architecture urbanism environmental issues • in the Carn bridge city region
CAMBRIDGE ARCHITECTS' HOUSES
In celebration of this fiftieth issue of the Gazette we are devoting most of the space to recent new houses and conversions designed by architects for themselves, for their own use . .
The projects included are all by local practitioners and contributors to the Gazette but are not necessarily in the Cambridge area , a slight departure from our normal criteria for this special issue.
House design may be one of the most exacting tasks an architect has to undertake. It may often be less complex and sophisticated than other building types but it is inevitably more of a personal challenge and more difficu l t t o do well. In designing fo r others we can , and perhaps should, always subsume ou r own wishes to a degree but a ll designers have their own evolving agenda. This may only be fully revealed in what one does for oneself. There is also the most difficult challenge of working with your partner , husband or wife and the challenge of exactly what to do , what to build. So much is now published daily on all aspects of house design and on materials and fittings. Choice in all matters is vast and bewildering, even for architects.
So designers look for reasons for doing things in a certain way drawing on
a whole variety of influences. They build up a case based on a range of criteria and we probably have to understand what these are to fully understand and appreciate what has been built.
The projects included here are quite v aried in approach , partly through varied locations and inevitable differences in style between seven architects.
The Toft house is a skilful response to a rural setting. The three frontages of the house differ in character and scale achieving both privacy and enclosure and open views avoiding the suburban character of earlier neighbours.
A studio at the bottom of an Ely garden uses salvaged natural materials in an unorthodox way creating essentially a sophisticated garden shed. A home in Argyll has a site almost too good to build on; a formidable challenge for any architect. Both barn conversions at Kirtling and Grantchester appropriately restrained from the outside exploit the spatial qualities of the buildings internally. Much of an architect ' s skill in domestic work can be in transforming something totally ordinary into something more interesting, or in modernising and converting buildings in a way which reinforces their established character.
David Raven
STUDIO HOUSE TOFT
The village of Toft lies in the wide shallow valley of Bourne Brook, in the clay landscape west of Cambridge , and on the outer limits of the Green Belt. Studio House is at the edge of the village and its conservation area , on a greenfield plot created out of subdivision of the grounds of Manor Farm House The farmhouse is a listed building with a dovecote in the grounds which is a designated historic monument. The plot has an open frontage to the landscape to the north , and is set in bucolic surroundings of mature trees and hedges , largely screening it from neighbouring properties.
The house is partially double-storied under a monopitched roof Its L-shaped plan is in the court form tradition Although a detached property here , it is a building form amenable to grouping , with a distinct private and public presence reflected in the form of its architectural treatment. The zoning from public to semi •private and private spheres within the property is a principle of organisation employed in plan and section along the lines of h i erarchy of access identified by Habraken , and with particular reference to the specificit i es of live / work environments A design studio incorporated in the house is accessed directly from the entrance hall and is separable from the domestic activities.
St udio House is a self-design and build project for an arch itect and his wife 's own use Work commenced on si te in Ju ly 2002 and is now in occupat ion alth ou gh some 7 5%
c omplete - there is no completion date As Co.rbusier observed , designing houses requires patient and intense work : 'travail patient '. It is a fact that t oday architecture rarely touches the commonplace of housing design It is a cultural matter more than an economic inevitability ; indifference to creation and the thrall of imitation and familiar symbols are the constitut ive imperatives underpinning public taste. The distinguishing task facing architects is to rekindle the significance of an authentic aesthetic
Many architects aptly see the opportunity for designing their own homes as a promotional exercise Designing in one 's professional twilight years is a re laxing experience , u ntroubled by prevailing fashions and impressing othe rs , o ffering freedom to explore long-held design predilections One of these be in g an interest in the typology and lifestyle of post -family housing , to address a burgeoning demographic phenomenon relati vel y unprovi ded fo r by the hous ing market.
