How Traditional Architecture Can Make Good Homes for Today
A new Wealdon-style home features red brick and prominent gables.
What is Traditional Architecture?
Traditional architecture, or non-modern architecture as it is sometimes called, is a form of design that is influenced by the past and by old buildings.
It encompasses a wide range of styles and influences from victorian and georgian, to regional vernacular cottage styles that focussed on using locally available materials in simple ways, to classical architecture, and arts and crafts building methods. It's not just one style but has many different flavours.
Whereas modern architecture seeks clean simple forms, traditional architecture aims instead for texture, depth, and the sense that a building is rooted in the place.
Britain's Rich Heritage of Historic Buildings
Traditional architecture is a key feature of Britain's built environment. Across generations, historic buildings have emerged from practical responses to local environments, culture, and available materials. This authentic approach has created the distinctive architectural character visible throughout the regions of the UK.
One reason traditional architects examine these historic buildings is to grasp the underlying principles that made them effective, knowing that many of the fundamental design issues they address remain relevant to the new buildings we create in our own time.
From the timber-framed buildings of medieval market towns to the balanced proportions of Georgian facades, there are many examples of traditional architecture that have endured time's passage extremely well – both structurally and aesthetically.
Ivy-covered traditional brick cottage with gabled roof and red door
The Appeal of Traditional Architecture
Love of creating new traditional architecture comes from recognising that many of our favourite places are those with history,
Think of the places you like to visit on holiday and you will have an idea of your favourite architecture and the feel of the places that you like to spend time in.
Traditional architects try to create the depth, texture and charm found in old places.
While it's not always possible to create a direct facsimile of an old building, nor would it be desirable always, traditional architecture seeks to take the aspects we love and combine them with current building methods, environmental performance and functionality.
Britain has a long history of reinventing old design styles. The Victorians reinvented the medieval gothic style using their new technologies of steel and iron, just as the Georgians looked to ancient Rome for inspiration in classical architecture, and reinvented it as neo-classical.
We believe that the best design has always come from building on the past rather than reinventing the wheel from scratch. Taking the best parts of our history and responding to them anew.
The Distinctive Appeal of Character Homes
Exploring the attraction of period properties reveals several distinctive qualities. These characterful homes often offer:
Comfortable human-scale dimensions inhabitants
Balanced proportions that give a sense of poise
Materials that improve with age and develop character over time
Thoughtful detailing including handcrafted elements
Robust construction which achieves both quality and a feeling of permanence
These elements aren't merely aesthetic choices - they shape how a house feels to inhabit. Traditional architecture creates an environment that feels established, rooted in the landscape and comforting, elements which can be more difficult to achieve with contemporary design.
Traditional Building Methods: Inherent Sustainability
Before energy was as abundant as it is in our modern lives, buildings needed to respond more intelligently to their environments. Listed building architects appreciate the sustainable features of these traditional methods, including:
Substantial walls with thermal mass for natural temperature regulation
Thoughtful openings to balance daylight and temperature control
Locally sourced materials that lower a building's environmental footprint
Durable building techniques that enable ongoing repairs rather than replacement
Thoughtful positioning which responds to natural elements and seasonal changes
These common elements found in traditional architecture provide an ideal starting point for creating energy-efficient modern homes, particularly when complemented by the latest eco-friendly technologies.
Bright living room with vaulted ceiling, large windows, and a wood-burning stove
Style as a Choice
A central value of Vellow Wood is to create places that people feel at home, - places that feel special to you, and where you feel at peace.
We do this by helping you make the design choices that feel right for you. 'Home' is different to every individual and family, so what looks like home to you may be different to home for someone else.
Whereas many architects have a 'house style' that they use for all their buildings, we work in a range of styles, historic and vernacular influences, to create places that fit you on a personal level, and also have a rootedness in the landscape.
That's why we believe traditional architecture is so important. It is an approach to design that enables individuality and creates the depth and character that people love.
To learn more, read our blog: ‘How to Add Character to a House’
Collaborating with a Traditional Architect
Collaborating with specialists in period design offers homeowners the opportunity to explore various influences from traditional buildings to identify what truly connects with your tastes and lifestyle.
By recognising these inclinations, a traditional architect can develop a design that authentically reflects your personality and aesthetic. Even with heritage properties that retain many of their original features, there are still opportunities to reflect your unique personality and style.
How to Create a Home with Texture, Depth and Character
One of the best places to start your design journey is to look for inspiration in pictures. Photos, books and magazines can all help prompt the flow of ideas and reveal to us the things we find 'home' in.
Creating Pinterest boards is a tool to collect all your ideas, and bring clarity to your priorities - showing what is most important to you.
It's necessary for any home to have a brief of practical requirements – the number of bedrooms, the size of the kitchen. Pinterest can work alongside this to give depth and flavour to those practicalities, and create a home, not just a developer's house.
Working with your architect, their expertise can help analyse and break-down those style ideas into the key components required to achieve a similar finished product. This can then be combined with your practical brief, and construction knowledge to create a detailed design that is not just functional but also has the feel and character that you desire.
