How does a property interact with the natural world around it? Where there is an urgent concern in the UK for more housing, there is also the thorny issue of where it should be built. And how this might impact on its surroundings.
Where homes are constructed in scenic areas of outstanding natural beauty, increasingly architects and designers are working to bring the outside in.
“This is far more sophisticated than the strategic deployment of indoor plants,” explains Karen Gray, interior designer of Cumbria’s Twin Lakes Country Club’s lakeside homes development. “It’s an entire aesthetic approach.”
The Origins of Outside In
The American architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, was a hugely innovative designer, who revolutionised the concept of incorporating elements of the natural world into his buildings.
“Going back to the 1930s, Frank Lloyd Wright pioneered the use of natural light in his buildings, and even passive solar heat,” Karen explains.
“The idea is to achieve a sense of balance, by making a strong visual link between the inside and outside. This can involve the organic qualities of the building materials, alongside maximising the benefits of the setting”
Karen Gray, Twin Lakes Country Club lakeside homes development
“Lloyd Wright first used the term organic architecture in a 1914 article,” observes Karen. “In it he expounds on the idea that a building’s individual style would come naturally from how it served its specific purpose.”
What Karen is keen to stress is how this reflects on the aesthetics of an interior as well as the way the architect fashions the building in its entirety.
“What we use to create interiors has its own innate character, whether this is with stonemasonry or brushed, oiled oak flooring”
Karen Gray, Twin Lakes Country Club lakeside homes development
Space and Setting
Frank Lloyd Wright said, “The reality of the building does not consist of the roof and the walls but the space within to be lived in.” In terms of contemporary design, the interior space helps to define the exterior of the building.
“With the Twin Lakes waterfront development, we’re using the natural setting of the Lakes as our reference point, then ensuring that all elements, interior and exterior, work with this setting”
Karen Gray, Twin Lakes Country Club lakeside homes development
Ultimately, this is about comfort, not just within the property, but also its wider setting, as part of an established landscape.
“Location is key, obviously,” Karen concludes, “but the property must work within the setting, to truly make the most of it. Bringing the outside in is what we’ve set out to do.”
To discover more about the lakeside homes development at Twin Lakes Country Club, please:
- call 0330 60 60 133
- visit countryclubtwinlakes.com
- watch the video below