The sensiti v e co nte xtua l is su e w as a p r i m e factor affecting the des ign concept and th e hybrid of mod ern ist and traditional vernaculars deploy ed in its design wa s the result both of seek ing an accommo dat ion to th e imm ediate rural c onte x t and s i mu ltan e ously t e s t in g id e as of ' cr i tical regionalism ' with i n t h e wi der s etting of East Angli a Th e precedents of Ta y ler and G reen in Norfolk and Llewellyn Davies at Rushden in Suffolk anticipated Tzonis and Frampton 's theorisation of autochthonous regional character. At Toft the principal tools of regional character are building colouration , drawing on the work of Phi lippe and Dominique Lenclos ; and in the use of materials , notably the handmade products of the Cambridgeshire Ti le and Brick Company from the reopened Burwell quarries. The new techno logies of externally appl ied insulation and resin based render , although more mechanical in appearance, are redolent of the traditional colourwashed vernacular , whi lst they radically improve thermal efficiency and overcome the pitfalls of construction of pioneering modern architecture of the 20th century
Work in the practice of Powell and Moya on housing at Harlow New Town in the 1950s was the first persona l introduction to the court house plan. A number of architectural co lleagues have worked with this typolog ical fo rm in the Cambridge area, Clarke and Jordan at Stapleford , Jeremy Taylor at Comberton , and Ivor Richards in a series including his own house at Bar Hill. Collaborat ive wor k wi th Richards on (unbuilt) houses at Stowe Schoo l further i ntens ified this morphological interest. Further afield the Scandinavian influence particularly of Jorn Utzon ' s Fredensborg and Helsing0r terrace housing is seen as part icu larly si gn ificant to the idiomatic expression of this house type Studio House in Toft is a programmatic elaboration , a variant withi n th is same tradition of building form
Hybridicity is the style and des ign code for the whole building with its combination of masonry walls and lean-to roofs with timber framing The latter to allow greater versatility of window form on the southern and western sun-facing facades The configuration of the principal interior spaces - the L-shaped o pen plan li v ing and dining areas - fo ll ow the general form of the building Furniture and fitments define su baltern spaces within the open plan , a raised study area is
Interio r of living r oo m
one of these. All the roof voids are incorporated in the vol umetric shaping of interior spaces.
The twin bed r ooms on the upper floor have ribbon win dows offering panoramic views over the open landscape The projection of these rooms w ith their dependent roof , from the body of the bui lding , forms an entrance loggia , and prov ides an indication of the different balance of the architectural tr eatment of the garden court. A rooftop sun terrace prov ides more extensive views and exposure to evening sunshine by contrast with the enclosed nature of the garden below.
The fall across the site has instigated a raised parterre for outdoor living , leading to the lower garden level. This leve l change is the orig in of a system of half levels that elevates one through the house , ending at the roof terrace. Future landscaping and planting is essential to the fulfilment of the intention of creating a coordinated house and garden design.
A p lanning grid of 1.2m has been used as a genera l ordering device for its compatibility with domestic scale and coping with the intransigence of the reductive , decimal-based metric system. The building is all-electric with underfloor heating. T he energy strategy is passive design , using orientation and high levels of insulation to attain appropriate measures of energy performance. The nature of the clay sub soils and proximity of trees necessitated piling to1 Om in some cases.
Colen Lumley
ARTIST'S STUDIO
ELY
The studio is at the end of the garden to a small Victorian te rraced house. It provides space for an art studio , homeoffice , garden room plus guest room. The overall volume is within the constraints of permitted developmen t. Work began on this self-built project in the Autumn 2002 and took about 12 months. The
Much of the landscape surrounding the ' Isle of Ely ' is below sea level , with the dykes and straightened out rivers carving the landscape into an abstract Cartesian patchwork. It is the old agricultural sheds and barns , standing out against the flat horizon and vast sky , that have been the inspiration for this project. The adjoining allotments to the rear provide a useful connection between this agricultural context and the more urban setting of the site
The construction is a development of the Segal methoda simple , low-tech approach , for ease of construction and to enable the self-build input into the project. The whole building is supported off four timber frames made up of 50 x 200 \,: timbers with double bolted connections to resist racking. The - •;
frames sit on eight mini-piles that were hand augured with a
conventional 5 inch post augur. The elevations evolved as --+r+--
materials and components were sourced from the various local reclamation yards (w indows , doors, corrugated sheeting , floorboards etc. ) The front facade was designed entire ly around the bay window that was found as a second
An essentia l feature of the project is the adoption of an ecological and environmentally-friendly building , much of which has been quite experimental. Natural materials, recycled materials and seconds have been used as much as possible Chemicals have been avoided where possible. The foundations were designed to minimize the use of concrete. The aim generall y has been to minimize the environmental impact and create a healthy living and working environment.