Traditional kitchen features stone walls, high ceiling, and warm, natural materials
Key Attributes That Define Period Architecture
As specialists in traditional design, we examine core elements including:
Balance and Dimension
Traditional architecture distinguishes itself through thoughtful size relationships. The dimensions of openings, the sizing of ornamental features in relation to structural elements, and the connections between various building components create an overall feeling of a coherent design that feels balanced.
Substance and Surface
Building materials contribute significantly to the character of traditional buildings. Natural stone, clay brick, oak beams, and traditional renders create visual interest and develop rich patinas as they weather, growing more characterful with passing years.
Illumination and Depth
Traditional buildings often manipulate light through architectural elements that create shadows. Features such as overhanging rooflines, varied wall textures, mouldings, and decorative details mean that the experience of inhabiting the building changes as light shifts throughout the day and year.
Skilled Execution
Traditional architecture continues to value excellence in workmanship. Precisely crafted elements, whether in woodwork or masonry, produce a quality and substance that can't be easily replicated by machine-made elements.
Stone Victorian house with turret, gables, and landscaped gardens
The Traditional Architecture Group
As participants in the Traditional Architecture Group within the RIBA, our design philosophy values depth of understanding alongside thoughtful innovation. At Vellow Wood, our approach includes:
Understanding period architecture and its essential design principles
Finding practical balances between traditional solutions and contemporary needs
This enables our traditional architects to produce historically-inspired new buildings with both substance and character.
Traditional Architecture for Self-Build
The ability to shape your home to fit is one of the main reasons that people choose the self-build route and design their own home.
In the process of creating a new home, you will be required to convince the planning department that your new home is suitable for the location and complies with local planning policies.
Many planning policies favour local vernacular styles to maintain the existing character of the place.
Traditional architecture is ideally suited to self-build as it enables both the individual personal design for the home owner and also a response to the place that sits well in the landscape and context.
To learn more about planning permission, read our blog: ‘Guide to Building Your Own Home in Scotland’
Planning Benefits for Self-Builders Creating New Buildings
Engaging a traditional architect with relevant expertise can significantly enhance your chances during planning application reviews. Local authorities typically respond positively to self-build home proposals wherein proposed new buildings are shown to:
Draw inspiration from established local building traditions
Incorporate construction materials characteristic of the area
Show thoughtful consideration of surrounding buildings and landscapes
As traditionally-focused designers, our portfolio includes successful planning applications for many self-build home projects, including homes in conservation areas where obtaining planning permission for new buildings can be challenging.
Snowy Broomlands House: 1719 Harled building with 19th-century bay windows
Combining Traditional Design with Modern Functionality
Today, building a new character home from scratch offers a way to embrace comfort without compromising aesthetics. These new buildings regularly achieve impressive sustainability certifications while having an authentic character. They often incorporate thoughtful elements like:
High-performance thermal insulation envelope, including glazing
Airtightness and ventilation with heat-recovery
Sustainable heating and cooling technologies
Interior layouts that support connection and modern family life
Extending an existing period home
Historic and listed buildings have a character of their own, born of years of use and gradual change over time, making them popular with home buyers.
Sometimes old buildings don't fit with current lifestyles and living standards. Old kitchens can be too small, and thermal performance is often lacking.
A sensitive approach to alterations and extensions can bring a house up to date without destroying the integrity of the building.
Traditional design can ensure that new additions become part of the tapestry of the house and its history, rather than an add-on that sits ill at ease with the house.
Sympathetic Extensions for Period Homes
When extending period properties, consider whether to:
Design your addition so that it reflects the existing building's architectural style, as if part of the original design.
Incorporate contemporary elements that complement the historic building through careful scale and material choices.
Link new additions with minimal connections, clearly differentiating between old and new.
The most appropriate strategy emerges from careful consideration of your particular building, its environmental context, your personal needs and planning requirements.
Improving Thermal Performance in Period Homes
A frequent issue with older properties concerns their thermal efficiency. We have experience of a range of approaches for improving energy performance in period structures without damaging their character or causing unintended consequences to the building fabric.
For detailed information about enhancing energy efficiency in heritage properties, look out for our upcoming blog: 'Improving Thermal Performance While Preserving Character in Historic Buildings.'
Stone cottages with slate roofs line a road, above an architectural elevation drawing
Leading Figures in Traditional Design
The traditional architecture field encompasses numerous distinguished practitioners such as Ben Pentreath and Robert Adam who demonstrate the ongoing relevance of historically-informed design. Several have created remarkable new buildings that showcase how traditional principles continue to produce meaningful architecture today.
Supported by groups like RIBA's Traditional Architecture Group, these practitioners maintain the essential knowledge and expertise to create quality, traditional design. Through our involvement in this professional network, our team of traditional architects at Vellow Wood is able to engage with evolving discussions about traditional approaches in contemporary architecture and how historical understanding informs present-day solutions.
Begin Your Traditional Architecture Journey
Whether you're planning a new self-build home, extending a period property, or renovating a listed building, working with a traditional architect can help you create a home with authentic character and modern functionality.
We invite you to contact our practice for an initial consultation to discuss your project and explore how traditional architecture can create a home that feels both timeless and perfectly suited to your lifestyle.
As traditional architects dedicated to creating character homes that honor our heritage while embracing contemporary living, we look forward to helping you realise your vision.