MILD PERIL MEDIA

Mild Peril Media showcases the talents of Colin Mayhew (illustrator) and Kerry Venus (graphic designer) www.mildperilmedia.co.uk

I particularly love Colin's cityscape, below:

 

SELF BUILD & DESIGN

My tips on design and inspiration have been published in the May 2011 edition of Self Build & Design magazine:

I think the secret to the success of any self-build project is to understand what is behind the motivation to self-build, ie. what is the driving force that makes a person want to design and build their own home?

For most this is a desire to build a home which is not a red brick mirror of next door’s house but a bespoke solution; a dream to create a unique building which is designed around your own personal needs and which ultimately reflects your personality and lifestyle.

FUNCTION

As a population we spend increasing amounts of time at home whether it be working, entertaining, exercising, listening to music or browsing the web, there is simply less need for us to go out of the house.

Determining the functions of the spaces within your home is therefore crucial at the early design stage. Is it a formal or informal space? Is it a multipurpose or single purpose room? Is it a private or communal area? Is there a focal point? And most important of all how do all the spaces inter-connect?

It is not just, however, the functions of the spaces within a house which should be considered it is how the house functions as a whole. I strongly believe that buildings should function as living things responsive to events both internally and externally, to their occupants and their environment.

The success story of the German model, ‘Passivhaus’ has helped to bring all things ‘green’ into the mainstream of self-building and with a direct link between saving energy and saving money all self-builds should be designed to do just that. It is no longer a design compromise to build an eco-home, in fact, I wonder whether there will even be such a term, as we push towards zero carbon homes in 2016.

COMFORT

Comfort is something which is often overlooked in the frenzy of sifting through glossy magazines, stashing of material samples and inputting of costs into spreadsheets. Comfort is difficult to quantify and what individuals consider to be comfortable is variable. However, a home by its very definition, should be comfortable for its inhabitants.

It is often by keeping things simple that comfort can be achieved through design. Think about how you want your home to feel, and design in materials, colours and sounds (the tranquil splash of a water feature perhaps?) which please the senses. Of course convenience is a big factor in enabling a home to be comfortable which in turn takes us back to the importance of the fluidity of spaces.

Comfort is often the most difficult to achieve but also the most important.

BEAUTY

For most self-builders the aim is to build a beautiful home. Quite often, and wrongly so, the external appearance of a house takes second fiddle to the interior. The size and layout of the floor plan takes precedence.

To achieve a truly beautiful house the floor plan, the exterior, the site and the architectural details should be designed together in harmony. I believe a building should be able to be ‘read’ from the exterior to form a kind of map of what’s within.

I would advise thorough research on materials as there is a huge variety available. Take into consideration the local architectural vernacular, use local materials where possible and think about using different materials to break up the façade giving your home a more human scale. Approach the design of your house holistically and select materials which extend from interior to exterior and vice versa.

The form, proportions, materials, relationships, light, the accord of all the different elements of the building will set you on the path to designing a beautiful and unique home.

CONNECTION

It is my belief that a building should connect with both time and place. Your home is not just a ‘space’ to live in, but a ‘place’ and it is your interaction with the space that makes this distinction. Those embarking on a self-build project are invariably trying to improve their lives by designing a place within which they can form a true connection, which harbours fond memories and which allows for meaningful experiences. Good design includes focal points and architectural features which can give the occupant a real sense of place and belonging.

Consider how your house connects with the environment around it. Capitalise on that environment, whether it be orientating your building to capture the sun or building into a hillside to take advantage of the earth as thermal mass. Buildings should be designed to connect with nature, respond to the climate, utilize the topography of their site but above all respect their surroundings.

SERENDIPITY

It is often the little moments in a design which really make it something special. Whether they be accidental or intentional; the clever use of a small space, the way the light falls, a glimpse of a view or exposure of structure. After all, architecture is in the details. 

ARTICLE PUBLISHED

My tips on extensions and remodelling can be found in April's edition of Self Build & Design.

