rubbish out' sad to say. I recall as a 'brain, eye, pencil and paper' designer asking a few years ago, 'why doesn't the computer flag-up that the plan doesn't match the elevation?' after spending a Sunday with a ream of print-outs and a bottle of Tippex..'nah, can't be done' and that was Microstation, used for space probes Well, I trust the systems do now. I encourage all to do as many drawings as possible, just to explore ideas, ideally in 3D, but I would appeal for drawings of internal elevations and ceiling layout. Apart from being very useful for the illustration of precise heights of sills and lintels, position of vents, power points and switches, television slots, brackets and cables, wall lights, hooks etc, it highlights any potential clashes of planes, beam ends and heights, column to beam junctions, internal corners etc. If you are giving £500 to a plan drawer, tell him/her you want lots of sections through the tricky bits and all the internal elevations and ceilings. Leave nothing to chance or serendipity.

I like your post Ferdinand...thanks.As it happens, I think that the British Library is one of the best Post War London buildings. It's too easy to write it off (as Prince Charles did) from the external image, although the external hard landscaping works are very successful, but internally it's superbly handled, having not worked in it I don't know of its flaws. Heavily influenced of course by one of the Architect's favourite designers Alvar Aalto...we could all learn much by studying Aalto's work (from furniture to houses and galleries)...one of the best 20th century designers to my mind.

Aye, an interesting yet vital start. I have thought long and hard about the issue. A good architect can bring much to the table, he/she of course has to be a good listener. I guess at this stage I should point out that my book is packed with, what I think is a logical approach. Aside from spatial requirements (Number of bedrooms, en suites, garaging etc) I suggest that at an early stage a folio of images, to assist the architect, of your collective likes and dislikes, which might inspire, along with internal aspirations, be they shiny and uncluttered, through cosy and welcoming and all the sensual expressions in between. The danger, it seems to me, is if you don't set out a few desires etc that you just get a ready plan from the architect's back file. As an aside it seems that Scott's proposals for the 'much loved' St Pancras hotel in the 1860s were a dusted down, unsuccessful competition entry for a new Palace of Westminster, as a replacement after the earlier fire! When I first put some of my thoughts, on another forum a decade ago, I received quite a few commissions, but very few files of likes and dislikes, or descriptive words: Thus the site constraints took precedence. Though in one case the client had plainly been pondering on my need for a file that I was posted an inch thick bundle including Disney-like fantasies to overtly Modern...unfortunately the brief omitted several vital spaces like painting display areas and work-out space. However I do think it is vital to see some previous works, ideally with visits, but if that's not practical at least to view some drawings and 3D Cad views if possible. I would also suggest that for everything but the most basic that you avoid 'plan drawers'...they are useful for sorting out the regs, but are unlikely to possess the, dare I say, 'Flair' for your potential pride and joy. Flair is not a word you hear theses days, though it has to be said, a good designer will have the ability to share visions and explore problems easily in three dimensions. It comes from training and experience.

I suppose I worded the blog badly. I'm definitely not suggesting that you lie, make up feeble excuses or sugar the pill. I am suggesting that when designing your place, renovation or extension you consider adding value by designing in interesting features...attractive windows, doors, views and glimpses etc, not for future buyers, but for yourselves...creating wondrous corners, getting the stair in the best place, a generous and useful family kitchen, consider the garden spaces, sunny spots and views at the same time as the house, all in line with your families considered peculiarities. Let someone else believe it has character. The 'etc' as used above implies it's all my book. Character is achieved by being open to what's possible and what's gone before. I believe that often too much money is wasted on either blandness or desperately trying to be different. As I say elsewhere if you're shy or feel inadequate about making the first mark and putting pencil to paper, use descriptions of desires and needs. Build up a file of images of likes and dislikes! It's all good fun really.

Greetings all, I am assuming that everyone who gets involved in renovation, extensions, self design, custom design and self builds wants to to build-in character and therefore add value. Estate agents, property journalists, design magazine editors often pepper their writings with descriptions such as 'oodles, bags, loads of character' etc. Mind you the description is oft applied to holiday cottages Cornish villages, Tuscan streets and squares. So it's maybe so overused that it's meaningless except as a polite substitute for old, rambling, near collapse (hang on that's me)! But I bet you won't say to your architect 'oh, while you're at it I don't want the development to have any character'. However, It does go hand in hand with the adding of value. you'll notice that the adverts, or more properly 'We are delighted to offer...' displays in Country Life, and the quality end of estate agent world, pepper their descriptions with charming, unique, stunning, exceptional and full of character descriptions. Interestingly in a recent copy of CL they were 'featuring' a modern country house (for modern read newly built, with a flat roof and seemingly office-style windows) which offered no such glowing descriptions...I wonder why. Still over a million quid though! My trusty Chambers dictionary describes character as 'the aggregate of peculiar qualities which constitutes personal individuality': it seems to me that peculiar in this context means specific to yourselves, not weird! Mind you, one person's weird can be another's delight (that word again)...sorry Ferdinand. I leave you to ponder this one.

