Ruth Dalton – författare

This book presents a rich and rewarding history of houses in England through the stories of nine houses, dating from the 1600s to the 1980s, which have been inhabited by the author, an architect and academic. Chronologically ordered, the book covers rural vernacular houses from the 17th Century, Georgian and Victorian townhouses, villas and converted industrial buildings, Edwardian semis and 20th-century council housing and mixed tenure new developments. Firstly reflecting on the author’s own experience of the house, each chapter then examines its historical context, before making a detailed analysis of the buildings design and layout, usefully illustrated with architectural drawings. Each chapter concludes with a useful discussion of lessons learnt from each house/historic period and compares them with contemporary houses which use similar materials, construction techniques or ideas. It not only details the evolution of the design and construction of houses through the centuries, but also includes concise but highly informative sections on the history of various types of construction and materiality, such as brickmaking and timber and steel frame; sections on conversion and adaptive reuse and what works and what doesn't; the evolution of styles; housing density; ownership; and the three broad waves of council/social housing etc. On reflecting on her own experiences, the author provides useful insights into how we relate to our homes, how they shape and affect us and the value and meaning of the home.

With tourists expecting higher levels of service, information and retail opportunities, visitor centres have become a vital component in providing access to heritage sites, historic buildings, landscapes of natural beauty and monuments. As a consequence, numerous architecturally renowned centres have been designed and built in recent years. It is perhaps no surprise that many have been featured in architectural awards, as they not only offer a ‘jewel’ of a project to architects, being small in scale but high in profile, but the buildings must also respond sympathetically to a rich physical and cultural context. This book examines the phenomenon of this relatively new, but increasingly popular, building type.It begins with a series of essays which explore the origins and key characteristics of the visitor centre, its relationship between place and landscape, its social role, and its focus on the visitor’s needs. It then documents and critically analyses 20 award-winning visitor centres across the United Kingdom, including centres at The Giant’s Causeway, Stonehenge, Brockholes, Rosslyn Chapel, Culloden and the Welney Wetland Centre. Each building study is beautifully illustrated with photographs and architectural drawings andincludes the essential facts about the building, an experiential descriptionand a full spatial analysis.