So many new houses in the UK are designed to look old fashioned. I wonder if any of you have any examples of new MODERN HOUSES of architectural merit that you can post here. Places like Scandinavia, Japan and the USA have some architecturally excellent new HOUSES - I wonder if we do too?

not many that i've seen. i think that bland, generic homes and neighbourhoods have an incredibly negative effect on society. one day maybe planners might realise this.

There are interesting examples on the Grand Designs TV show, but these are almost never in the "affordable" bracket. I wouldn't blame the planners particularly for the generally lamentable standard of new housing design in Britain, more the lack of vision of most clients, be they the mass house builders or individuals. The great unwashed have no idea of the value of investing in design, with the result that the very poor remuneration paid to architects means they cannot afford to spend the time to design interesting and innovative housing. From the RIBA's own figures, the AVERAGE 40 year old architect in the UK is on about £30k p.a. which considering you can't even start your career till you are at least 25, is shit. It's why I've given up being an architect anyway. It's just not worth the effort and hassle.

So many new houses in the UK are designed to look old fashioned. I wonder if any of you have any examples of new MODERN HOUSES of architectural merit that you can post here. Places like Scandinavia, Japan and the USA have some architecturally excellent new HOUSES - I wonder if we do too?

Sorry I've no examples that i can post pictures of, But their are several magazines (in UK) that often feature MODERN Houses, these Magazines are targeted at "Self Builders";

Build It (july features a house in exeter, devon and a Sidney opera house inspired design being built in tichfield Hampshire, with copper clad shell roofs).

Homebuilding & Renovating.

Selfbuild & Design.

as Tark (post 3) said a few are featured on Grand Designs.

The definition of a modern house is very subjective. A lot of Uk houses are being re modeled with very modern interiors, but the external appearance is still fairly traditional , becase of obtaining planning permission and planners + locals liking thing to look as if they fit in.

A lot of houses are not on the road side so geting photos is not possible.

There is Diamond shaped house in Doncaster, that was featured on grand designs, but i did'nt have my camera when i saw it part built.

There is a Art deco house on the way into Harrogate from Leeds, but it is behind a Big wall.

A converted Old water Works that Looks art decco/modernist from the 20's Near Bolsover, Chesterfield. It was featured in the telegraph property section about 2 weeks ago. Looks Like a Newyork loft appartment Inside.

Probably the most famous Modern house is the Architect Ken Shuttleworths, Crescent house. It has been used in a lot of advert. Ken Shuttlworth designed the Swiss Re Building (the Gurkin).

The Architecture practice Future Systems Have done a couple of houses, one in Pembrookshire built into a hillside, and one in london, with a big sloping glass roof. they designed the space ship like press box at Lord cricket ground.

David wild designed , 42 & 44 Rochester place in London.

These are featured in Modern House and Modern House 2 published by Phaidon.

Some architects and developers are working on Modern designs for pre fabricated/Modular Houses to be built off site in factories. These can have any external finish so creating a wide range of external 'Looks'.

There are interesting examples on the Grand Designs TV show, but these are almost never in the "affordable" bracket. I wouldn't blame the planners particularly for the generally lamentable standard of new housing design in Britain, more the lack of vision of most clients, be they the mass house builders or individuals. The great unwashed have no idea of the value of investing in design, with the result that the very poor remuneration paid to architects means they cannot afford to spend the time to design interesting and innovative housing. From the RIBA's own figures, the AVERAGE 40 year old architect in the UK is on about £30k p.a. which considering you can't even start your career till you are at least 25, is shit. It's why I've given up being an architect anyway. It's just not worth the effort and hassle.


On this Programme on BBC2 i think, Some successful architects in The Netherlands were actually British that emigrated there because of the lack of work.
Its true though the client does hold some blame, its sort of like they don't choose an alternative because they're not aware that there is one.

This is a modernish one for sale in a small village just outside Shrewsbury for £499,995.

Tenure: Freehold

FEATURES
Roof top Covered Terrace
Under Floor Gas Central Heating
Open Plan Living
4 Double Bedroom
Play Room
Family Bathroom & Shower Room
Master Bedroom with en-suite
Roof Garden
Study
Garage

http://media.rightmove.co.uk/52k/51842/51842_SY51_IMG_10_0000.jpg

http://media.rightmove.co.uk/52k/51842/51842_SY51_IMG_04_0000.jpg

http://media.rightmove.co.uk/52k/51842/51842_SY51_IMG_05_0000.jpg

http://media.rightmove.co.uk/52k/51842/51842_SY51_IMG_09_0000.jpg


UK housebuilders are frighteningly conservative when it comes to designing houses, buildings with flats can be a bit more modern but most houses are mock-tudor or neo-georgian shitheaps.