Haha...well I hadn't thought about it being hijacked as a fashion statement...I guess it's more personal than I thought, or perhaps more abstruse, if that's the word I'm Searching for. I think it can be a straightforward word to describe a beautifully crafted item, say a casting, cleverly assembled fabrication, intricate draughtsmanship or drawing, a modest garden, etc etc...I occasionally visit preserved railway centres, and recall stumbling across an original hand-operated yard crane, designed by the Midland railway in Derby...Pitch pine posts with proportional entasis, and shaped castings...all very elegant for an everyday yard crane...at no point did the designer or team say, "oh that'll have to do", well of course cast iron castings were cheap as in Victorian times, and they probably made tens of thousands of them...a delight to behold. I liked your contributions all.

Mmm, I think they are all too sweet for me! Well, LGP, it does time and the result, for the curious, is delight. We should all explore examples from the memory at an early stage of brief making. Coincidentally one of the featured examples of 'delight' was a wonderful shop front in Turkey of Coloured glass vessels from carboys, lamps with focused lighting, jugs and bottles to candle holders, in many cases full of coloured liquids and sweets, and, err, candles. I think that carefully chosen colour combinations can make a huge impact. Maybe that's the obvious starting point in achieving delight, so maybe you don't have to try too hard...it comes naturally, for some. I recall visiting friends, for a summer BBQ, in the back yard of Victorian terraced houses, and stepping out the French windows into what can only be described as a Mediterranean space, with strongly painted concrete-walled, raised-bed planting areas...and lush bushes, and this all in a yard 25 feet x 15 feet. A multi coloured sheet was the stretched strategically across to act as a sun shade, all quite delightful...the finest use of such a space, instead of somewhere to display the bins!...nor were either of the couple trained artists or designers Detailing however is more of a practical issue. I don't know if you can over-work a detail: plainly you're aiming to explain to a joiner or builder what you're looking for, apart from the obvious, keeping the rain out and the heat in. Next blog aims to cover 'joinings' and details. Vital stuff. mmmmm.

Aye, undoubtedly a personal, subjective area of thought, and one you rarely hear in relation to houses unless you are visiting the landscaped gardens of some stately home or hall, yet it could equally be applied to many of the modest gardens, and associated houses in the National Garden Scheme, a very clever charity, mentioned in an earlier blog. The clue really is to do with the setting, relationship of the house to its surroundings and the 'repose'... a term used in several design books, Arthur Martin's the 'Small House and its surroundings', John Stephanidis in 'Atmosphere, Effect and Comfort' and of course mine. It is very much an Arts and Crafts tenet. Incidentally, the former editor of the Architectural Review contributed to a page every month entitled ' Delight'. Generally the subject matter was an intriguing piece of design with special attention to detailing, use of materials, or a special lighting quality...So all is not dead the the professional world! I consider that 'delight' should top every page of your scribbles notes and 'must-haves'. A noble ambition?

Oh, I do agree LGP. I don't talk much about actual garden design in that blog. I do think garden design has improved immeasurably in the last few decades, I guess moving far away from the formal and becoming influenced by sculptors and artists and of course Modernism. Indeed Geoffrey Jellicoe had a big hand in this. I love the idea of discoveries (what's behind the green door?). if your place is big enough. I have made mention in garden surveys of plotting events beyond the boundaries for surprise and viewing purposes. (vistas)...also consider the impact of false perspective...a traditional idea to give the impression of a larger space, a more impressive vists or from a different position, a shorter walk, (used to great effect on The Promenade in Cheltenham). Enric Miralles (he of the Scottish Parliament building) produced some wondrous abstract landscape designs. Importantly a garden design should be three dimensional because of change...stuff grows. Blog to follow. Thanks for your thoughts.

Covered in detail in an earlier blog, and in the book, but it is/was the mantra of a former colleague and tutor Par Gustaffson, a Swedish Landscape architect, who undoubtedly brought a logical approach to the design table. Essentially, to avoid confusion, mistakes and oversights, you should divide a garden or landscape overview into three separate themes. 1 A survey of the physical and factual site elements, including topography, planting, existing structures, weather across the seasons including extremes, neighbouring people, planting, buildings etc and the potential attack on your proposals and you and your family's senses and so...make your own list of issues (more in the book). 2 Once all the facts are documented, without comment and consideration, you can then explore the implications of slopes, weather extremes soil structure, noise, that pig farm, sun angles, exposure and so on. 3 You and everyone who wants to be involved can now make a start on using the information, along with your brief (needs, wants, must haves, desires etc) to propose possibilities, design ideas etc You'll be pleased you approached the whole project this way, as you just imagine, while chatting to a local in the pub who tells " course you realise much of the garden floods every few years" or "they were making noises about re-opening the old railway behind that place" and so on. Not that local observations should be discounted (add to survey section)...similarly a chat with a long-standing neighbour could well prove very informative. You should not assume your solicitor's search will always through up nasties! They're only human after all! Good luck.