It’s one of my favourite architectural TV times of the year- the RIBA House of the Year. I love it for bringing Architecture to mainstream TV and into everyday discussion. There have been three of the four episodes aired on channel four, presented by the patronising but passionate Kevin MacLeod. You can catch it on their website if you missed it along with episodes from previous years. I find it inspiring and frustrating viewing. Many of the buildings are introduced as innovative or cutting edge but are using technologies and building methods that are not new by any means and appear to me as quite straight forward and common sense. Alongside these lessons in responsibility towards our planet are the beautifully executed but undeniably indulgent palaces of the privileged.
I felt particular empathy for the animal loving European lady who built a 175sqm passivhaus that produced an excess of energy. the RIBA describe the building as ‘ground breaking’ and ‘ leading the new ‘green economic revolution’’. The client sort of shrugged her shoulders as she told the presenter that this is how you would build in Germany or Switzerland and that it was nothing special. My frustration comes at how woefully behind the curve we are with what seems to be inherently logical and deliberately ignored.
I’m drawn to the modest houses such as Pocket House and Stackyard where the occupants have built only what they need on sites that are within existing conurbations. The owners of pocket house built on an old garage site and were told by the local authority that they didn’t stand a chance of obtaining permission for a dwelling. I’m sure that there was no small battle to get the approval they did and now the borough have a house shortlisted for a major architectural award.
A little practical moment I enjoyed was the use of thermal shutters at Max Fordham House. I’ve long been mildy obsessed with shutters of all kinds. I think this springs from holidays in the south of France where all the houses have insulated shutters that can be shut in a way where the insulated blades have air gaps between them for ventilation. This is perfect in the summer where the shutters allow for plenty of natural ventilation but block out solar gain and can be used when the house is unoccupied without any security risk. When most people spend time away from their house in the day it is impossibe to let stale, moist air escape from our homes as we daren’t leave our windows open. The client, engineer Max Fordham, has installed some lovely techie automated shutters that slide beautifully into a recess in which are far more attractive than the surface fixed externally mounted versions our continental friends use -they look like shop roller shutters. I’m sure we can find a middle ground to provide a secure ventilation and thermal solution that isn’t overly complicated and can be retrofitted to our current housing stock- that is, if the planners will let us.