BUILDINGS IN THE LANDSCAPE pdf

LOWER MILL ESTATE 3Alsop + Par tners 8 - 9 Alison Brooks Architects 10 - 11 Featherstone Associates 12 - 13 Piers Gough, CZWG Architects 14 - 15 Eva Jiricna Architects 16 - 17 Roger Sher

LANDMARK HOUSES

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Alsop + Par tners 8 - 9

Alison Brooks Architects 10 - 11

Featherstone Associates 12 - 13

Piers Gough, CZWG Architects 14 - 15

Eva Jiricna Architects 16 - 17

Roger Sherman Architecture 18 - 19

Sutherland Hussey Architects 20 - 21

Richard Reid and Associates 22 - 23

Landmark House Landscape 24 - 25

Interiors 26 - 27

Biographies 28 - 31

Wildlife at the Lower Mill Estate 32 - 33

Twenty two of the World’s best architects working alongside one another to design forty six individual Landmark homes on my Estate in Gloucestershire is not only unique but an honour for me and fulfils a lifelong ambition to wake up the

architecture of this country and create a development in the Cotswolds countryside that stands alone on a global scale for its design and ecological excellence.

The way that the designers have responded to the environment is, in my opinion, pure creative genius It is so inspirational to see and work alongside such talent.

Every one of the designs will be such cool spaces to live in.

People can talk about this now, and that is great, but it is what they say in two or three hundred years that will be the real test.

Jeremy Paxton, sponsor of Landmark Houses and owner of Lower Mill Estate LANDMARK HOUSES

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BUILDINGS IN THE LANDSCAPE

When I saw the plans, my immediate impression was unbelievable.

I thought this can’t be The Cotswolds It must be California or Switzerland

or anywhere else on the globe where good, modern architecture seems

to happen naturally But I was wrong It is believable and it’s really happening in Gloucestershire.

Masterpiece architecture is exciting enough wherever it is built, but there’s something extraordinary here We are in the deeply conservative English countryside For too long the culture of the country has been sentimental and backward-looking: quite literally afraid to change.

But culture is about growth and evolution.These new houses have been sensitively integrated into the landscape.They are uncompromisingly modern, but respectful too Happily, they prove the countryside is alive:

they are not yesterday’s tradition, but tomorrow’s.

It’s significant that not too far from Lower Mill is Poundbury, Prince Charles’ own experiment in building an ideal community.

The Prince’s sentiments are admirable, but the architecture is lazy and intellectually sentimental Why does Prince Charles want eighteenth century architecture, but not eighteenth century sewers? There is a house

in Poundbury where a central heating flue exits through a gargoyle! Instead of Poundbury’s lifeless, artless pastiche, Landmark Houses offer vitality, variety and ingenuity.They show more intelligent respect for their environment than a bad copy of a jobbing Georgian builder’s original.

Of course, we want to keep the best of the countryside But never forget:

if you want things to stay the same, they are going to have to change Poundbury apes a past that never really existed Landmark Houses offer a taste of the future now.

Stephen Bayley

These new houses have been sensitively integrated into the landscape.They are uncompromisingly modern, but respectful too.

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THE VISION

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The 'Landmark Houses' programme is envisioned specifically for the site

at Lower Mill Estate, in the Cotswold Water Park, where we have invited

a number of architects, such as Will Alsop, Eva Jiricna, Sutherland Hussey,

Richard Meier and Partners, Roger Sherman, Sarah Featherstone, Alison

Brooks, Piers Gough, Greg Lynn, etc - an older generation at the peak of

their inventiveness, but still in wonder at the world out there, and a

younger generation in the process of re-invention as they gather a second

breath - and asked each one to speculate on the architectural poetics and

ecological considerations for the design of a 'landmark house' within such

a context.

More by luck than judgement, we've started off with eight architects and

eight designs, as did the celebrated 'Case Study Houses' programme of

Southern California.This programme, initiated by John Estenza, a

champion of Modernism and editor of the avant-garde monthly magazine,

Arts and Architecture, started off in January 1945 when he commissioned

eight nationally known architects, each to design their own answer to

create a house "to fulfil the specification of a special living problem in the

Southern California area" In addition there was a requirement that each

house designed "must be capable of duplication and in no sense be an

individual performance".

They had no clients - the clients came later when construction began.

They started off with eight architects and eight designs and finished, in

1966, with a total of 36 individual houses by 20 practices, including the

iconic Stahl House (1959-60) by Piers Koenig, perched miraculously on

the hills above West Hollywood and Charles and Ray Eames' own house

in Pacific Palisades (1945-49) - one of the great influences on English

architecture from the mid 1960's But the Case Study Houses were

spread over a wide area of southern California from the north west of

Santa Monica to the south east of Pasadena, whilst the 'Landmark

Houses' here are located entirely in one 550 acre site in the Cotswold

Water Park.

