MattW Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 Can new build architecture get any more bland than this block of flats? Ground floor flat £140k 1st floor flat £140k Come on Architects. Put a bit more effort into the design. I personally like 'floor to ceiling' windows/patio doors. These would improve both flats imo (well...maybe not full sized doors for the first floor flat). Still...looks like the developer will do nicely from the former garden of the building on the left (according to Streetview). Also, I like how the bathroom opens right onto the living room in both flats. Lovely. Thank heavens they at least have windows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrtickle Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 I hate the "kitchen inside the lounge" layout. Make it a separate ***king room for christ's sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, MattW said: Can new build architecture get any more bland than this block of flats? Ground floor flat £140k 1st floor flat £140k Come on Architects. Put a bit more effort into the design. I personally like 'floor to ceiling' windows/patio doors. These would improve both flats imo (well...maybe not full sized doors for the first floor flat). Still...looks like the developer will do nicely from the former garden of the building on the left (according to Streetview). Also, I like how the bathroom opens right onto the living room in both flats. Lovely. Thank heavens they at least have windows. My highlight. They just can't help themselves going along with Brutalism in the housing market. Even the Soviet architects of old would laugh at the designs. Edited May 20, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted May 20, 2017 Share Posted May 20, 2017 1 hour ago, mrtickle said: I hate the "kitchen inside the lounge" layout. Make it a separate ***king room for christ's sake. That would require two rooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyman1974 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 17 hours ago, MattW said: Can new build architecture get any more bland than this block of flats? Ground floor flat £140k 1st floor flat £140k Come on Architects. Put a bit more effort into the design. I personally like 'floor to ceiling' windows/patio doors. These would improve both flats imo (well...maybe not full sized doors for the first floor flat). Still...looks like the developer will do nicely from the former garden of the building on the left (according to Streetview). Also, I like how the bathroom opens right onto the living room in both flats. Lovely. Thank heavens they at least have windows. Oh jesus, that is bad. Engineering brick, no space between window and soffit (presume to save on lintel costs). Ps this is not a nod towards brutalism (as another poster suggested) which genuinely has great integrity - even if its not your cup of tea (it is mine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 45 minutes ago, monkeyman1974 said: Ps this is not a nod towards brutalism (as another poster suggested) which genuinely has great integrity - even if its not your cup of tea (it is mine) I agree, this block isn't brutalism. There doesn't appear to be enough concrete visible for starters. I quite like brutalist architecture too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ah-so Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Great find. I don't think I have ever seen anything as bland and lacking in imagination in my life. Could anyone really want to make a home there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 (edited) . Edited May 21, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 4 hours ago, MattW said: I agree, this block isn't brutalism. There doesn't appear to be enough concrete visible for starters. I quite like brutalist architecture too. 5 hours ago, monkeyman1974 said: Oh jesus, that is bad. Engineering brick, no space between window and soffit (presume to save on lintel costs). Ps this is not a nod towards brutalism (as another poster suggested) which genuinely has great integrity - even if its not your cup of tea (it is mine) I wasn't reflecting on the good or bad aspects of the old Brutalism (some of which was better than others - some very good and some awful) and nearly used the term New Brutalism in order to differentiate but the overwhelming thing about the "home" was the sheer brutality of the exterior's appearance - to go along with the brutal house price policies etc. That and its similarity to the architecture reminiscent of the Soviet era's housing. Housing Minister Barwell of the Conservative party would likely call it innovative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
65243 Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 1 hour ago, billybong said: I wasn't reflecting on the good or bad aspects of the old Brutalism (some of which was better than others - some very good and some awful) and nearly used the term New Brutalism in order to differentiate but the overwhelming thing about the "home" was the sheer brutality of the exterior's appearance - to go along with the brutal house price policies etc. That and its similarity to the architecture reminiscent of the Soviet era's housing. Housing Minister Barwell of the Conservative party would likely call it innovative. Brutalism doesn't mean what you think it means. It's about raw exposed concrete. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 (edited) 11 minutes ago, 65243 said: Brutalism doesn't mean what you think it means. It's about raw exposed concrete. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brutalist_architecture You're wrongly assuming you know what I think it means and you're attaching and attributing too much to my use of the word in a quick forum post. It wasn't intended to be a researched architectural critique. The word brutal doesn't necessarily have to have Le Corbusier associations when used in describing the image of a house such as the one in question. Even in that wikipedia link it accepts that the word also became associated with a style rather than just the one material and that it could even include brickwork Edited May 21, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeePee Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 On 5/20/2017 at 1:21 PM, MattW said: Can new build architecture get any more bland than this block of flats? Ground floor flat £140k 1st floor flat £140k Come on Architects. Put a bit more effort into the design. I personally like 'floor to ceiling' windows/patio doors. These would improve both flats imo (well...maybe not full sized doors for the first floor flat). Still...looks like the developer will do nicely from the former garden of the building on the left (according to Streetview). Also, I like how the bathroom opens right onto the living room in both flats. Lovely. Thank heavens they at least have windows. Great find! As an Architect I'd certainly hope it wasn't any of us that drew it! My experiencing of working indirectly (others in the office) with large house builders leads me to think that there is not a lot we can do about it. Our ideas are squashed/crushed and any implementation of key proportions and details that lift quality and appearance is typically questioned against cost. As noted above - a couple of courses above a window opening, across 100 houses - that saving will feed into someone's bonus pot. Working with more independent developers you do experience more concern towards how they value their buildings and the product they are selling. I'm not sure what the answer is, local authority involvement seems higher than ever yet buildings that we see above are permissible. It's another side affect of dwellings being seen as pure profit machines. The population also seem to be very complacent in what is acceptable in terms of housing stock too. As in, it is what it is. Yet cars, interior fittings are judged entirely different. B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted May 22, 2017 Author Share Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) 38 minutes ago, Bronson said: Great find! As an Architect I'd certainly hope it wasn't any of us that drew it! Thanks for your post Bronson. Looking back, I would love to have become an Architect. I left college just as those 'property porn' TV programmes became popular. Seeing what passes for new build design these days I'm sure I could do much better. But as you say, some of the good ideas get watered down on grounds of profit maximisation. Further to my original post I would have designed the block so that both flats had their own outside doors with letter boxes. I think more area space could have achieved for the ground floor flat this way perhaps. My dad is a retired Bricklayer. I'm sure he would have something to say about the lack of lintels or courses above the windows if he saw these RM adverts. Edited May 22, 2017 by MattW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 About average for the last hundred years' of building I'd say, i.e. utterly godawful in its sheer blandness. It's cheap and efficient building though so I'm surprised HPC isn't falling all over it and calling for more everywhere because isn't the modern world great? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) 1 hour ago, Bronson said: Great find! As an Architect I'd certainly hope it wasn't any of us that drew it! My experiencing of working indirectly (others in the office) with large house builders leads me to think that there is not a lot we can do about it. Our ideas are squashed/crushed and any implementation of key proportions and details that lift quality and appearance is typically questioned against cost. As noted above - a couple of courses above a window opening, across 100 houses - that saving will feed into someone's bonus pot. Working with more independent developers you do experience more concern towards how they value their buildings and the product they are selling. I'm not sure what the answer is, local authority involvement seems higher than ever yet buildings that we see above are permissible. It's another side affect of dwellings being seen as pure profit machines. The population also seem to be very complacent in what is acceptable in terms of housing stock too. As in, it is what it is. Yet cars, interior fittings are judged entirely different. B My highlight. I think part of that problem is that these days the population doesn't have many good modern examples to compare with. The new builds these days are pretty much all plain boxes maybe with different coloured brickwork. So the population just accepts as they have no choice in the matter and I guess in the main they're happy that they're not visibly worse off than the people in the new boxes in the next door development. In the 1980s there was a drive to improve new house appearance and for a while it had some success (I believe planning authorities had a guiding role to play where it was a success) but that seems to have well reverted now. Mind you by any measure the example posted earlier in this thread is exceptional. Edited May 22, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 45 minutes ago, billybong said: I think part of that problem is that these days the population doesn't have many good modern examples to compare with. The new builds these days are pretty much all plain boxes maybe with different coloured brickwork. So the population just accepts as they have no choice in the matter and I guess in the main they're happy that they're not visibly worse off than the people in the new boxes in the next door development. In the 1980s there was a drive to improve new house appearance and for a while it had some success (I believe planning authorities had a guiding role to play where it was a success) but that seems to have well reverted now. There are still plenty of older houses around, so you're not forced to buy this stuff. I'm probably projecting my own views on others with this but are people in such places really that happy with them, or is it a case of ignorance is bliss, or at any rate regarding mediocrity as the norm so much that anything actually decent is viewed as a different, unrelatable world? Try to