Externally exposed timbers are all untreated larch. The timber frame walls and roof are filled with sheep's wool insulation , and rendered internally onto reed matting with earth render taken from the site. The timber studs are sheathed on the outside with a breathable board made from compressed wood fibres , and protected with a rain -screen of both corrugated steel sheets and larch weatherboarding fixed off a ventilation gap of vertical battens
Much consideration was given to the use of the steel sheeting. They were available as seconds from a reclamation yard and the ir appearance in the fens is common. In addition the material along the boundaries had to be non-combustible. For these reasons the steel was chosen to clad the roof an d long elevations and larch boarding for the short sides which are a sufficient distance away from the boundaries
The mix for the earth plaster was developed following various tests carried out on the subsoil found on site. Various mixes of earth and locally sourced sharp sand were tested Fresh grass clippings (taken from the playing field opposite the house ) were added to the base coat to reinforce the plaster nibs The earth and sharp sand were not sieved as a slightly rough and textured finish was preferred The surface was worked with a metal float and then rubbed slightly by hand to even out the finish. No lime , gypsum or cement was used in the mix at all The earth produces a warm , visually soft internal texture, provides useful thermal mass , and aids the breathability of the roof and wall fabric
The sheep ' s wool insulation was also an essential ingredient in the overall construction. Wool , being hygroscopic , can absorb up to 40% of its dry weight in moisture , generating heat in the process and thereb y improving its thermal efficiency
The wool therefore , through its cellular structure , can extract any possible moisture trapped within the thermal envelope and , as a consequence of the vapour-permeable construction , re-release it through the building fabric The wool and earth together act as a passive , natural means of moisture control which should mitigate the need for vapour barrie rs or timber treatment by regulating the moisture content of the timber to a level above where it would be susceptible to insect or fungal attack.
The greatest advantage of self-building is that design, construction and the response to the evolving form is part of a single act of making. The focus becomes the process of execution rather than the designed object. Within the structural arrangement, the building has been allowed to take shape in response to available materials , technologies , and immediate site constraints. In this respect the building is traditional and ve rnacular in spirit, and yet it has been assembled in such a way that it has a contemporary feel.
Rowan Haysom lain Frearson
Located on the Ardamurc han peninsula on the south facing l ower slopes of Ben Laga , the house overlooks Loch Sunart , on former meadow land above the Norse-named hamlet of Laga , east of Genborrodale. It is bounded on each s ide by SSSls , so designated because they have virgin atlantic oakwoods. The land was bought from the owner of Laga Farm with planning permission tor three small houses. We built one larger house with permission for a second retained.
A condition was that the house should be 1½ storeys , in the tradition of the Scottish cottages and farmhouses of the west coast , and that it should have a Ballachulish slate roof. These conditions have been adhered to (exce pt the slate is Spanish) out of respect to the picturesque Victorian estate buildings nearby. The plan is based on a traditional Scottish farmhouse, which itself derives from the Viking long house The other principal design generator was to achieve a south west facing sheltered terrace to take advantage of the views and the long summer sunsets
The house is timber framed with blockwork and white painted harling to the north side and lower walls and timber cladding elsewhere.
High levels of insulation have been incorporated in the structure We have electric underfloor heating with a heat recovery system , and the possibility of three log-burning fires or stoves. It is intended to add photovoltaic panels to the hillside at the back , and / or a wind generator.
Inside we have oak floors , pine joinery and glulam beams , and white walls and ceilings Kitchen cupboards are painted mdf , with small panels of oak , and a black granite worktop. In the end the only Scottish material incorporated was the slate for the floors to the kitchen and the entrance lobby , from Caithness. The work was carried out under a formal contract , by a very competent and agreeable firm of contractors from the mainland just south of Fort William
The site has now been planted with over 500 native trees on the old meadow land, all of appropriate provenance.
