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Narrator: We've become
accustomed to steel and glass.
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But one man continues to draw,
design and build
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with older methods and materials
in the classical style.
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John Simpson,
a favourite architect
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of the Prince of Wales,
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follows in the footsteps
of Palladio, Nash and Adam
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to give the world
a 'New Classicism'
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which connects the future
with the past.
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- What needed to happen
was actually to update
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the tradition and bring it
into the 21st century,
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to not just meet the needs,
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but actually
take society forward.
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Narrator: And now, after years
of designing for others,
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John Simpson has made a house
for himself.
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But, it's not what
you might expect.
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- It's really a matter
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of making the whole thing
work,
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and finding ways
of weaving things into it
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and stories into it,
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giving it to sort of,
much more...
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Well, having fun, essentially.
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Narrator: Somewhere in England,
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and it is very obviously
England,
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John Simpson has created
a house for all ages.
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In some senses it's a folly,
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a bringing together
of architectural styles
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down the centuries.
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A play on tradition,
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but with all the benefits
of modern technology.
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[upbeat music]
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It's an insight into the brain
behind a 30-year career
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of one of England's foremost
classical architects
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who long ago rejected modernism,
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but recognises
that traditional design
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can be married
with modern convenience.
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- It goes on record
as one of the prettiest villages
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possibly in the whole
of England,
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and all the buildings
are half timbered and thatched.
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So clearly if you're going to
add a building into there,
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that's going to be part
of the village,
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particularly that it's right
on Church Street,
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which is the heart
of the old village,
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that it had to be thatched
and half timbered.
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[laughs]
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Narrator: Research shows that
a hall house existed here once
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and John Simpson wanted
to do justice to that memory
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while designing something
that fitted in.
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Actually, he had to,
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because this village
is a conservation area.
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- Essentially what this
building was,
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was a building
which was 22 metres long
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which is about 66 feet
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by about six metres wide,
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so you get this long
sort of half timbred,
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thatched building
with a double height space
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in the middle of it,
so you have this huge,
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big double height space
in the middle of it,
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where you can see
the hammer beams,
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in the green oak,
holding the roof up.
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With a screen passage
across one end
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as you would have got
in a house of that type,
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and an aureole,
and of course in those days,
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you would have had an open fire
in the centre,
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which would have vented
with the air coming through
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the screen passage and then up
through a vent in the roof,
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which of course we've introduced
onto this building.
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Except that the vent
is now glazed in
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and turned into a lantern.
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It's a bit like writing a novel.
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You know,
a Hillary Mantel novel,
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you sort of build up
a history to the whole thing
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as part of your design.
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So it's great fun.
[laughs]
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[soft piano music]
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Narrator:
Fun, but, once on site,
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the challenges came thick
and fast.
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How, for instance, do you use
traditional materials
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and ensure they meet
building regulations?
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Starting with green oak,
and a lot of it.
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John: We use the oak,
which is young.
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Put it together
with mortise and tendon joints,
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so when the timber dries,
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it really tightens
all the joints
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and works that way.
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And as the timber dries,
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it also twists
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and does all sorts
of funny things.
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[laughs]
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Which of course
makes it difficult
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to seal the building.
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And of course back in the 1490s,
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people quite liked
having this extra ventilation.
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It sort of helped with the fires
and it ventilated the building,
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and probably they were rather
smelly interiors in those days.
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[laughs]
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With modern regulations,
you can't do that.
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You actually have to,
if you're going to comply
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with building regs,
you have to seal the building.
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So we have to come up
with all sorts of clever ways
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of being able to incorporate
this technology
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so you could have a proper,
traditional green oak frame.
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And at the same time,
comply with building regs.
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None of this is beyond
the wit of man, you know?
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You just sit down
and you look at it
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and you find ways
to deal with it.
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And in this particular case,
we designed the timber frame,
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then insulated it
all around the outside,
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and then built the exterior
onto that.
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So by doing that,
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the exterior's the bit
that seals the inside,
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and the real technology
was in finding a way to connect
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the exterior of the building
with the timber
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so that when the timber moved,
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it didn't, it didn't affect
the exterior.
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And the exterior didn't move.
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And it's simple, you know,
the heart of the piece of wood,
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the outside might move,
but the heart doesn't.
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So once you know that, you know,
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that you can drill
right into the middle,
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fix into the heart,
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and then the timber
can move as much as possible,
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but your fixing stays put.
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[laughs]
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Narrator: And what of fire,
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the terror that stalks those
who own thatched houses?