There are nice modern houses around but they tend to be individually commissioned and built and tend to be expensive.

Blue House, Hackney
http://www.fashionarchitecturetaste.com/archives/GS_popup.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1356/623751832_18538be8d3.jpg
http://architecture.myninjaplease.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/fat_1.jpg

VXO House, Hampstead
http://www.archsearch.co.uk/shared/showLarge.html?id=13492&mime=image/jpg

Focus House, London
http://www.britishhomesawards.com/FileStore/content_management//265pr-exterior-street.jpg
http://www.britishhomesawards.com/FileStore/content_management//265pr-exterior-back.jpg

Redington Road, Hampstead
http://www.britishhomesawards.com/FileStore/content_management//mba-01-.jpg
http://www.britishhomesawards.com/FileStore/content_management//mba-15-a3.jpg

Haven Mews, Islington
http://www.designforhomes.org/hda/2005/complete/media/havemews_img3l.jpg
http://www.designforhomes.org/hda/2005/complete/media/havemews_img2l.jpg

Centaur Street, Lambeth
http://www.designforhomes.org/hda/archive/2003/schemes/centaur/media/cen2.jpg
http://www.designforhomes.org/hda/archive/2003/schemes/centaur/media/cen3.jpg

Ashton Old Road, New East Manchester

http://www.bowker-sadler.co.uk/images/Beswick03.JPG
http://www.bowker-sadler.co.uk/images/Beswick01.JPG
http://www.bowker-sadler.co.uk/images/Beswick02.JPG


Tutti Frutti, New Islington, New East Manchester

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/Pictures/468xAny/i/y/w/Tutti_Frutti_0114_ready.jpg

^^Still makes a change from the mock-tudor/neo-georgian crap that covers such huge swathes of the UK, but you do have a point.

http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/377.jpg
Cala Domus, Newhall, Harlow

http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/10358.jpg
Great Bow Yard, langport, Somerset

http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/7971.jpg
Gun Wharf, Plymouth

http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/1117.jpg
jaywick sands, essex

http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/1354.JPG
http://www.cabe.org.uk/AssetLibrary/1368.jpg
ABODE, Harlow, Essex

http://www.ecrannoir.fr/dossiers/aardman/rex2.jpg those harlow houses always make me think of this little fella

That house in Shrewsbury is just a banal pastiche of 1930s modernism, which was crap then and is inexcusable now.

It still makes a change from the mock-tudor/neo-georgian crap that covers such huge swathes of the UK, but yes, you do have a point.

Dear forum visitors!

I have looked all over for a suitable thread regarding modern private home developments and concepts for Southeast England. I hope this is the right place this is also my first post in a UK sub forum.


I have put together my own design sketch and rendered it accordingly by myself as well as put them into a document. As I am neither an architect nor in any engineering profession I am purely doing this as an amateur. I would like to ask you all for any feedback or comments regarding the aesthetics and visual appearance in general of this concept. Does this appeal to you? What aspects are good/bad or need improvement? Furthermore, as I live in continental Europe I am uncertain as to how difficult it is to create modern designs that appeal to the conservative attitudes that predominant in Southeast England and am particularly challenged by the local council's planning department. Crawley (the town in which this is located) is a newtown and created in the late 1950's with largely 1960s housing. In continental Europe modern designs are embraced, however I am not sure whether this is the case here. I would very much appreciate any input you may have.

The document is intended for architectural companies viewing in order to receive a quote on costs and feasibility.


Link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/86337743/House-Extensions-Proposal-Brown-Shiny


Regarding the concept:
The purpose is to add 24m² of additional internal floor space, which roughly equates to a 15% increase in the size of the house and therefore approximately a similar increase in value. Therefore this extension is really to be considered an investment. Furthermore a new entrance room is created which would actually be of practical value and an upstairs room for extra warmth would be an additional extra. The upstairs room would be particularity nice during the evening when westerly sun shines in and acts as a heat source. The smaller side surface is directly south facing and provides light and warmth during the day. The road is just over 20 meters away and two trees obscure the upstairs floor for privacy quite well. The downstairs entrance is however fairly visible but this does not matter much as it is simply an entrance hall.

