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This is a recent MOC of a row of English terraced houses. It's typical of
working class housing from around 1900 as can be found across much of the
Midlands and North of England. See
http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/disley/Houses/terraces1.jpg
to start with and http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=237776 for the
other pictures once moderated.
I've been trying to bring some more realism to this kind of building. I've
built it from 1x2 plates, which while they can't mimic the English bond pattern
that would be appropriate, at least give an impression of brickwork. I don't
have a precise piece count but I estimate 5000-7000 pieces. The model is
externally complete, with the windows featuring visible coloured interior walls
and curtains, and then blacked out behind that.
The houses each represent a different current state that such a house might be
in, but it's entirely possible that such a combination might exist in one
street. From left to right, a largely original house (albeit with grey plastic
guttering), a house with replacement uPVC double glazing, a house that has been
painted and had the upstairs window "modernised" perhaps in the 1970s, a house
that has been fire damaged and boarded up pending renovation, and a corner shop
(now serving fast food).
I have a few more minor things to change or add when I get chance, but on the
whole it's just as I planned when I got the bricks a couple of years ago. I've
been rather busy since...
More MOCs to be added online when I get chance. Meanwhile do let me know what
you think.
Al
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In lugnet.announce.moc, Alastair Disley wrote:
> This is a recent MOC of a row of English terraced houses. It's typical of
> working class housing from around 1900 as can be found across much of the
> More MOCs to be added online when I get chance. Meanwhile do let me know what
> you think.
Really well done! I'm always impressed by folks who have achieved a certain
look, not just of pure shape but also of texture and colour.
Calum
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Hi Alastair,
thanks for sharing your architecture creations. I love the way you build these
typical houses form England. And you not only did “copy and paste”, you added
various styles. So life comes into the LEGO bricks.
I remember these types of houses when I used to life in England in the late 70’s
and when I was in Oxford for a student’s exchange programme in 1996. The winter
1996 was quite cold - even in England - so most of the outside water-system
pipes got frozen and some broke due to the frost.
Thanks again for this LEGO memorial to my good old times in England :-)
Holger
HoMa’s World of Bricks
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As you already know from the Brickish Association I love these houses. I think
they are my favorite MOC of all time. They are definatly the UK equivalent of
Jonathan Lopes' seedy city building, but I can relate more to them! Although
everyone in the UK who lives north of Watford seems to recognise them as being
in their town I will see if I can get some pics of my local terraced streets and
link them here for the benefit of the international community.
Tim
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Very nice, the brick (as in the ‘real’ ones ; ) orientation and boarded up
windows are great details and the whole street comes across nicely. Thanks for
sharing!
God Bless,
Nathan
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In lugnet.announce.moc, Alastair Disley wrote:
> This is a recent MOC of a row of English terraced houses. It's typical of
> working class housing from around 1900 as can be found across much of the
> Midlands and North of England. See
> http://www.brickshelf.com/gallery/disley/Houses/terraces1.jpg
> to start with and http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=237776 for the
> other pictures once moderated.
>
> Al
I noticed these yesterday but work got in the way . . .
I really like the colors used and the use of plates as well. The smoke effect
above the burned out window is really nice. I might give it a try on buildings
for my next layout. The Maersk blue color really stands out on the corner as
well.
I haven't seen these types of houses in real life, but are they typically just
an even, flush, row of houses? Are they ever set back (and forth) (in this case
1/2 or 1 full stud) from one another? Even if not prototypical, I think it
might look nice and add a little more to differentiate between each house on
your already fabulous block. Also, have you considered 2x2 tiles for the side
walks?
Excellent work!
Best,
Jonathan
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Jonathan Lopes wrote:
> I haven't seen these types of houses in real life, but are they typically just
> an even, flush, row of houses? Are they ever set back (and forth) (in this case
> 1/2 or 1 full stud) from one another? Even if not prototypical, I think it
> might look nice and add a little more to differentiate between each house on
> your already fabulous block. Also, have you considered 2x2 tiles for the side
> walks?
No, sorry to disappoint, but a row of terraced houses in England (and
there are possibly millions to choose from) would never have that kind
of pattern. The only exception I can think of is occasionally you find
houses set at a slight angle to the road (few roads are exactly straight
in England) and then the houses may be set back from each other, but
this is comparatively rare.
What builders did to liven up the facades was add stone lintels, brick
or terracotta string courses, and bay windows (usually ground floor
only. Of course they all added cost. Some older and usually slightly
wider terraces took the party walls above the roofline, which helps to
distinguish them, but again that wouldn't be appropriate here.