NEW HOUSE AT LAGA BAY, ARGYLL
Rosal ind Bird First
I ac quired t he Ba rn in October 2Q_02 b ut co u ld not sta rt wo rk unt il March 2003 because of hibe rn ating bats I moved in Se pt ember 2003 I believe this was a Granary bui lt in the 1830/ 40s with a steam engine on the outside to drive the threshing machine still in place at the end of the Living Room
The major part is the open-plan ' adult side ' with my office upstairs , while through the door at the end of the kitchen is my chi ldrens ' bailiwick
The garages are constructed wit h 'green oak '.
Key features t o the house a re :
• Co llection of rainwater for fl ushing to ilets and doing laundry - the sto rage tan ks a re outside at the east end
• Under-floor heating with the OSMA poc keted insulation system
• Use of 'Actis ' quilt insulations imple to install, and equ ivalen t to 8" of conventional miner al wool
• Use of Br itish 'Solartwin ' collecto r to preheat hot water , the pump is powered by a PV cell so on ly pumps w hen the sun shines
• The free-standing cent ral fireplace
- French via Ivett & Reed
Constructionally , the following may be of int e res t:
• Use of man-made 'I-joists ' to clear span the width of the Barn
• The two he lical stai rs fabr icated in the US A and shipped over
• Slate floor tiles from South Africa
• Do uble glazed doors and win dows from Finl and
• Lig ht fitt ings a re It al ian , som e desi gn e d by Re nzo Pia no Vene t ian b li nd s w ith curve d heads
An Open Studio was held ov er the weekend of 17/ 18 July Micha e l W alton
OAK FARM BARN, KIRTLING
THE OLD DAIRY, MANOR FARM, MILL WAY, GRANTCHESTER
Architect Richard Brimblecombe
A c lean low-key con version essentially working wit h th e e xisting building forms and with the ca reful placemen t of new windows preserving the ma ss and feel of its previous uses The interior photogra phs sugg est th at the intrinsi c spatial quality and chara cte r of the build ing has been exploited creating more lofty and interesting rooms than would probably be achievable with newbuild The use of mellow materials and colours un ifies the con v ersion and gives th e scheme an eas y coherence.
BARNFIELD , WICKEN BONHUNT SAFFRON WALDE N
I moved into this house five years ago. The exercise was a downsizing We purchased a small 1950 ' s concrete pre-fabricated bungalow I had the option to pull it down or to extend and update it. As there were no structural d ifficulties I decided to update and extend On the east side we built a new wing to house the living room , the original room becoming a dining room linked wi t h t hi s At t he south west corner we bu ilt a ut ility ro om off the existing kitchen and made an annexe beyond this with bedsitting room and shower.
Kenneth Mark
'DESIGNING BETTER BUILDINGS'
QUALITY AND VALUE IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT
A review by its editor
' De s igning Better Build i ngs ' i s a b ook prod uc ed in response to the changing climate in whi c h architecture is practised , the los s of public sector architects ' offices and the ethos of public service , pressure on design fees and fee-cutting , new methods of procurement and project management and the criticisms levelled by Latham and Egan at ineff ic ient building processes On top of this society no longer feels any sense of deference to the j udgement of professi o nals , and respect has t o be inc reasi ngly earned through dem onstrable ex perti se.
The se changes dem and that we id entify mo re clearly where the value li es in ou r co nt ri buti on and , in th e words of th e man age ment gu rus , our unique selling p oin t. Why is it that clients use arc hite ct s, wh at is it that we offer that others cannot ? I am cl ear about this - it's des ign It is our ab il ity to use ingenuity to solve problems in eff icient and effe ctive ways that could not be entirely foreseen It is the ability to visualise and explore alternative possibilities that satisfy requirements to greater o r les se r degrees , that clar ify and illuminate the relationship be tw een objectives and make it possible to set informed priorities and, at best exceed expectations It is the use of skilled judgement to determine the optimum balance between a wide range of attributes concerned with appearance , functionality , performance , robustness , ergonomics , etc We also need to have detailed knowledge and understanding of how our buildings benefit users and others who come into contact with them
This is what Designing Better Buildings is about. Its aim is to contribute to knowledge about the benefits of good design , and help bui ld an evidence base and a vocabulary by which we can promote design as our unique selling point. The benefits of good design are becoming increasingly recognised , not least by CABE Buildings have the potential to raise the morale of building occupants , improve their health , motivation and productivity , make recruitment and staff retention easier, and reduce absenteeism Then there are sector-specific benefits , like higher education attainment and reduced truancy in schools , lower risk of cross-infection and quicker patient recovery in hospitals , higher footfall and increased turnover in the retail sector. At the urban level , the benefits might include greater civic pride , reduced vandalism and crime , and increased inward investment leading to urban regenerat ion.