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- Most thatched fires take hold
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quite quietly underneath.
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So what happens is
the thatch just smoulders.
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And as it smoulders,
it burns the structure,
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the timber structure,
that's holding it up.
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And after two, three days
of smouldering,
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the structure then gives way
and it's when it falls down
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that the fire really takes hold
and goes whoof.
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By putting a fireproof layer
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between the structure
and the thatch,
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the thatch can catch fire,
it can smoulder,
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but it never affects
the structure.
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[string music]
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Narrator: Many architects
start their careers
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with a commission
from a member of their family.
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John Simpson's Ashfold House,
in 1991, was for his parents.
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It made his name.
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But he'd been preaching
the new classicism creed
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for a decade before that,
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influenced by
Georgian architecture
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and the work of Sir John Soane.
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And he found that his appeal
for a return to buildings
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which respected their neighbours
and their settings
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was well received.
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- If you appeal
to the general public,
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you're actually getting support.
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And what tends to happen
with orthodox development
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is people immediately think,
oh my goodness,
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we're going to have something
terrible here,
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and they turn immediately
against it.
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Whereas if you first
convince them
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that this is going to
be beautiful,
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this is going to be wonderful,
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then they take
a very different attitude.
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Narrator: After Ashfold House
came work
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for Cambridge University,
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a new dining room
for the fellows at Gonville
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and Caius College,
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Simpson even designed
the chairs.
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And in 1999,
he won the competition
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to redevelop The Queen's Gallery
at Buckingham Palace,
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following in the footsteps
of John Nash.
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- Nash, Renn, Law,
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and so a whole series
of architects.
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And that's where
you really have to be careful,
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because you're,
you're adding to a building.
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It's a bit like a city.
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You're adding to a building,
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which is a conglomeration
of other people's work.
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Each sort of adding to the work
of their predecessor.
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And you're having to do the same
and do so
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and at the same time
create a whole which works.
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Narrator
The Queen's Gallery renovation
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and extension,
completed in 2002,
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put John Simpson firmly
in the spotlight
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but, by then, his principles
were fully formed.
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Making an addition
to Buckingham Palace
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was just the kind of project
he loved
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because it contained
the twin challenges
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of providing
a functioning interior
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and an exterior
that enhanced the public realm.
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- If you're doing something
in the public realm,
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which of course architecture
after all
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is all about the public realm
as well,
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and contributing
to the public realm
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and creating the public realm,
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as well as the private space
behind it,
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you do have to have something
which relates
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and something
that people can understand.
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And you do have to communicate
with other people.
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And to do that,
you need to use a language.
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Because after all,
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you're not just expressing
your own feelings
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and your own ideas
within the architecture
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that you're creating.
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But you also need to have buy-in
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so that society too
can understand that,
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and other people too
can understand that.
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So that what you're building
contributes culturally
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to the whole of society,
and not just for yourself
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00:11:55,586 --> 00:11:59,758
and your own private
aggrandisement or own career.
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00:12:04,448 --> 00:12:08,034
We as human beings
are very social creatures,
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and we live in towns, cities,
villages,
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and each building...
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..together with all the other
buildings around it,
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creates that public realm.
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And because we're social
creatures,
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00:12:20,862 --> 00:12:21,862
and because...
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00:12:23,655 --> 00:12:26,413
..to create something that
everyone can subscribe to
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00:12:26,517 --> 00:12:27,724
and everyone can believe in
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00:12:27,827 --> 00:12:30,068
and everyone can feel
belongs to them,
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00:12:30,172 --> 00:12:33,931
because that public realm
belongs to everybody,
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00:12:34,034 --> 00:12:36,275
you need to have
some sort of language
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00:12:36,379 --> 00:12:39,344
that allows you to be able
to add to buildings,
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00:12:39,448 --> 00:12:41,827
to an existing city.
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00:12:41,931 --> 00:12:45,344
And do so in a manner
which is respectful
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00:12:45,448 --> 00:12:49,034
and which actually works
as far as everybody's concerned,
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00:12:49,137 --> 00:12:51,517
and also allows
future generations to add
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00:12:51,620 --> 00:12:52,931
to what you've done.
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So that you get
the sort of places
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00:12:55,689 --> 00:12:59,034
that we all love in cities,
like Trafalgar Square in London
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00:12:59,137 --> 00:13:03,310
or the Piazzetta in Venice.