In addition, unlike the 'Case Study Houses', the 'Landmark Houses'

programme is concerned with the design of one-off houses, that act

architecturally as 'focal points' within the simpler building vernacular of

the development If anything, these buildings are an 'individual

performance' and bring to mind the recent architectural development of

Venice California Founded by Abbot Kinney of the Kinney Brothers

Tobacco Company in 1905, the six miles of canals and intersecting streets and single storey timber frame houses aligned along tree lined canal banks, were part of his programme for a wider cultural renaissance.

The community, characterised by a high degree of individuality which determines its openness, was the place where the Beat poets later hung out and where, in more recent years, the young avant-garde architects of

LA, including Frank Gehry, began to cut their teeth on a series of adventurous house designs.

HOW AND WHY WE HAVE PULLED SUCH TALENT TOGETHER Down at Lower Mill, there was already a 'landmark building', in the form

of the existing listed Mill Right from the start it was clear that in order to avoid the proposed plan looking like the archetypal housing estate, some house designs would have to take on a similar role to that of the Mill building.The converted Howell's Barn was already just such a 'landmark house', whilst Somerford Villa, which stands in the water at the edge of a narrow peninsular jutting out into Somerford Lagoon, was the first of the new houses to be designed specifically as a 'landmark house' for one of our clients.

These houses are the equivalent, architecturally, of what the limestone mansion or vicarage was in relation to the houses of the vernacular tradition For the 'Landmark House' programme, we have 22 architects and a total of 48 'landmark houses' to design Unlike the other house types with their pitch, monopitch and mansarded roofs, and similar building genre, the 'landmark houses' will generally be more distinct architecturally - sometimes with a flat roof or with a roof terrace, more elaborate use of decking, sometimes of a 'grander scale' but all with a greater concern for spatial and sculptural elaboration and poetical sensibilities, etc.

The standard types we have provided for Lower Mill Estate are our 'vernacular' or 'common' buildings for the site and, as such, have a shared building language - the codes, or rules, if you like Such building is definable and specifiable 'Architecture', by its very nature, is more allusive For the architecture of the 'landmark houses', what rules there are, are those to

be provided by each individual architect But it is the building, or vernacular of the development, at Lower Mill, that provides the 'framework' or setting for the 'architecture' and, in a sense, makes the 'architecture' possible.

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Richard Reid

ALSOP + PARTNERS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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ALSOP + PARTNERS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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ALISON BROOKS ARCHITECTS, HIDE HOUSE

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ALISON BROOKS ARCHITECTS, HIDE HOUSE

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FEATHERSTONE ASSOCIATES, ORCHID HOUSE

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FEATHERSTONE ASSOCIATES, ORCHID HOUSE

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PIERS GOUGH, CZWG ARCHITECTS, WATERMARK HOUSE

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PIERS GOUGH, CZWG ARCHITECTS, WATERMARK HOUSE

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EVA JIRICNA ARCHITECTS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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EVA JIRICNA ARCHITECTS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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ROGER SHERMAN ARCHITECTURE, LANDMARK HOUSE

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ROGER SHERMAN ARCHITECTURE, LANDMARK HOUSE

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SUTHERLAND HUSSEY ARCHITECTS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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SUTHERLAND HUSSEY ARCHITECTS, LANDMARK HOUSE

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RICHARD REID AND ASSOCIATES, THE SUNDANCE VILLA

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RICHARD REID AND ASSOCIATES, THE SUNDANCE VILLA

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ELLEN LANDSCAPE DESIGNS AND BREEZE LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS, LANDMARK HOUSE LANDSCAPE

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My design philosophy is to create a space that allows my client to feel safe, comfortable, relaxed and happy I am convinced that a calm, quiet and harmonious interior can be as beneficial to health

as a sensible diet and regular exercise Jeremy Paxton’s philosophy

at Lower Mill embraces these objectives and I am delighted to join the team in creating something truly remarkable in the

Gloucestershire Countryside.

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Kelly Hoppen, interior designer for the Landmark Houses

Kelly Hoppen is best known as the interior designer whose calm, elegant aesthetic has permeated our consciousness and achieved an iconic (and much imitated) status Inspired by the East, her interiors evoke a harmony based on rules of balance and order and a use of neutral colours, where contrasting and shocking fabrics are preferred over colour to provide a sense of depth and warmth Leathers and cashmeres, suedes and linens, silks and cottons are layered in the same tones Her aim has always been to please all senses and provide homes where one is at peace: a space you connect with and love.