One chapter is a re -print of the 1998 paper from the Royal Academy of Engineering that originally introduced the now much-quoted ratio of 1:5:200 between the cost of the building: the cost of the maintenance and building operating costs Design costs in this simple scenario might be 0.1 , implying a ratio of 2000:1 between business operating costs and design costs If we can improve the productivity of a busine ss by , say , 5% then the benefits far , far outweigh the design fee.
Des i gn has the potential t o deliver tangible and in tangible benefits to a broad range of stakeh o lderscl ien t s, visitors , pat ients , teachers , students , workers and citizens If it is to do so society needs to invest in the des ign process Des ign ing Better Bu ildings is int ended to op e n u p a d eb a t e It s 18 chap ter s are wr itten by pro minent clien ts , practit ioners , an d academ ic s w ho are at the leading edge of t he cu rr ent , la rg ely gove rnment-led init iatives to raise th e quality of th e built environment and impr ove value fo r mo ne y It includes case stu dies of offices a nd schools , and three chapters on the Construc t i o n Industry Council ' s recently introduced Desi gn Q uali t y Indicators David A damson Director of Estat es Manage ment and Building Services in a revi ew fo r the July issue of Building Research and Information say s : "As a c li ent , I wo uld like future des ig ners to have read and t ho ught about this book The Construction Clients Group should advise all clients to enclose a copy in interv iew materia l for designer-selection boards "
Sebastian Macmillan
HO USE IN TO U RAI N E
Our French house is in the southern Touraine , a ferti le agricultural area within the vastness of central France The house is the equivalent of a UK long house We acquired the first part in 1991 which had been used as a cave with hay loft above. We completed this about 8 years ago Then in 2001 we acquired the main part which had been the farmer ' s accommodation with grain store above. This had been modernised to a degree by the previous owner but we have had to renew some floors and underpin and we are slowly re-working the accommodation to provide new kitchen and bathrooms , more built-in storage space and a pergola and decking along the main frontage. Our approach has essentially been to build on what is there , working with the materials and features we have and seeking to preserve a French feel and style. The whole house should be finished as far as it ever will be during 2005. The house is planned for f lexibility so it can be used as one when required or be divided , according to future requirements
David Raven
Cross section
C athe rine the Great
Dr Catherine Cooke (1942
- 2004)
The untimely death of the well known architect, scholar and teacher, Dr Catherine Cooke, brought immense sadness to her many friends and colleagues throughout the world.
Dennis Sharp, Co-chair DOCOMOMO-UK and a friend for many years writes:
Catherine Cooke was tragically killed in a traffic accident in Cambridge in 2004. Her death put an end to the career of one of world 's leading experts on Soviet socialist urban planning and avant-garde Constructivist architecture But she had many arrows in her bow
Catherine led an immensely busy life working from her home in one of the side streets of her beloved Cambridge. From there she managed to combine her work as a Lecturer in Design in the Faculty of Technology at the Open University with that of an international peripatetic teacher, writer , editor and examiner, and personal tutor to generations of students.
She had immense reserves of energy which , combined with her accumulated knowledge, expertise and outgoing personality made her friends everywhere she went. A friend said at an exhibition in London of part of her unique collection of Soviet and Russian memorabilia "she brightened every room she entered". Catherine had a formidable presence. She could be friendly , feisty , effusive , informative and profound in equal measure. She was immensely generous with her time, money and ideas both towards her colleagues and her students.
At the time of her death she was at the height of a research and writing career that began nearly thirty years ago. In 1975 she left Cambridge University having gained a Ph D for a thesis on The Town of Socialism: the origins and development of Soviet Town Planning. She had become confidently fluent in Russian.
Earlier she had studied architecture at Cambridge (1961-7) before commencing work as an architect and gaining experience in offices in Finland and with Casson Conder and Partners in London. But it was her doctorate that was to provide th e springboard for the growth of her interest in all as pects of Soviet architecture and town planning. Her external exami ner w as Anatole Kopp, the Paris-based architect and sc holar, who gave her great support in the ea rly years of her work. Her interest s in the Soviet Union included art and design as we ll as t he the at re, furniture and graphic design of the Constructiv ist s.
