Forever Home in the Countryside

Escape to the Countryside and create a Forever Home! Many people are looking to escape city life and start a new one in the countryside. More space, light and views is a priority, as is a well-designed garden. But as with all adventures, there will be many unknowns and challenges. Forever homes are more eco-friendly […]

What is a Design Code for Self-Build Plots?

What is a design code for self-build plots?

What is a design code for self-build plots?   In a nutshell, a design code for self-build plots is a set of design guidelines. Gravenhill in Bicester, Oxfordshire, is a good example of a self-build site that has used a design code. See their design code here. These design guidelines contain information on: building heights […]

Pastiche Free Zone

Pastiche free zone - Mole Architects

Contemporary Vernacular Architecture should never be about ‘Pastiche’, here’s why… There is much stigma around the term, but what exactly does ‘Pastiche’ mean? To put it simply, pastiche in Architecture refers to the imitation of style or character of other buildings. The term is not negative however it often has negative connotations, with the belief […]

5 Designs that Challenge our British Perceptions of “Home”

Contemporary Vernacular Design - How British Housing can Rediscover its Soul

While researching abroad, Clare discovered that no matter what culture you live in, our needs from a home are quite similar. However British perceptions of home are known to be fairly conservative, especially in comparison with more contemporary living styles seen in Europe. Clare speaking about how the front garden can be the garden and […]

Aspirational Vernacular

People in Malie Island, Papua New Guinea

I recently completed a 6 month trip around the world looking at case studies that have used vernacular methods or technologies, incorporating them into sustainable housing design. This was partly instigated because of a fascination in the vernacular developed while at Oxford Brookes University and partly due to a huge frustration at the lack of […]