EXTENSIONS & REMODELLING

LET THE LIGHT IN

To my mind the key to any successful architectural design is the manipulation of light. How and where light enters a space is pivotal to the success of that space. When it comes to house extensions it is all too easy to end up with dark gloomy internal spaces, which have been sacrificed for that bright light kitchen or garden room. Clever designs can overcome this through the use of lightwells, high level openings, rooflights, sun pipes and even transparent floors to bring light down through a dwelling.

MAKE SPACE WORK

I am a firm believer in considering the house as a whole when it comes to extensions and renovations. Think about how you are going to live in the house and what you are hoping to achieve from your project. It should be an opportunity to redesign the space you live in, to improve the flow between existing rooms as well as creating new spaces to work in harmony with the original areas.  

By simply re-organising your existing layout it may be possible to limit your extension to within the bounds of what is considered permitted development to avoid the planning process. It is, however, important to remember that even if you do this you still need to consider party wall issues and neighbours rights to light.

Future proof your home by designing in flexible spaces which can evolve with changes in your lifestyle, and consider designing electrical and mechanical services which are ready to accept home automation systems or renewable energy sources.

MATERIALS MATTER

Whilst you may be drawn to, or forced due to planning constraints, into matching existing materials on your house extension consider using contrasting materials to give your house a contemporary edge. Metal cladding such as copper and zinc can sit in harmony with traditional red brick or stone, whilst timber cladding can serve to soften the impact of an extension and provide a visual connection with the landscaping.

Use your extension to bring the outside in and vice versa by extending internal finishes into your outside space or installing sliding folding walls of glass to blur the line between interior and exterior.

In my opinion buildings should be honest with a clearly visible timeline, so I would recommend embracing the opportunity to introduce a new palette of materials to compliment your existing finishes. Why not look beyond the confines of materials typically used in housing and see what the latest cutting edge retail outlets are using? 

SMALL PROJECT, BIG DESIGN

It is often the smaller projects that require the greatest amount of design input to achieve their real potential. Most architects are flexible in terms of the services they offer from conducting an initial feasibility study to running the project on site.

 

Rather than thinking of architects as an unnecessary expense on a small-scale extension or remodelling project consider the use of an architect to make the most of your budget by capitalising on their ability to design clever spaces which may actually save you money in the long term.  

TREE HOTEL

....in Sweden of course! This fantastic reflective box provides an ethereal treehouse with living accommodation for 2 people accessed by a rope bridge. Check out http://www.tvark.se 

www.tvark.se

SMART HOMES

I think that many of us still associate home automation and ‘smart’ technology with James Bond style hide-outs complete with velvet curtains which open at the flick of a switch or Jetson’s-style flying machines which conveniently fold up into a suitcase once you arrive at work! Up until more recently home automation has been driven by the desire for convenience, fuelled by advances in technology and paid for by the super-rich.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN SELF BUILD & DESIGN MAGAZINE

SUSTAINABLE BUILDING MATERIALS: SNOW

OK so not always practical, I know! But as the UK shivers behind its brick and block walls it occurred to me: isn’t snow just one of the best sustainable building materials out there?

It is an ancient building material used by hunters to create temporary shelter in vast arctic wastelands. Igloos were able to be constructed quickly with simple tools and construction techniques and most importantly out of a plentiful natural resource. So no transportation, fast track construction and renewable material; the ultimate eco-build!

Ice has in fact in recent years become the new cool! From the infamous ice hotel to the fabulous Iglu-Dorf (www.iglu-dorf.com) chain of igloo villages there are various options now for a chilly vacation. Methods of construction have even developed from the traditional snow block method to inflating giant balloons and covering them in snow using a snow plough. Once compacted the balloons are deflated and beautiful snow clad spaces are revealed. N ice!

Obviously the key flaw to this sparkly glittery material is the temperature required to sustain it, which means it’s unlikely to be cropping up in the next Grand Designs episode unless Kevin McCloud relocates to the northern hemisphere. 

Iglu-Dorf Engleberg Igloo Hotel