1970 - Modern Estate Housing
In the 1960s there was a fundamental re-evaluation of housing needs in a modem, affluent society. There were strong arguments in favour of more open living space, better heating, rationally laid-out kitchens with lavish fitted cupboards, generous provision of power points for the domestic appliances that people were increasingly able to afford. Housing that meets these criteria can now be found everywhere in Britain. Often it suggests the developers' assumptions about people's lifestyles. To get to work or to the shops, for instance, a car is essential in many households. Gardens are far smaller than with pre-war houses, not just because of high land prices but also because access to the countryside and leisure facilities is now easier. Outwardly, much domestic architecture of recent years has reverted to an approximation of traditional style. The cavity walls of this Regency-style home are of brick only on the outside, the inner shell being of breeze block (modern 'brick! in fact, is often just concrete coloured by pigments). The house has no chimney, because it has full central heating. It provides a high level of convenience and comfort, though visually it is pure pastiche. The designer has married the portico of a much grander 18th century house with a modem door, while hinged casement windows are used with little regard for symmetry. The small pieces of 'bottle glass' - thought to give a period feel — would have been discarded by glaziers of the past. No attempt has been made to integrate the garage with the overall design, while the cottage-style bow window is an equally unfortunate afterthought. The satellite dish is the final indignity.