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00:13:03,413 --> 00:13:05,896
And it's that
at the end of the day
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00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:07,172
that we're all after,
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00:13:07,275 --> 00:13:11,000
creating these wonderful cities
that we can all enjoy
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00:13:11,103 --> 00:13:14,413
and live together harmoniously
in these places.
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[laughs]
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By doing that, you're able
to begin to develop something.
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It's a bit like writing a novel.
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00:13:26,206 --> 00:13:29,551
You know, if you didn't do it
in English,
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00:13:29,655 --> 00:13:31,413
how could you write the novel?
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00:13:31,517 --> 00:13:33,310
And that's why
you need that language,
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00:13:33,413 --> 00:13:36,000
to know how to respond
to things.
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00:13:36,103 --> 00:13:38,068
And respond to things
in a manner which is informed
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and something
that you can then take
241
00:13:41,034 --> 00:13:44,000
and then start fine tuning
and composing.
242
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And relating to all the various
different things
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00:13:47,103 --> 00:13:48,413
that you have to relate to.
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00:13:48,517 --> 00:13:50,724
And you're building
a new building on a site,
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00:13:50,827 --> 00:13:52,965
the building's next door.
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00:13:53,068 --> 00:13:54,620
Buildings behind.
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00:13:54,724 --> 00:13:56,482
What it looks like
from points of view.
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00:13:56,586 --> 00:13:58,965
If it's in the city
or in a town,
249
00:13:59,068 --> 00:14:00,172
the sort of different,
250
00:14:00,275 --> 00:14:03,068
different context
that you see it within,
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00:14:03,172 --> 00:14:04,448
how you approach it,
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00:14:04,551 --> 00:14:06,448
all that sort of thing
is all to do
253
00:14:06,551 --> 00:14:09,000
with how you're developing
the composition.
254
00:14:12,448 --> 00:14:16,448
And what's working
within a traditional style
255
00:14:16,551 --> 00:14:19,000
that allows you to do
is to refine all this
256
00:14:19,103 --> 00:14:22,068
and create something,
which is going to be enjoyable,
257
00:14:22,172 --> 00:14:24,620
beautiful and attractive
to people.
258
00:14:24,724 --> 00:14:26,448
Because at the end of the day,
259
00:14:26,551 --> 00:14:30,103
you're using the might
of everything
260
00:14:30,206 --> 00:14:34,413
that's been developed
before you, to your advantage.
261
00:14:34,517 --> 00:14:39,517
You know, why does the entasis
of a column feel so nice?
262
00:14:39,620 --> 00:14:41,206
You're not inventing that
from nowhere.
263
00:14:41,310 --> 00:14:43,724
You're taking it
and putting it there.
264
00:14:43,827 --> 00:14:48,965
Nobody really understands why
the volute on an ionic capital
265
00:14:49,068 --> 00:14:52,068
looks so brilliant
where it is on the top.
266
00:14:52,172 --> 00:14:54,172
But you can use that.
267
00:14:54,275 --> 00:14:56,034
And you can sort of
develop on it
268
00:14:56,137 --> 00:15:01,517
and put it together in a way
that uses all this knowledge
269
00:15:01,620 --> 00:15:05,517
and all this invention
which has happened
270
00:15:05,620 --> 00:15:09,482
generation after generation,
and use that to your advantage.
271
00:15:09,586 --> 00:15:13,793
And then you can get on
with the next bit,
272
00:15:13,896 --> 00:15:17,172
rather than developing
everything from scratch.
273
00:15:20,310 --> 00:15:22,379
Narrator: Behind all this
lies a message,
274
00:15:22,482 --> 00:15:26,827
that classicism can play a part
in modern life.
275
00:15:26,931 --> 00:15:29,551
John Simpson even took
that message to New York,
276
00:15:29,655 --> 00:15:31,827
knitting in four apartments
in a building
277
00:15:31,931 --> 00:15:34,827
that respects the area
on the Upper East Side,
278
00:15:34,931 --> 00:15:37,620
said to be the first
truly classical building
279
00:15:37,724 --> 00:15:40,965
to be constructed in Manhattan
since the 1960s.
280
00:15:41,068 --> 00:15:44,758
And in 2014,
his practice won the competition
281
00:15:44,862 --> 00:15:47,206
to design
the new School of Architecture
282
00:15:47,310 --> 00:15:50,448
at the University of Notre Dame
in Indiana,
283
00:15:50,551 --> 00:15:52,689
the world's leading institution
284
00:15:52,793 --> 00:15:54,620
teaching the classical
tradition.
