rural housing design
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I am currently doing research for the Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture (MoDA) in London, on a touring exhibition called Bungalow Blitz: Another History of Irish Architecture. As you can tell from the title, the exhibition will explore the impact of Jack Fitzsimon’s book, Bungalow Bliss on the built environment of rural (particularly west coast) Ireland. I would like to speak to people who either live in one of these houses or have opinions about them. Please contact me for further details.
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I remember a booklet published by somebody like the Department of the Environment in the early 1980s about insertion of modern houses into the landscape
It had hints and tips about the cluster mentality of sheds, outhouses and house of the past and how to achieve that with massing in modern houses. It also had a collection of modern designs more suitable to the irish landscape than the haicenda bungalow type.
I cannot remember the title of the booklet or the author.
Perhaps you could search at http://www.paddi.net/
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“…the shock official revelation from the Department of the Environment that over 40pc of all new houses being built are now “one-off” first homes for urban young people with no agricultural connections. Planning experts and officials from all over the country attending the conference said yesterday they were shocked at the finding that 15,000 of the 50,000 new houses last year fell into this category and warned of serious repercussions of the “mansion mania and bungalow blitz” phenomenon….” The Irish Independent
from http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ti=41&ca=9&si=421611&issue_id=4374
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(Just visited the site. I look forward to visiting it more often. Seems really interesting.)
…That the officials were shocked at the statistics (15K of 50k etc.) must raise the question about what they were doing at ‘work’. How could the volume of planning applications go unnoticed thru’ their offices? I don’t understand the shock element.
What are Architects doing to promote and sell themselves to the Public?
How do the Irish general public compare with other Countries in the use of Architects for the design and planning of private residences? -
I am researching rural one-off housing design as part of my final year thesis and would appreciate any opinions or suggestions you may have in terms of what you regard as “good design”. I would also greatly appreciate any comments on the current rural design situation in Ireland.
Thanks for your help and cooperation on this matter. -
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I was watching questions and answers last night, and I was struck by one comment made by the Government minister.
The notion of the Irish landscape being divided by townland, parish, county and country. As compared to the idea of Spatial strategies, defining the landscape by City, town, village and hinterland. The old system of townlands and parishs, was mirrored in large institutions like the GAA and the religious organisations. The care for society in terms of health, education and social services was by the religious organisations. Now this modern planning strategy approach by local authorities etc, has been overlaid on top of this.
This was the transfer of power from clergy to state. In our grandfathers and grandmothers times, a lot of people never ventured beyond their own parishes. A lot of people had never been to Dublin, and their lives didn’t seem to suffer from that at all. Our grandfathers and grandmothers would not understand this idea of people all going to Dublin, Cork or Galway to live. And leaving behind their rural roots etc.
Yet it seems that many people in the cities too, are in fact now leaving their mothers and fathers in Kimmage, or Crumlin, or wherever. To go and live in the suburban sprawl of Kildare. Where National Schools cannot keep up to the pace of development and growth. With people living as far away as Carlow, and commuting to Dublin city each day. Perhaps we should be looking at some form of rapid transport, as opposed to something like LUAS?
On the other hand, you should consider how many working mothers there are living in rural Ireland these days, compare to 10 or 20 years ago. A lot of homes in rural Ireland having 2, 3 and 4 cars for the people living in those bungalows. And many National Schools down the country have less children actually coming to the National Schools, in large parishes, where a lot of new bungalows have been built very recently. Why? Because more young couples are choosing not to have families anymore, because work/career/earning and lifestyles are deemed more important.
How many people from rural Ireland went on sunshine holidays twenty years ago, compared to nowadays? Even though the price of flights has bottomed etc, etc. Still it would appear that many more people demand these ‘luxuries’. The day-at-the-beach is all but gone now.
Some useful discussion here perhaps
Try to avoid the gratuitous politician bashing here, but useful comments too
Brian O’ Hanlon.
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Clare county council has a document about appropriat building in the countryside
http://www.clare.ie/filerepository/382291.pdf
Wonder why they don’t enforce it!
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Tacky and all as they were, bungalows from the 60s-90s seem so much more cheerful, colourful and modest than this current wave of mansions. Everything now just seems so big, immodest, dark stone covered and dull. They all remind me of a cheap version of a dull provincial railway station on a wet day. Im glad i grew up in a bungalow with ridiculous spanish arches.
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I mean, a lot of single people use ‘the once of house’ in rural Ireland, as a way to own their own accomodation, even if they do not intend on having families for a while. Careers etc, etc. There doesn’t appear to be a suitable alternative often in the Irish towns and villages. Bertie’s Law/Equation Bungalow + Car = Affordable transport and accomodation.
Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation (CMHC) is the Government of Canada’s national housing agency, helping Canadians gain access to a wide choice of quality, affordable homes.
Housing options for women living alone in rural areas of Canada:
Some other issues covered there about Canada:
Housing needs of low-income people living in rural areas.
Housing needs of low income people living in rural areas: the implications for seniors.
