Tradition versus contemporary..

After watching the new art center and home for the art college being developed not far from my own house, I can't help but notice how little brickwork there is, especially when compared to when I was working on commercial builds, bricklaying around twenty years ago. Back then it was all brickwork/block work with the occasional bit of cladding from the tops of doors to the roof line.

I now look at this very modern development it's bright yellow render and contemporary cladding that changes colour depending upon the angle you approach the building from and it has quite a significant mass of glass at the ground floor level, more akin to a city development, than a small town.

Being a bit of a traditionalist, I initially struggled at first to except this modern concoction, but as time has gone by and the building has come together, I really enjoy looking at it and feel it will breathe some much needed life into this small town.

I genuinely look forward to seeing its completion.

I now work mostly on domestic buildings, new-builds, extensions and alterations, but this building does make me wonder how the domestic market will develop too. For example, will the traditional extension where we build it as sympathetically as possible with the original building slowly make way for a more modern look?