I would be very pleased to hear any criticism of this concept and as I have only worked on this by myself so I really need some criticism :)

Thank you very much, please do express your opinion! :)

There is these houses in Burnley, replacing the rows and rows of old terraced houses
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6199/6073434930_1767293b0a.jpg

Dear forum visitors!

I have looked all over for a suitable thread regarding modern private home developments and concepts for Southeast England. I hope this is the right place this is also my first post in a UK sub forum.

I have put together my own design sketch and rendered it accordingly by myself as well as put them into a document. As I am neither an architect nor in any engineering profession I am purely doing this as an amateur. I would like to ask you all for any feedback or comments regarding the aesthetics and visual appearance in general of this concept. Does this appeal to you? What aspects are good/bad or need improvement? Furthermore, as I live in continental Europe I am uncertain as to how difficult it is to create modern designs that appeal to the conservative attitudes that predominant in Southeast England and am particularly challenged by the local council's planning department. Crawley (the town in which this is located) is a newtown and created in the late 1950's with largely 1960s housing. In continental Europe modern designs are embraced, however I am not sure whether this is the case here. I would very much appreciate any input you may have.

The document is intended for architectural companies viewing in order to receive a quote on costs and feasibility.

Link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/86337743/House-Extensions-Proposal-Brown-Shiny

Regarding the concept:
The purpose is to add 24m² of additional internal floor space, which roughly equates to a 15% increase in the size of the house and therefore approximately a similar increase in value. Therefore this extension is really to be considered an investment. Furthermore a new entrance room is created which would actually be of practical value and an upstairs room for extra warmth would be an additional extra. The upstairs room would be particularity nice during the evening when westerly sun shines in and acts as a heat source. The smaller side surface is directly south facing and provides light and warmth during the day. The road is just over 20 meters away and two trees obscure the upstairs floor for privacy quite well. The downstairs entrance is however fairly visible but this does not matter much as it is simply an entrance hall.

I would be very pleased to hear any criticism of this concept and as I have only worked on this by myself so I really need some criticism :)

Thank you very much, please do express your opinion! :)

I'm all for modernising our housing stock and houses such as this are ripe for such work. If you do add that glass box to the front I would seriously consider other work to the front elevation. I'd render the existing brickwork with a sheer white (insulating) render and swap the shingle tile cladding for some nice contemporary hardwood cladding. Then replace all the windows with more contemporary frames to match the glass box.

How much value you would add to the property is debatable, how much more is a house with one more bedroom worth? How much would the work cost? Would a much more modern look alienate more buyers thus reducing the possible asking price? Would there be other ways to spend the money, I.e building a single story rear extension to create a large open plan kitchen and living space with large bi fold glass doors onto the garden and velux roof lights? New windows and replacing the shingle tile cladding at the front could be all the modernisation it needs. A big glass box may be a step too far?

Lastly, unlike the rest of the world which sensibly prices homes on square metres, ours are priced on how many bedrooms, no matter if they're all tiny :nuts: so that room in the glass box needs to be usable as a bedroom to make financial sense to us ;)

Good render of the proposals by the way, Better than what I often see from 'professionals' !!!

Some nice ones there.

not many that i've seen. i think that bland, generic homes and neighbourhoods have an incredibly negative effect on society. one day maybe planners might realise this.

If you give too much power to the planners the UK would end up with those gigantic slums that you see in America , the so called projects, those bizarre buildings, or worse like here in Brazil.

It is boring to see generic homes but they are private owned and they are not slums. I consider them a huge blessing for your nation.

the problem with modern architectural styling (for houses) in the UK is in most cases, the architect copies a couple of ideas from a magazine, throws it together last minute, the planners and the client's QS (or bank manager) stick their oar into it, and the end result looks dated and unfashionable within 5 years.

and yet the majority of modern/contemporary houses done in europe or USA that were done a few decades ago, still look hip!

this is why british architects are better off sticking to what they know. that way it will blend in!

how many of the super-modern houses (in urban location) on Grand Designs actually show them in their surroundings. on their own they look great, but in a street of victorian or 1930's houses they look like a bit of a stoopid eyesore.

its a bit like kids on scooters/mopeds in Paris or Rome look uber-cool, but when you see one riding along in Bradford or Birmingham it just doesnt look very trendy at all.

The problem in the UK is that so called 'affordable' housing is terribly bland and boring and seems to create a negative impact on the psyche of people who live in them. It's only when you move to the bracket of 200'000+ that the styles/options of housing become more unique and different, usually from large private home-building companies. Personally I would like to escape the drabness of the red brick and to see homes use different materials and to brighten their appearance up a bit.