285
00:15:56,172 --> 00:15:59,620
In Venice, he's tenderly
re-modelled the Palazzo Grimani
286
00:15:59,724 --> 00:16:02,482
where a complete 18th century
decorative scheme
287
00:16:02,586 --> 00:16:04,413
was hidden and revealed.
288
00:16:05,517 --> 00:16:06,896
It's in projects like this
289
00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,068
that the Simpson
attention to detail
290
00:16:09,172 --> 00:16:10,310
comes into its own.
291
00:16:10,413 --> 00:16:12,413
[orchestral music]
292
00:16:16,034 --> 00:16:18,172
- I enjoy designing big things.
293
00:16:18,275 --> 00:16:20,482
I enjoy designing small things,
you know.
294
00:16:20,586 --> 00:16:25,137
And we design anything
from a city to a candlestick,
295
00:16:25,241 --> 00:16:26,517
so... [laughs]
296
00:16:26,620 --> 00:16:28,793
So that's a nice thing to do.
297
00:16:28,896 --> 00:16:32,758
But actually to do it all
in relation to a building
298
00:16:32,862 --> 00:16:36,793
or a specific group of buildings
is marvellous,
299
00:16:36,896 --> 00:16:39,172
because you can see
the whole thing through
300
00:16:39,275 --> 00:16:41,586
from the large scale
to the small scale,
301
00:16:41,689 --> 00:16:44,241
and if you like,
302
00:16:44,344 --> 00:16:46,379
invent a whole world
of your own.
303
00:16:46,482 --> 00:16:47,517
[laughs]
304
00:16:49,206 --> 00:16:50,103
And what you do,
305
00:16:50,206 --> 00:16:53,034
is you study the buildings
that are there,
306
00:16:53,137 --> 00:16:54,310
and then you work out
307
00:16:54,413 --> 00:16:58,896
what the natural development
form is.
308
00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,827
And then you start
to work within that.
309
00:17:01,931 --> 00:17:03,551
I mean, that's what I mean
about a language.
310
00:17:03,655 --> 00:17:05,000
So you're starting
with a language
311
00:17:05,103 --> 00:17:07,000
that you understand
312
00:17:07,103 --> 00:17:11,103
And you look at it
in particular to that location,
313
00:17:11,206 --> 00:17:16,034
and then develop a design
within that.
314
00:17:17,965 --> 00:17:20,206
Narrator: John Simpson feels
comfortable in Venice,
315
00:17:20,310 --> 00:17:21,724
the city of Ruskin.
316
00:17:21,827 --> 00:17:25,655
This, after all, is Italy,
the home of Andrea Palladio
317
00:17:25,758 --> 00:17:28,379
whose architecture pattern books
helped spread his designs
318
00:17:28,482 --> 00:17:30,000
all over Europe.
319
00:17:30,103 --> 00:17:34,379
Then, craftsmen were all working
to the same standard.
320
00:17:34,482 --> 00:17:35,517
Not now.
321
00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:41,965
- In the past, this existed.
322
00:17:42,068 --> 00:17:43,068
It always existed.
323
00:17:43,172 --> 00:17:46,827
And, and you didn't have to work
with the same craftsmen
324
00:17:46,931 --> 00:17:47,827
all the time.
325
00:17:47,931 --> 00:17:49,068
You could work
with any craftsmen,
326
00:17:49,172 --> 00:17:51,827
because they were all educated
in that particular way
327
00:17:51,931 --> 00:17:53,655
and knew what you wanted.
328
00:17:53,758 --> 00:17:55,206
And, and when you,
329
00:17:55,310 --> 00:17:57,482
you could speak in shorthand
to them.
330
00:17:57,586 --> 00:17:59,862
You didn't have to put so much
detail on the drawing,
331
00:17:59,965 --> 00:18:02,344
because they automatically
did it.
332
00:18:02,448 --> 00:18:04,517
Now you have to draw
absolutely everything,
333
00:18:04,620 --> 00:18:06,620
and you have to make sure
it's all there,
334
00:18:06,724 --> 00:18:09,448
because they won't know
otherwise.
335
00:18:09,551 --> 00:18:12,068
Unless you're working
with somebody
336
00:18:12,172 --> 00:18:13,965
you've done this all
before with,
337
00:18:14,068 --> 00:18:17,206
and then that can be
carried through.