The pavement is unfinished - I haven't decided whether to go with 1x2 or
2x2 tiles yet, and I don't have enough of either. The former is
possibly more accurate but too small a scale. Ideally I'd have 2x3
tiles! I also plan to add 1x2 grille tiles to mimic the cast iron
drains which carry the water from the drain pipes to the gutter.
Thanks for your comments.
Al
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Al,
Very nicely done, I lived in a house not so unlike these when I was a student in
Brighton.
This style of house is very boxy and rather plain, which means that it can be
replicated very convincingly in LEGO. Your use of 2 by 1 plates really adds a
lot, and having several houses like this next to each other only adds to the
general feel.
Thanks for sharing
cheers
Magnus
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In lugnet.town, Tim David wrote:
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I will see if I can get some pics of my local terraced streets and
link them here for the benefit of the international community.
Tim
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Ok, I took some pics last week
First of all, some pretty standard terraces
A variety of surface finishes and one that has its windows changed
A couple of cornershops
And one that used to be a cornershop, included to show the different upper floor
corner treatment
Some ‘upmarket’ terraces with a small front yard
See here for all the pics
Tim
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In lugnet.town, Tim David wrote:
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In lugnet.town, Tim David wrote:
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I will see if I can get some pics of my local terraced streets and
link them here for the benefit of the international community.
Tim
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Ok, I took some pics last week
See here for all the pics
Tim
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Thanks very much for doing this and following up, Tim. I was hoping you would.
It is nice to see the different types of housing from different countries.
Question(s): Would these types of houses comprise an area or neighborhood? Are
there little pockets of many of them here and there or are these types of
houses spread out amongst other types of houses? Do families live there and if
so do the streets get crowded with kids playing and what-not? Or, is it a
different environment?
Jonathan
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Jonathan Lopes wrote:
> Thanks very much for doing this and following up, Tim. I was hoping you would.
>
> It is nice to see the different types of housing from different countries.
>
> Question(s): Would these types of houses comprise an area or neighborhood? Are
> there little pockets of many of them here and there or are these types of
> houses spread out amongst other types of houses? Do families live there and if
> so do the streets get crowded with kids playing and what-not? Or, is it a
> different environment?
>
> Jonathan
This might give you some idea:
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=53.23671~-1.442817&style=a&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000
There are typically a few blocks of these houses together, but
occasionally you will find isolated rows, sometimes even outside of
built up areas. Some towns and cities seem to be largely made up of
these. They are generally the cheapest form of housing other than
flats/apartments. Families do live there if there they cannot afford
better, but more usually it is couples and extended families who live there.
The streets are not usually crowded with kids as most households have at
least one car and the car is often longer than the house is wide, so
there is not much room left for cars to drive through let alone kids to
play safely in. I know one terraced street where the road is just over
one car width, plus a pavement (sidewalk) on one side even narrower.
For some reason the cars park on the road, but when they want to get out
they drive half on the pavement.
These areas tend to be rougher, so perhaps not the places you would want
kids playing out in. Besides, most British kids are more likely to be
found in front of a games console or watching TV these days. Those
photographs make them appear really depressing places to live, but I've
happily lived in several over the years. They may be small, but they
have tall windows which let in plenty of light in comparison with modern
houses, and the ceilings are typically 9 feet or so which makes them
feel bigger (typical modern house 7.5 feet).
They can also be very imaginatively updated as a private yet high
density option for city living, see for example
http://www.chimneypotpark.co.uk/
Al
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In lugnet.town, Alastair Disley wrote:
> Jonathan Lopes wrote:
>
> > Thanks very much for doing this and following up, Tim. I was hoping you would.
> >
> > It is nice to see the different types of housing from different countries.
> >
> > Question(s): Would these types of houses comprise an area or neighborhood? Are
> > there little pockets of many of them here and there or are these types of
> > houses spread out amongst other types of houses? Do families live there and if
> > so do the streets get crowded with kids playing and what-not? Or, is it a
> > different environment?
> >
> > Jonathan
>
> This might give you some idea:
>
> http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=53.23671~-1.442817&style=a&lvl=17&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000
The link actually gives me a blank page of sorts. . .
>
> There are typically a few blocks of these houses together, but
> occasionally you will find isolated rows, sometimes even outside of
> built up areas. Some towns and cities seem to be largely made up of
> these. They are generally the cheapest form of housing other than
> flats/apartments. Families do live there if there they cannot afford
> better, but more usually it is couples and extended families who live there.
>
> The streets are not usually crowded with kids as most households have at
> least one car and the car is often longer than the house is wide, so
> there is not much room left for cars to drive through let alone kids to
> play safely in. I know one terraced street where the road is just over
> one car width, plus a pavement (sidewalk) on one side even narrower.