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BIOGRAPHIES

WILL ALSOPWill Alsop is one of the most prominent of UKarchitects His practice is an international operation,but one guided by the principle that architecture isboth vehicle and symbol of social change andrenewal.The philosophy extends from the design ofindividual buildings to embrace broader principles ofurbanism and city development By abandoning thehegemony of an acceptable style, he has renderedthe whole process of architecture one of increasingfluidity and transparency; a new and refreshingposition for architecture

Will Alsop follows a parallel path as an artist, feelingthat it is a discipline inseparable from architecture

He was a tutor of sculpture at Central St MartinsCollege of Art & Design, London, for several years,has held many other academic posts, and activelypromotes the artistic contribution to the builtenvironment His paintings and sketches have beenexhibited alongside his architectural projects indedicated exhibitions at Sir John Soane's Museum,Milton Keynes Gallery, Cube Gallery, Manchester, theBritish Pavilion at Venice Biennale and many others

JEREMY PAXTON

Jeremy Paxton is 45 years of age and by profession

(but not occupation) a commercial pilot Born in

Hackney, East London, he has three children Red 22,

Ruby 17 and Rory 12 Jeremy grew up in the New

Forest and it was here that he developed his love of

the countryside and nature He spent the first 6

years of his adult life as a beach bum and then

launched a number of magazine titles that were sold

to United Newspapers in 1988 Following a 2 year

period of idleness Jeremy built a property company

with two partners before selling his shares to one of

the 3 to opt out of the main stream and purchase

the Lower Mill Estate, a 550 acre site of special

scientific interest in Gloucestershire.The first 2 years

were spent designing the concept of the UK's first

residential nature reserve where families could be

brought both closer together and closer to nature

in houses that set new architectural standards for a

UK vacation home.The Estate is both debt and

In addition to winning a 2002 RIBA award for theVXO House Hampstead, which features in thenewly published Phaidon Atlas of ContemporaryWorld Architecture, ABA was shortlisted for theBritish Pavilion at the 2002 Venice IX ArchitectureBiennale and for the Blueprint Awards 2002 BestResidential Building ABA's Atoll Hotel interior onthe island of Helgoland, Germany won 1st Prize intwo categories at the European Hotel Design andDevelopment Awards 2000 and has been described

as a benchmark in contemporary hotel design ABA

is featured as one of 33 female-led practicesworldwide in the book 'The Architect - Women inContemporary Architecture'

Alison Brooks was born in Canada and educated atUniversity of Waterloo before moving to London in

1989 She joined Ron Arad's One Off Studio and in

1991 became a found-ing partner of Ron AradAssociates where she completed the New IsraeliOpera Foyer Architecture and the award-winningLondon restaurants Belgo Noord and BelgoCentraal Based in North London ABA is a 10strong practice committed to excellence in design,technical quality and client service

GARY CHANG, EDGE DESIGN INSTITUTE LTDGary Chang founded his company EDGE in 1994,and quickly gained a reputation for his dedication towork and award-winning multi-disciplinary designs In

2003, the company was renamed EDGE DesignInstitute to better describe its mix of research-basedand commercial activities

In the past decade, Gary’s major cultural andeducational commissions have included thecontroversial Suitcase House in Beijing at theCommune by the Great Wall , the Kung Fu Tea Setfor leading lifestyle accessories design brand Alessi, a

‘Workstation’ for Ogilvy & Mather Asia Pacific,TheBroadway Cinematheque in Hong Kong,recalibration of The Hong Kong Arts Centre, theMega-iAdvantage Data Centre Building in HongKong and numerous other projects in China, HongKong, Japan, middle East and Europe

Chang has won many awards in Asia and across theglobe for his architectural, interior and productdesigns including the International DesignCompetition at the XVII Triennial Exhibition ofArchitecture, Milan (1985),The Hong Kong Institute

of Architect President’s Prize (1996),The HongKong Young Architect Award (1996), ar+d Awards in

2002 and 2003 in Copenhagen and Londonrespectively,The 25th Central Glass InternationalArchitectural Design Competition in Tokyo (1990),The Dedalo-Minosse International Prize,Vicenza(2002) and he was the only Hong Kong/Chinaarchitect included in the publication ‘40 ArchitectsUnder 40’ published by Taschen in 2000

Gary Chang’s projects were twice presented at theInternational Biennial Exhibition of Architecture inVenice (2000 & 2002) He has published andplanned a series of literary works and academictheses including ‘Suitcase House’ (2004), ‘Hotels AsHome’ (2005) and ‘Gary Chang – Edge Works’