338
00:18:17,310 --> 00:18:18,413
And the same applies
339
00:18:18,517 --> 00:18:20,103
when you're designing something
much smaller,
340
00:18:20,206 --> 00:18:21,448
something you haven't done
before.
341
00:18:21,551 --> 00:18:24,034
You just have to research it,
find someone who can make it,
342
00:18:24,137 --> 00:18:27,241
discuss things with them,
and then work with them.
343
00:18:27,344 --> 00:18:28,896
Architecture is one
of those things
344
00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,655
when you're working
with the builder,
345
00:18:31,758 --> 00:18:33,344
you're working with the client,
346
00:18:33,448 --> 00:18:35,689
you're working
with the other engineers,
347
00:18:35,793 --> 00:18:38,620
and you're sort of pulling
the whole thing together.
348
00:18:38,724 --> 00:18:44,344
It's not sitting in a room
just imagining it all.
349
00:18:44,448 --> 00:18:48,310
[laughs] That's only a small
part of the whole process,
350
00:18:54,586 --> 00:18:56,482
Narrator: Now,
in a Hampshire village,
351
00:18:56,586 --> 00:18:59,689
John Simpson has built a house
for himself and his wife
352
00:18:59,793 --> 00:19:03,103
that playfully covers
all the architectural traditions
353
00:19:03,206 --> 00:19:04,793
which have made him famous.
354
00:19:37,827 --> 00:19:40,034
Narrator: John Simpson
has invited Marcus Binney,
355
00:19:40,137 --> 00:19:41,620
former editor of Country Life,
356
00:19:41,724 --> 00:19:43,827
architecture correspondent
of The Times
357
00:19:43,931 --> 00:19:46,793
and Executive President
of SAVE Britain's Heritage,
358
00:19:46,896 --> 00:19:50,034
to see his latest project,
a house in Hampshire.
359
00:19:52,655 --> 00:19:55,931
It's a building that sums up
his approach to architecture,
360
00:19:56,034 --> 00:19:57,551
using classicism
361
00:19:57,655 --> 00:19:59,655
and traditional methods
of construction
362
00:19:59,758 --> 00:20:02,655
but not afraid to include
all mod cons
363
00:20:02,758 --> 00:20:05,655
to produce a home for him
and his wife.
364
00:20:05,758 --> 00:20:08,068
There's even a swimming pool.
365
00:20:08,172 --> 00:20:13,206
And it's a house full
of visual and practical tricks.
366
00:20:13,310 --> 00:20:17,758
- Well, to open this,
you just move the furniture.
367
00:20:29,689 --> 00:20:31,620
And then do a little dance.
368
00:20:31,724 --> 00:20:32,758
[LAUGH]
369
00:20:36,689 --> 00:20:37,724
Oops.
370
00:20:40,896 --> 00:20:42,586
And there you are.
371
00:20:42,689 --> 00:20:45,758
The floor's up,
and you open the watergate.
372
00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:52,241
And you're ready
to go into the pool.
373
00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:00,551
If you're building something
374
00:21:00,655 --> 00:21:02,862
which alludes to something
quite old,
375
00:21:02,965 --> 00:21:06,034
I mean, we started here
with a design
376
00:21:06,137 --> 00:21:09,448
which has, has its roots
in 1490s.
377
00:21:09,551 --> 00:21:13,103
So, so it only makes sense,
378
00:21:13,206 --> 00:21:14,448
you wouldn't just build,
379
00:21:14,551 --> 00:21:16,689
it's a bit artificial
building a building
380
00:21:16,793 --> 00:21:20,068
which is pure 1490s,
381
00:21:20,172 --> 00:21:22,620
and has, and has never,
nothing's happened to it since.
382
00:21:22,724 --> 00:21:23,655
Marcus: Right, yeah.
383
00:21:23,758 --> 00:21:26,172
- So, and anyway,
I wanted to get a bit more,
384
00:21:26,275 --> 00:21:28,068
you know, more interest,
more classicism.
385
00:21:28,172 --> 00:21:29,103
I couldn't have a building
386
00:21:29,206 --> 00:21:31,068
without anything classical
in it anyway.
387
00:21:31,172 --> 00:21:32,103
[laughs]
388
00:21:32,206 --> 00:21:37,034
So the idea of doing something
which had a history to it.
389
00:21:37,137 --> 00:21:39,310
You know, starts in 1490
390
00:21:39,413 --> 00:21:40,931
and then has had things
added to it
391
00:21:41,034 --> 00:21:42,689
and adjusted from there.
392
00:21:42,793 --> 00:21:47,862
And then you have later,
classical bits.
