How Victorian and Georgian Architectural Styles Influence New Homes Design
A Georgian house in England with sash windows (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you look at the portfolio of any new homes developer today, their collection is often diverse and influenced by a range of period styles. This article goes back in time to the Georgian and Victorian periods, both significant times in the architectural history of the UK. We take a look at how features are still used in modern buildings today.
Georgian era
Architecture of the Georgian era is still seen all over the UK in near-perfectly conserved form. The city of Bath is the epitome of Georgian architecture with its grand crescents full of terraced Bath stone houses in the Palladian style.
Georgian houses were characterised by having high ceilings, being symmetrical and often boxsized in shape and form. The windows are a key feature of Georgian houses and are always symmetrical and usually formed of multi-panels. The Georgian era was preceded by Baroque, which was more whimsical and exuberant in its form.
Classical Georgian style architecture by comparison is rigid and structured yet has a simple modest elegance. This architectural style is still very popular and often found in new build developments. Many developments replicate the grand terraced townhouse theme and utilise the same light coloured stone, symmetrical windows and understated grandness. Buildings with ground floor stucco are also frequently replicated to an excellent standard on modern Georgian style terraces.
Victorian era
The start of the Victorian era saw a backlash against the rigidity of classical Georgian architecture and the revival gothic style was popular at first. Many more styles came, went and evolved over this long historic period and the outcome was an eclectic collection of houses.
The Victorian terraces which can be seen all over the UK today are one of the most enduring Victorian styles as are the grand detached houses found in wealthy areas. Because plate glass became cheaper windows had less panels and sash windows were the most popular windows of the era.
Victorian brickwork in different colours and patterns is also characteristic of the era. Artistic patterns using different coloured bricks were a popular way to add flair to a house. Around the turn of the century we began to see bay windows, a very popular feature of Victorian architecture today.
The pure breadth and variety of Victorian buildings makes it easy to replicate features in new builds, including the use of bay windows, brickwork, sash windows and raised entrances. Using different colours, an intended lack of symmetry and having many houses on one development in different styles are all ways developers take their inspiration from Victorian architecture.
The UK has a rich and fascinating architectural history that starts much earlier than the Georgian era, of course. But it is the styles from the Georgian and Victorian eras that are the most enduring and still hugely popular with the public today. Developers such as Linden Homes bring modern houses and period features together to give house buyers the best of both worlds.
Andrea is a homes and property expert who writes for offline and online magazines. Her favourite architectural period in history is the Georgian era, which she has seen replicated in many #Cala Homes.
Category: Housing