do something about it and you'll have people screaming about stifling much-needed development. Maybe I'm just as guilty of that with my instant disregard, not to say disgust at, anything modern - as you point out there's a lack of good modern examples to compare with. Even the best generally seem overly machine produced, boxes that are spat out, all neat and tidy, and will never seem to be a part of where they're put but an intrusion. IMO that goes back for a century. Quote Mind you by any measure the example posted earlier in this thread is exceptional But is it? It's the bottom end of normal, sure, but all it's really lacking are the half-arsed token efforts that get slung at most other new houses. Some turds stink a lot more than others but they're all turds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Riedquat said: There are still plenty of older houses around, so you're not forced to buy this stuff. I'm probably projecting my own views on others with this but are people in such places really that happy with them, or is it a case of ignorance is bliss, or at any rate regarding mediocrity as the norm so much that anything actually decent is viewed as a different, unrelatable world? Try to do something about it and you'll have people screaming about stifling much-needed development. Maybe I'm just as guilty of that with my instant disregard, not to say disgust at, anything modern - as you point out there's a lack of good modern examples to compare with. Even the best generally seem overly machine produced, boxes that are spat out, all neat and tidy, and will never seem to be a part of where they're put but an intrusion. IMO that goes back for a century. But is it? It's the bottom end of normal, sure, but all it's really lacking are the half-arsed token efforts that get slung at most other new houses. Some turds stink a lot more than others but they're all turds. Just to say I wasn't claiming that they were happy with the boxy houses - just that if buying one they were likely happy that they weren't visibly worse off than those in the nearby almost identical boxy development. Indeed the example didn't even include the lip sticking of stuff like a flimsy porch. Quote This property would make an ideal first purchase and being located within close proximity to the airport For sure you would want to escape at every opportunity. Edited May 22, 2017 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayward Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 On 20/05/2017 at 2:31 PM, mrtickle said: I hate the "kitchen inside the lounge" layout. Make it a separate ***king room for christ's sake. great when the washing machine is making a racket...my fridge is bad enough...buzzes like hell. Point is they don't give a sh1t...same with the aesthetics of the design...it looks like it was designed by a child but who cares...someone BTLer will buy it with exploitation and easy riches in mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted September 8, 2017 Author Share Posted September 8, 2017 Bump! Despite a meagre reduction on the asking prices from £140k to £136k, they are now up for rent! Well 'they aren't going to give them away'! On for £650 a month each: 1st floor flat Ground floor flat Not a single storage in cupboard in either of them. Perhaps that's partly what's putting potential buyers off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorn Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 That is one ugly ugly place to live. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeyondAJoke Posted September 8, 2017 Share Posted September 8, 2017 Imagine being an architect, training for 7 years in your field, and that's what you have to show for it. The only thing more disappointing would actually be living there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saving For a Space Ship Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 On 20/05/2017 at 1:21 PM, MattW said: Can new build architecture get any more bland than this block of flats? Ground floor flat £140k 1st floor flat £140k Come on Architects. Put a bit more effort into the design. I personally like 'floor to ceiling' windows/patio doors. These would improve both flats imo (well...maybe not full sized doors for the first floor flat). Still...looks like the developer will do nicely from the former garden of the building on the left (according to Streetview). Also, I like how the bathroom opens right onto the living room in both flats. Lovely. Thank heavens they at least have windows. Hellesdon Hells Den Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpeggio Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 Wonder how much the owner bought for originally. Can anyone find out? would be interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattW Posted September 9, 2017 Author Share Posted September 9, 2017 1 hour ago, Saving For a Space Ship said: Hellesdon Hells Den My sister lives in that suburb. I did ask her if it was Hell living in Hellesdon! 50 minutes ago, Arpeggio said: Wonder how much the owner bought for originally. Can anyone find out? would be interesting. Seems like these new build aren't that new after all: Harlington Ave sold prices (NR6) 1a and 1b sold for £122,500 in Sept 2014. I think the land belonged to some shops with the address as Reepham Road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted September 9, 2017 Share Posted September 9, 2017 11 hours ago, BeyondAJoke said: Imagine being an architect, training for 7 years in your field, and that's what you have to show for it. The only thing more disappointing would actually be living there. It's either design utterly dull rubbish like this or go on someone twisted nightmare of over-imagination that seems to confuse weird and contorted with good. On the latter someone at work once told me his daughter was training to be an architect and had some of her designs failed because she took into consideration whether or not it was actually possible to build them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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