In the 1980s when many Modernist Soviet bu il ding sparticularly in Moscow - were thr eatened wi t h d emoli t io n she began to record and list them drawi ng attentio n of her co ll ea gu es to their state of disrepair. T his passion I th ink led to he r j oining DOCOMOMO, for which she served o n t h e I n te rn a t ional Education Com mi ttee and for a tim e was th e live ly and hard working Chair of DOCOMOMO- UK
The daug hter of an army Ge nera l, - who aft er reti re ment
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was in charge of 'The Royal Yacht Squadron ' - Catherine shared her father 's passion for sailing. It was reflected in many aspects of her life and many of us who were privileged to visit her house were convinced that she had designed it (or' them ' as it was really two connected cottages) like a boat with a minimal sleeping space. The rest was laid out as her unique archival working library, art collection and private gallery. Or perhaps this was her English version of a Dacha?
After receiving her doctorate Catherine had been reluctant to go back to architectural practice, she began work as an editor engaged in a raft of publishing projects She became an editorial consultant for Academy Books and their Architectural Design magazine a post that gave her the freedom to publish lavishly illustrated book about Russian artists and architects , including the English version of lakov C hernikhov' s (1881-1963) works and her definitive Russian Avant- garde: T heories of Art, Architecture and the City of 1995.
When I was editing the AA Quarterly we worked together on a special issue in 1979 on Russian and Soviet architecture for which she brought in a formidable array of distinguished scholars including Oleg Schvidkovskii, Frederick Starr and Evenii a Kirichenko as well her own students as contributors It was assembled with her remarkable efficiency and was a joy to do. Later we produced The Modern Movement in Architecture (Rotterdam 2000) , a survey of MOMO buildings in 32 countries based on the selections of local and national DOCOMOMO groups.
In 2002 Catherine resigned from her position as Chair of DOCOMOMO-UK in order to concentrate again on her academic work and to pursue her newer interests in the Russ ia after Perestroika. This included the new kinds of planning that were introduced into the post-Socialist market place. Her recent audits of the Russian scene after Socialist planning led to a series of lect ures in London recently the last of which was presented at the Architectural Association in London a week before she died Her interests took her back many times to the Soviet Union and more rece ntly to countries wi thin the Russian Federation. H er mai n goal was simple: to help the Russian people to acknowle d ge the eno rmous co nt rib ution their architects and arc hit ec t ural theo rists an d teac hers had made to their own cu ltural life and the built enviro nm ent. She spread this message abr oad and cont rib ut ed m uch to a country that has seen and ex perien ce d the most fu ndamental changes in her own lifetime. He r u ntim ely dea t h is mourned there and by her numerous fr iends and colleagues in coun t ries throughout the world. She had no extant fami ly and her arch iv e wi ll go to the University of Cam b ridge Li brary.
Dennis Sharp
A M emo rial E ven t is be ing orga nised a t the Architectural Associa tion, 36 Bedfo rd Squa re, London, WCI on Saturday 3rd Oc to b er 2004 fro m 2p m. A ll a re we lc om e.
T he first issue of Cambridge Architecture (top) came out in the Summer of 1987 and consisted of 2 sides of an A4 sheet. It was run off in Ian Steen ' s office in Grantchester Issue 25 focussed on the highly successful workshop ' Gateway to Cambridge' held in May 1993
CA gazette list of current sponso rs Archangel Ltd
CMC Architects
Freeland Rees Roberts Architects
Katie Thornburrow Architects
The Kenneth Mark Practice
Lumley/ A rchitects
Michael Walton Chartered Architect
Saunders Boston Limited
Patrick Ward Chartered A rchitect
A review produced by the Cambridge Association of Architects. T he views in this gazette are those of the individual contributors and not of the Association. Copy deadline for CAg 51 is 30 November 2004. Editors welcome reader's contrubutions but reserve the right to edit according to space available ISSN 1361-3375
Ed itorial Bo ard:
David Raven co-editor
Colen Lumley co-editor
Jeremy Lander co-editor
Katie Thornburrow
John Preston
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