(2005)

Gary Chang graduated from The University of HongKong in 1987 with a degree in architecture He wasborn in Hong Kong in 1962

DIXON JONESJeremy Dixon has been working as a principal inprivate practice since 1977, having graduated fromthe Architectural Association School in 1963.Jeremy Dixon won first prize with Edward Jones in

1972 for an international competition forNorthamptonshire County Offices He built anumber of housing projects in London on sensitiveinfill sites, mainly in the Westminster planning area

He won the competition for a coffee shop at theTate Gallery and subsequently designed therestaurant In 1983 he was successful, in associationwith BDP, in an international selection process forthe Royal Opera House, Covent Garden JeremyDixon has exhibited at the 1981 Venice Biennale,taught at the Architectural Association and the RoyalCollege of Art and has been an RIBA externalexaminer Jeremy Dixon was knighted in the NewYear’s Honours List, 2000

EDWARD JONES AA DIP (HONS) RIBA

Edward Jones graduated from the ArchitecturalAssociation School in 1963 and since 1973 has been

a principal in private practice In 1983 he won firstprize in an international competition for MississaugaCity Hall, Canada which won the Governor-General's Award in 1990

Edward Jones' work has been widely published andexhibited - he represented Britain at the 1980Venice Biennale From 1975-82 he was senior tutor

at the Royal College of Art Since the mid-1980s hehas been a visiting professor at various universities inNorth America and is currently external examinerfor the RIBA and various architectural schools in the

UK and abroad His book, a comprehensive 'Guide

to the Architecture of London', was written withChristopher Woodward and published byWeidenfeld & Nicholson in 1983

Dixon Jones has a wide range of architecturalexperience.The practice first came to prominencewith its winning submission for the NorthamptonCounty Offices Competition in 1973 Since then ithas won many national and internationalcompetitions and awards, most notably MississaugaCity Hall (Canada) in 1982, the Royal Opera House,Covent Garden in 1984 and the Venice Bus Station

in 1991.They formed a limited company withBuilding Design Partnership to implement the RoyalOpera House project, finished in December 1999.The following year the National Portrait Galleryrenovation and improvements to Somerset House,(fountains, café and bridge), were opened to thepublic In 1998 Dixon Jones was commissioned asmasterplanner for the National Gallery

PIERRE D’AVOINEPierre d’Avoine runs an architects office based inLondon and practices internationally with work inJapan, India, Italy, Ghana, the West Indies and inTehran where he designed the Climate House, anexperimental project for The Iranian FuelConservation Organisation, in association withGolzari (NG) Architects The work of the practiceincludes housing, offices, mixed-use developments,urban design, interior design and public art projects,and has been widely published and exhibited In

1999 the practice won the Concept Housecompetition with Slim House, a prototype of whichwas built at the Ideal Home Show that year

Pierre was born in Bombay, moved to London when he was 11 and studied architecture at theBirmingham School of Architecture in the 1970s

He set up Pierre d’Avoine Architects in London

in 1979

Pierre is a visiting professor at the Welsh School ofArchitecture, Cardiff, and has taught at theArchitectural Association, the Bartlett (UCL), theUniversity of Bath, the Royal College of Art, OxfordBrookes University, Buckingham Chilterns UniversityCollege and Chelsea School of Art He has alsolectured and broadcast extensively in the UK andabroad

YUNG HO CHANGBorn in Beijing in 1956,Yung Ho Chang received hisMaster of Architecture degree from the University

of California at Berkeley in 1984 Became a licensedarchitect in the U.S in 1989 Has been practicing inChina since 1992 and established Atelier FeichangJianzhu (FCJZ) in 1993 He is the Principal Architect

of Atelier FCJZ as well as the Head and Professor ofthe Peking University Graduate Center ofArchitecture

He has won a number of prizes, such as First Place

in the Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition

in 1987, a Progressive Architecture Citation Award

in 1996, and the 2000 UNESCO Prize for thePromotion of the Arts

He has published four monographs so far, the latestone in English/French entitled Yung Ho Chang /Atelier Feichang Jianzhu: A Chinese Practice He hastaught at various architecture schools in the USA,including Ball State, Michigan, U.C Berkeley, Rice, andHarvard, where he was the Kenzo Tange ChairProfessor of 2002, and has lectured extensively,recently at Yale, Princeton, Cornell, SCI-Arc, Penn,Columbia, and Berkeley in the USA, Berlage Institute

in Rotterdam, Chinese University of Hong Kong,Hong Kong University, as well as Tunghai University

in Taiwan In the fall 2005, he will become the Head

of Architecture at MIT