393
00:21:47,965 --> 00:21:49,931
And then of course,
contemporary bits
394
00:21:50,034 --> 00:21:51,931
in the way the sort of,
the swimming pool works
395
00:21:52,034 --> 00:21:57,103
and all that kind of thing is,
is pure 21st century, isn't it?
396
00:22:00,827 --> 00:22:02,310
Narrator:
John Simpson has designed
397
00:22:02,413 --> 00:22:04,206
not only the watergate here,
398
00:22:04,310 --> 00:22:07,034
but also much
of the Empire furniture,
399
00:22:07,137 --> 00:22:09,931
the classical columns,
the wallpaper,
400
00:22:10,034 --> 00:22:12,551
he is the
architect's architect.
401
00:22:14,965 --> 00:22:17,586
And, though this is intended
to be a hall house,
402
00:22:17,689 --> 00:22:20,655
nodding to what he believes
was previously on this site,
403
00:22:20,758 --> 00:22:23,448
it's a hall house that's
considerably more comfortable
404
00:22:23,551 --> 00:22:24,655
that the original.
405
00:22:27,793 --> 00:22:28,931
John:
To create something like this,
406
00:22:29,034 --> 00:22:30,896
you really have to do it
authentically.
407
00:22:31,000 --> 00:22:34,000
So we went to somebody
who builds
408
00:22:34,103 --> 00:22:40,586
timber frame buildings,
like this, using green oak.
409
00:22:40,689 --> 00:22:43,931
And doing it
in the traditional manner.
410
00:22:44,034 --> 00:22:46,413
But of course it's all very well
saying you get to do that,
411
00:22:46,517 --> 00:22:51,000
but in the in the 1490s
and thereabouts,
412
00:22:51,103 --> 00:22:53,413
of course, people liked
quite a lot of ventilation
413
00:22:53,517 --> 00:22:55,896
and kept the smoke down
from the fires,
414
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:59,379
and they sort of kept the smells
out of the house.
415
00:22:59,482 --> 00:23:00,413
[laughs]
416
00:23:00,517 --> 00:23:04,413
To fit in with modern day
regulations of course.
417
00:23:05,827 --> 00:23:08,517
And where the buildings
need to be sealed and all that,
418
00:23:08,620 --> 00:23:10,103
once we really got to adapt
all this
419
00:23:10,206 --> 00:23:12,689
and make it work
for the modern context.
420
00:23:12,793 --> 00:23:14,724
So yes, a bit of technology
421
00:23:14,827 --> 00:23:17,000
and sort of being clever
about it
422
00:23:17,103 --> 00:23:18,206
and detailing the whole thing
423
00:23:18,310 --> 00:23:20,103
so that you can make the thing
work.
424
00:23:21,275 --> 00:23:24,655
And make it work
within a modern context.
425
00:23:24,758 --> 00:23:25,965
Marcus:
The paintings on the ceilings,
426
00:23:26,068 --> 00:23:27,620
how were they done?
427
00:23:27,724 --> 00:23:30,241
- Yes, well,
428
00:23:30,344 --> 00:23:33,448
I certainly couldn't have
afforded to have somebody
429
00:23:33,551 --> 00:23:36,931
sitting up there
painting it all on.
430
00:23:37,034 --> 00:23:38,275
[laughs]
431
00:23:38,379 --> 00:23:40,827
And of course these days,
I mean, which is again,
432
00:23:40,931 --> 00:23:43,689
where the 21st century
comes into it,
433
00:23:43,793 --> 00:23:46,172
it's the sort of thing
you can do quite easily,
434
00:23:46,275 --> 00:23:50,103
if you use the technology
that, that is available today.
435
00:23:50,206 --> 00:23:53,206
I mean, these patterns
that were up there,
436
00:23:53,310 --> 00:23:56,758
were really just drawn
on a computer digitally
437
00:23:56,862 --> 00:23:59,620
and then, what we did is we...
438
00:23:59,724 --> 00:24:03,310
You can have them sent off
and then printed
439
00:24:03,413 --> 00:24:06,344
onto a wallpaper, in effect.
440
00:24:06,448 --> 00:24:08,413
Which in the past would have
been quite expensive.
441
00:24:08,517 --> 00:24:10,896
But these days
with, with digital technology,
442
00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:12,448
it's quite easy to do.
443
00:24:12,551 --> 00:24:14,275
And very economic.
444
00:24:14,379 --> 00:24:15,862
And then it's just...
