Monthly Archives: October 2010

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

Posted on October 28, 2010 by Matt Wood

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 →

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Rural Simplicity?

Posted on October 26, 2010 by Matt Wood

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 →

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Home on the Farm: Concreting the Countryside?

Posted on October 22, 2010 by Matt Wood

The ‘Home on the Farm’ initiative, mentioned in my last post, is a proposal to allow farmers to convert redundant buildings on their property into dwellings. In their coverage of the subject, news website ‘This is Somerset’ says the Campaign for … Continue reading →

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Affordable Housing Budgets Slashed by 60%

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Matt Wood

In presenting the Comprehensive Spending Review, George Osborne today confirmed early reports of a massive cut in the funding of affordable homes. Over the next four years capital investment will drop to £1.1bn per annum, compared to £2.8bn a year … Continue reading →

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So What?

Posted on October 19, 2010 by Matt Wood

 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?

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

Posted on October 18, 2010 by Matt Wood

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 →

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Thanks Building Design Magazine!

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Matt Wood

…for running my letter in this week’s edition. If you’ve come here from BD, welcome. Let me know if you found anything on the site interesting, and do keep an eye on me here – there’s plenty more to come.

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Norfolk’s DNA #1 – The Nucleated Village

Posted on October 13, 2010 by Matt Wood

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 →

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Loddon, not London

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Matt Wood

On a day like today it’s nice to be in Loddon, rather than London.

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Sounds Sensible…

Posted on October 11, 2010 by Matt Wood

The Community Land Trust website reports on the announcement that the threshold of support for Community Right to Build projects will be lowered from 90% to 75%. They also note…

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