Tag Archives: design/architecture

Roofs Across Fields #2

The observations I’ve made so far about the Norfolk landscape and its built forms (my four archetypes) might be interesting to some of you in their own right, but what I’m really interested in is how they might inform how … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Roofs Across Fields #2

Roofs Across Fields

Hitherto I’ve described four rural archetypes that I identified when I showed some clients around Norfolk this summer: the nucleated and non-nucleated village, the wide-fronted house and the farmstead. I haven’t listed ‘roofs across fields’ as an archetype, but it … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Roofs Across Fields

Norfolk DNA #4 – The Farmstead

The last of the four ‘rural archetypes’ I identified for my recent guided-tour of Norfolk was the farmstead – or perhaps, more generally, a relatively dense rectilinear grouping of buildings; the wider definition allows this archetype to be represented also by … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Norfolk DNA #4 – The Farmstead

Norfolk’s DNA #3 – The Wide-Fronted House

The Stable Acre house also put me in mind of my third ‘rural archetype’ (see previous post) – the wide-fronted house. Stable Yard isn’t really an exemplar of the type, but it does display two of its main characteristics – it … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Norfolk’s DNA #3 – The Wide-Fronted House

Rural Simplicity?

A few pages on from my recent letter in Building Design (BD) was a piece on architect David Kohn’s recently completed project, Stable Acre in Norfolk. The long, low house incorporates the remains of a brick stable-block, but appears almost … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Rural Simplicity?

So What?

 What point was I trying to make with those last two rather nerdy posts about Horsham St Faith and Frettenham? What relevance do they have to the Community Right to Build?

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on So What?

Norfolk’s DNA #2 – The Non-Nucleated Village

The second recognizable type of village one might call non-nucleated, as they have a much less well-defined centre. These villages may have only been tiny hamlets in mediaeval times, but many may have come into existence much later, perhaps associated … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Norfolk’s DNA #2 – The Non-Nucleated Village

Norfolk’s DNA #1 – The Nucleated Village

Norfolk’s nucleated settlements – its picture postcard villages, if you will – have typically existed since mediaeval times, operating as markets, service-centres for Norman monasteries or castles, or capitalizing on passing trade at river-crossings. They have distinct and comparatively dense … Continue reading

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

Real Rural Vernacular – Norfolk’s DNA

In the previous post I described a house-builders’ vernacular which despite some superficial stylistic references to rural architecture has led to housing estates that are nothing like real villages. I was recently asked to lead a two-day tour of Norwich … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design, Norfolk DNA | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Real Rural Vernacular – Norfolk’s DNA

Villages on Steroids

All Community Right to Build projects will take place in the context of an existing village, and its promoters will no doubt want to add to their village in a sympathetic and sensitive manner. So what might a contemporary ‘village … Continue reading

Posted in Architecture/Design | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Villages on Steroids