445
00:24:17,068 --> 00:24:19,241
..you put it up there
and stick it up there.
446
00:24:19,344 --> 00:24:21,034
Marcus: But as well
as the oak hammer beams
447
00:24:21,137 --> 00:24:24,758
and roof we see, you've got this
beautiful screen here
448
00:24:24,862 --> 00:24:27,689
with these classical columns,
these Roman Doric columns.
449
00:24:27,793 --> 00:24:29,827
John: Uh-huh. That's right.
Marcus: So how are they made?
450
00:24:29,931 --> 00:24:32,206
Are they single shafts
or what are they?
451
00:24:32,310 --> 00:24:33,517
John: Oh, they,
they were made,
452
00:24:33,620 --> 00:24:37,000
I mean, they were made
in the traditional manner,
453
00:24:37,103 --> 00:24:38,620
rather like a barrel.
454
00:24:38,724 --> 00:24:40,310
Where it's all made in segments.
455
00:24:40,413 --> 00:24:41,965
And they're all fixed together.
456
00:24:42,068 --> 00:24:45,310
And then, and then it's turned.
457
00:24:45,413 --> 00:24:47,103
And if you turn
so you then get it
458
00:24:47,206 --> 00:24:50,793
to the right sort of emphasis
and make the whole thing work.
459
00:24:50,896 --> 00:24:55,379
These skills are still around
and that people can do this,
460
00:24:55,482 --> 00:24:57,000
and know exactly how to do it,
461
00:24:57,103 --> 00:24:59,000
and of course
with modern technology,
462
00:24:59,103 --> 00:25:01,896
it's actually a lot easier
than it was in the past.
463
00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:02,931
[laughs]
464
00:25:03,034 --> 00:25:07,310
- All around us
are these delightful conceits.
465
00:25:07,413 --> 00:25:10,068
And you can't resist
using mirrors.
466
00:25:10,172 --> 00:25:12,862
- Well, it's something
that I've done on many projects.
467
00:25:12,965 --> 00:25:16,000
It's one of those things
that's, I suppose,
468
00:25:16,103 --> 00:25:17,896
it's a preoccupation of mine,
469
00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,965
trying to make the most
of the place
470
00:25:20,068 --> 00:25:23,517
by, by, by,
and the light as well,
471
00:25:23,620 --> 00:25:26,241
by using mirrors
reflecting things
472
00:25:26,344 --> 00:25:27,620
and making things look bigger
473
00:25:27,724 --> 00:25:29,551
and giving the illusion
to some extent
474
00:25:29,655 --> 00:25:32,724
of something which, which,
which in this particular case
475
00:25:32,827 --> 00:25:33,793
was fairly significant.
476
00:25:33,896 --> 00:25:37,689
Because at some point,
when the building was going up,
477
00:25:37,793 --> 00:25:40,413
I came in and thought,
oh my goodness,
478
00:25:40,517 --> 00:25:42,793
I should have made this
a bay bigger.
479
00:25:42,896 --> 00:25:44,275
It's really too small.
480
00:25:44,379 --> 00:25:45,827
[laughs]
481
00:25:45,931 --> 00:25:48,034
But of course
on the other hand,
482
00:25:48,137 --> 00:25:51,758
it, it, it's,
despite that I didn't want
483
00:25:51,862 --> 00:25:53,448
to make it just into a big hall.
484
00:25:53,551 --> 00:25:56,517
I mean, this this is a house,
it's got to be comfortable.
485
00:25:56,620 --> 00:25:58,310
And to some extent,
although this is a hall,
486
00:25:58,413 --> 00:26:03,103
it's also rather comfortable
drawing room to some extent,
487
00:26:03,206 --> 00:26:05,068
or dining room.
488
00:26:05,172 --> 00:26:07,655
So this was a way of getting
both things, actually.
489
00:26:07,758 --> 00:26:09,931
Getting something which is nice
and comfortable
490
00:26:10,034 --> 00:26:12,724
and enjoyable to live in
on a day-to-day basis
491
00:26:12,827 --> 00:26:14,206
and yet having that illusion
492
00:26:14,310 --> 00:26:17,965
of the grand, large,
medieval hall.
493
00:26:18,068 --> 00:26:19,068
[laughs]
494
00:26:22,517 --> 00:26:24,620
Narrator: Under a thatched roof
there's a library,
495
00:26:24,724 --> 00:26:28,965
four bedrooms, a modern kitchen,
drawing room, pool room
496
00:26:29,068 --> 00:26:32,034
and that double-height hall
complete with lantern,
497
00:26:32,137 --> 00:26:33,206
and weathervane.