> For some reason the cars park on the road, but when they want to get out
> they drive half on the pavement.
>
> These areas tend to be rougher, so perhaps not the places you would want
> kids playing out in. Besides, most British kids are more likely to be
> found in front of a games console or watching TV these days. Those
> photographs make them appear really depressing places to live, but I've
> happily lived in several over the years. They may be small, but they
> have tall windows which let in plenty of light in comparison with modern
> houses, and the ceilings are typically 9 feet or so which makes them
> feel bigger (typical modern house 7.5 feet).
Thanks for the description. Very helpful. The pictures don't look all that rough or depressing to me, but then again I'm quite badass myself. ;o) I figured even rough areas have kids that need to run around. Here in NYC there are rough areas but still plenty of kids doing what kids do, playing in fire hydrants, basketball, rolling around on their scooters, etc. Being kids. The streets where you are seem narrower by description though.
>
> They can also be very imaginatively updated as a private yet high
> density option for city living, see for example
> http://www.chimneypotpark.co.uk/
That actually looks really nice.
Thanks again, Al.
Jonathan
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> Question(s): Would these types of houses comprise an area or
> neighborhood? Are
> there little pockets of many of them here and there or are these types of
> houses spread out amongst other types of houses? Do families live there
> and if
> so do the streets get crowded with kids playing and what-not? Or, is it a
> different environment?
When they were built, as cheap housing for factory workers in new industrial
towns, there were often acres and acres of them. Not a blade of grass in
sight. Yes, the kids played in the street - but then, all traffic was
horse-drawn and there was a lot less of it.
Here's an image grabbed from Google Earth of some remaining streets in
Manchester like this
http://www.lionsgatemodels.com/manchester%20terrace%20houses.jpg
See the tiny back "areas" between the rows of houses. See also the original,
probably slate roofs: over 100 years old and still going strong!
Many areas like this have been torn down and replaced with newer
buildings... in many cases just newer slums :-(
My cousin and her husband and three kids live in one of these in Nottingham.
My grandmother lived in one very similar, but with about 6 feet of front
yard. The back "area" was tiny, all concrete, with a clothes line and a coal
shed, no dirt or any place to grow anything. I grew up in a slightly larger
terrace house: 16 feet wide frontage, about 20 feet front to back, 2 floors,
with a 16 ft deep front yard and about 50ft deep back yard (with dirt, once
my Mum had had at it for a few years). They raised 2 kids, 4 cats, 2
hamsters, a budgie and assorted fish in there (not all at the same time) and
still live there. The shocking thing is that because of nearness to London,
that house is now worth about half a million dollars.
None of us kids suffered at all from growing up without 2000 sq ft of house
to roam in :-) What it did to the parents is another question!
Kevin
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In lugnet.town, Jonathan Lopes wrote:
> Thanks for the description. Very helpful. The pictures don't look all
> that rough or depressing to me, but then again I'm quite badass
> myself. ;o) I figured even rough areas have kids that need to run around.
> Here in NYC there are rough areas but still plenty of kids doing what kids
> do, playing in fire hydrants, basketball, rolling around on their scooters,
> etc. Being kids. The streets where you are seem narrower by description
> though.
Actually, without wishing to classist, it is the poorer area where kids can
still be found playing on the street, middle class parents taxi their kids
around from one safe environment to another. This is a recent thing, when I was
young (I'm 31) kids still played out on bikes, made dens and explored however
the increase in traffic (parents driving their kids around!) and perceived
increase in child molesters etc has made this very much a thing of the past.
Tim
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In lugnet.town, Kevin Wilson wrote:
> > Question(s): Would these types of houses comprise an area or
> > neighborhood? Are
> > there little pockets of many of them here and there or are these types of
> > houses spread out amongst other types of houses? Do families live there
> > and if
> > so do the streets get crowded with kids playing and what-not? Or, is it a
> > different environment?
>
> When they were built, as cheap housing for factory workers in new industrial
> towns, there were often acres and acres of them. Not a blade of grass in
> sight. Yes, the kids played in the street - but then, all traffic was
> horse-drawn and there was a lot less of it.
>
> Here's an image grabbed from Google Earth of some remaining streets in
> Manchester like this
> http://www.lionsgatemodels.com/manchester%20terrace%20houses.jpg
And I just noticed some on the Millyard project, Manchester, New England!
http://www.nelug.org/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20061201102336483 The
roofs are a bit different but there is an obvious link back to old England.
Tim
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