Land Use Issues Impeding Affordable Housing With Mobile Homes
Sustainable Community Planning and Development: Participation Tools and Practices
Disinvestment and the Decline of Urban Neighborhoods
Regional Road Corridor Design Guidelines
Impact of Urban Form and Travel Accessibility on Private Vehicle Use
The Future of the Internet and the Housing Sector
The Integrated Community: A Study of Alternative Land Development Standards
Comprehensive Analysis of Self-Build Housing Experiences
I think that Kevin Lynch’s book site planning has a decent enough chapter about Housing too. I should make that your initial port of call though. Lynch’s chapter is a great introduction to a lot of the issues mentioned above. I hope this gets your mind focussed possibly on relevant issues etc, and the task you have undertaken. Good Luck!
Brian O’ Hanlon.
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If only these mansions were dull, dark and dreary – most are clad in day-glo red brick.
You turn a bend in the road and AHHHHHH!
Although – so many bungalows are rendered in standard grey plaster and never painted, never clad – never finished.
This is a major problem – so many of these houses are never completed as their builders are in charge of their own project, there are no finishing deadlines and so they are left.Drive along the road from Dundalk to Newry and the amount of houses that have never been finished from as long as 15 years ago…
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Thread here about concrete, durability and housing.
Brian O’ Hanlon.
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With regard to “Bungalow Bliss on the built environment of rural (particularly west coast) Ireland.” I think there is actually quite a difference between housing on the east and west coast (or ratrher the difference their environments should inspire in their design) . While in alot of cases extremely inappropriate, something about the style of older bungalows seem to suit the environment of the west coast more than in the east. If you travel around Achill island you’ll see all forms of one off houses from some quite odd early land commision house, earlier white washed cottages through to 70s bungalows to modern housing. Most have a style that seem somewhat native to the place through their colours, decoration, the layout and style of sheds and outhouses. A certain kind of seaside or mediteranian style seems to be the natural style for such areas. Then you come across the modern mansions, large and dark, displaying none of the local playfulness, but instead twee design, victorian street lamps, dark stone, wooden trimmings on the gutters more fitting to emmerdale than Achill.
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Housing design from America here, in New Urbanist communities.
http://www.prospectnewtown.com/TourProspect/Thumbnails.asp?Index=0
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Originally posted by Mob79
Tacky and all as they were, bungalows from the 60s-90s seem so much more cheerful, colourful and modest than this current wave of mansions. Everything now just seems so big, immodest, dark stone covered and dull. They all remind me of a cheap version of a dull provincial railway station on a wet day. Im glad i grew up in a bungalow with ridiculous spanish arches.Agreed. They are the lesser of two evils. This notion of no/low maintaince as also made a huge impact in these houses. uPVC windows, facis and sofit. Stone or “Stone” clad fronts and that no paint dashing stuff on the back and sides. They all look the same. Back in the good old days the ‘bliss houses were painted different colours, used REAL stone cladding or a combination of redbrick and painted render etc…
There was some sence of individuality to them, alas now they all look the same.Originally posted by Graham Hickey
If only these mansions were dull, dark and dreary – most are clad in day-glo red brick.You turn a bend in the road and AHHHHHH!
Although – so many bungalows are rendered in standard grey plaster and never painted, never clad – never finished.
This is a major problem – so many of these houses are never completed as their builders are in charge of their own project, there are no finishing deadlines and so they are left.Drive along the road from Dundalk to Newry and the amount of houses that have never been finished from as long as 15 years ago…
Its true and it makes them a huge eyesore. If they were painted and perhaps some basic landscaping (No bloody laylandi (sp?)) they would blend into the surroundings perhaps a little.
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The book MG is referring to may be ‘Building sensitively in Ireland’s Landscapes’ published by Bord Failte, an Taisce, Galway Co. Council and Philip Groghegan and Delphine Culligen of UCD. I have no info on the printers. It provides guidelines on good siting and sensitive design, with good and bad examples sketched on location in Connemara.
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It is interesting the Bord Failte put the foot down and insisted that they were consulted before anything is built in SEA areas.
It must be said that Kerry has yet again taken the biscuit for stupidity with the Councilors there overruling the planners in the granting of a Section four permission for 14 previously refused once off detatched houses predominently bungalows many in SEA zones. This was supported by all parties and indicates that the holding of political office is more important than ‘The proper and sustainable development’ of this once beautiful country.
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been off this site for a long time, but very interested to read what you’d to say about Achill – I grew up there in the 1970s and have never really shaken the interest in housing I got from looking at, living in and experiencing the types of houses you describe…when I started working on my Bungalow Blitz:Another History of irish Architecutre project back in 2001 I intended to focus on Achill…that was foiled by friends there being very unhappy about my highlighting the ‘bungalow’ side of the island (they had only recently been at the receiving end of the Toblerone jobes and were wary about impact on tourism). I used Kilcar and Glencolmcille in Donegal as an alternate case study. You can see some of the work on http://www.visual-culture.com (click on Bungalwo Blitz)
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The Irish Bungalow Book 1979
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