Alternative Housing

[Dan Kelly]

> Imagine being the "architect" who "designs" that kind of S***.

Unfortunately the majority of housing in this country is not designed by Architects.  Bovis, Wimpey etc. all work on the economy of scale and crap out the same design over and over and over.

These however were designed by Architects and won the housing design Awards in 2006.  

(You can get pictures on the site)

Link: http://www.designforhomes.org/hda/2006/complete/accordia.html" target="_blank">Housing Design Awards

[Peter Wolf]

  thanks for that reply as it needed to be pointed out that i was only focussing on the negative aspect. things have improved over the last few years as you are getting more and more well designed and thought out developments.There has however been and still is an awful lot of rubbish being built.I didnt like every

 building within that selection but saying that even those i didnt like have their good points and deserve the recognition they have received.

  Urban developments are consistently better than those that spring up in more rural areas or on edges of towns.


 If only all housebuilders would actually employ Architects to design the developments they are building instead of their own "in-house" "Architects".That is what a professional Architect is for or a good one anyway.I work mostly with old buildings but i like good modern architecture just as much when it is done well.

  I just have a problem with corporate plc housebuilders and i stand by everything i have said about them so far.

  A major housebuilder actually commisioned Wayne Hemmingway [ex-fashion designer turned architect] to design a scheme for urban housing that worked beautifully.I forget the details but it was well publicised anyway.

  We have [overrated]Frank Gehrys squashed tin can development on Hove seafront to look forward to imminently but the less said about that the better !.Its an accident waiting to happen !!.


 Thanks for your post as i think we see eye to eye.

[DavidXBrunt]

Thryllseeker, I suggest you read Great Expectations and take notes of the sections where Pip visits Wemmick at home. Wemmicks suburban castle sounds right up your street.

[mogzilla]

i have always been intrigued by the "hobbit-hole" type of house (all mod cons of course)
Especially in gale force winds when i see peoples tiles all over the street.

[Robin Low]

"Soulless identikit red brick that doesnt even try to be interesting."

While I'm more or less in agreement with regard to modern housing, I've a lot of time for the identikit red brick of the Victorian terrace.

Regards

Robin

[Peter Wolf]

 
  I have time for those as well and finally they are being appreciated although obviously that depends on the postcode !  But they are being re-evaluated in so called deprived areas such as Salford in Manchester and quite a lot have been redeveloped instead of being demolished.Saved by campaigning i think.

  Its when terraces are identikit that makes them work architecturally.

[ThryllSeekyr]

For those who were wondering... I'm in my mid thirties.

Why, do you I sound little childish.

Look, I just more safety, sercurity, privacy and something different. I also hate the idea of renting a flat, as I am then subject to the Real Estate agencies who all crooked in my eyes.

I had alot problems a few years ago with a renting a room in a block of flats in a small country town in New South Wales few years ago. I could tell somebody else who must have had access to the same unit must have been using when I wasn't around. Arriving back from work, on separate days, somebody had broke my set of hair clippers, broke the cooling element in my mini-fridge, ripped a curtain, slashed my couch down the middle with a knife and had also helped themselves to carton of Coca-Cola and milk on several occasions while I was staying there. I had similer sercurity problems while I was staying in a Caravan in Cronulla Sydney I few moths later also.

I made a complaint to the Real Estate Agency and the police but they couldn't help me. So I left before the lease had expired and the damn Real Estate Agency had expected me to fulfill my contract. Well I say stuff them.

Anyway, it was these problems and the problmes I'm having now that have lead me down this new path.

Housing to suit the individual that wants absolute control of their safety, privacy and security.

[Misanthrope]

I'm saving up for my penthouse suite in Charlton Heston block.

[ThryllSeekyr]

PaulvonScott said-

-Just get a nice flat/apartment.

Or a pyramid.-

I think the Pyramid should be brought back.


David30Brunt said-

-Thryllseeker, I suggest you read Great Expectations and take notes of the sections where Pip visits Wemmick at home. Wemmicks suburban castle sounds right up your street.-

Could you show me some diagrams.

Moqzilla said-

-i have always been intrigued by the "hobbit-hole" type of house (all mod cons of course)
Especially in gale force winds when i see peoples tiles all over the street.-


I agree with you there. I wouldn't mind living in one of those Hobbit homes, like the ones were dug-out for the 'Lord of the Rings' Film trilogy.

Protection from the wind but, really bad if it floods.

 

[Peter Wolf]

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  This is what i wouldnt mind living in.This house is in dungeness in Kent.It is built on shingle so it is a wooden house of cheap construction built on a concrete base.The whole of the outside is covered in black rubber sheeting that is glued to the plywood shell underneath.All the seams overlap so its watertight.It is virtually maintenance free.I just think it looks amazing really and it would be a fantastic retreat to go to.I would like to do the same myself there but i dont know what planning restrictions are like in Dungeness.The house itself would be very cheap to build as it is mostly timber and plywood.The sort of thing i could build over a week or two.

[TordelBack]

I suggest you read Great Expectations

This is always good advice.  Dickens kicks bottom.

[Peter Wolf]

Thought this might be of interest: Earthship Brighton.

Link: http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk/eb.html" target="_blank">http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk/eb.html

[judge dreddd]

log cabin :)