498
00:26:35,689 --> 00:26:39,172
John: The lantern,
which, of course, sits centrally
499
00:26:39,275 --> 00:26:41,068
over the great hall,
500
00:26:41,172 --> 00:26:42,310
and of course, historically
501
00:26:42,413 --> 00:26:44,793
would have been
where the fire was, the brazier,
502
00:26:44,896 --> 00:26:48,034
which would have sort of
vented up at the top,
503
00:26:48,137 --> 00:26:51,310
and of course, that's been,
historically would have been
504
00:26:51,413 --> 00:26:56,551
replaced sometime later
with a, a lantern
505
00:26:56,655 --> 00:26:59,137
for, to let the light in.
506
00:26:59,241 --> 00:27:02,344
I rather fancied the idea,
of being able to tell
507
00:27:02,448 --> 00:27:05,655
which way the wind was blowing
before I went out
508
00:27:05,758 --> 00:27:08,551
into the cold winter air.
509
00:27:08,655 --> 00:27:09,793
[laughs]
510
00:27:09,896 --> 00:27:14,310
So we actually connected
the arrow on the underside,
511
00:27:14,413 --> 00:27:17,034
so when the weather vane
turns around,
512
00:27:17,137 --> 00:27:19,758
it actually operates the arrow
on the inside
513
00:27:19,862 --> 00:27:22,034
so you can see which way
the wind is blowing.
514
00:27:22,137 --> 00:27:23,137
[laughs]
515
00:27:26,137 --> 00:27:27,034
Narrator: And here,
516
00:27:27,137 --> 00:27:29,379
after nearly 40 years
in practice,
517
00:27:29,482 --> 00:27:32,896
John Simpson, whose father
was an architect before him,
518
00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:34,896
has stamped his mark
on something
519
00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:36,896
that is entirely his.
520
00:27:38,689 --> 00:27:40,517
- What I had to do here,
521
00:27:40,620 --> 00:27:44,068
having decided to have
an oriel window like this,
522
00:27:44,172 --> 00:27:46,965
which of course has to have
some stained glass in it,
523
00:27:47,068 --> 00:27:49,517
I had to sort of
work out something
524
00:27:49,620 --> 00:27:52,586
that I could put in there
which actually was relevant.
525
00:27:52,689 --> 00:27:55,137
So on the one hand,
you've got on the left,
526
00:27:55,241 --> 00:27:57,275
my father's
heraldic achievement,
527
00:27:57,379 --> 00:28:01,586
with his, with the Order
of Saint John of Jerusalem,
528
00:28:01,689 --> 00:28:05,241
the Hospital of Jerusalem,
which he designed and built.
529
00:28:05,344 --> 00:28:09,620
In the centre is my maternal
grandmother's coat of arms,
530
00:28:09,724 --> 00:28:11,344
which goes back to...
531
00:28:12,448 --> 00:28:13,862
..ancient Constantinople.
532
00:28:13,965 --> 00:28:15,000
[laughs]
533
00:28:17,275 --> 00:28:21,034
And on the right, of course,
is my own coat of arms.
534
00:28:21,137 --> 00:28:25,000
I suppose it's a bit like
writing a book.
535
00:28:25,103 --> 00:28:27,310
you know, you sort of...
536
00:28:30,103 --> 00:28:36,689
..build in all the things
that, that you find interesting.
537
00:28:36,793 --> 00:28:38,310
And then you have to find ways
to do this.
538
00:28:38,413 --> 00:28:41,482
You know,
and ways to build in,
539
00:28:41,586 --> 00:28:43,896
and this here in particular,
540
00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:45,206
because we have had,
541
00:28:45,310 --> 00:28:47,137
I was building something
I'm not quite used to,
542
00:28:47,241 --> 00:28:50,827
sort of building a thatched,
medieval house.
543
00:28:50,931 --> 00:28:55,310
I needed to bring in
some of the things
544
00:28:55,413 --> 00:28:58,206
that I find very interesting.
545
00:28:58,310 --> 00:29:01,793
You know, having to do
with classical tradition
546
00:29:01,896 --> 00:29:05,275
and all that, and sort of
the idea of actually finding
547
00:29:05,379 --> 00:29:10,172
a rustic way of introducing
that into the whole context
548
00:29:10,275 --> 00:29:14,103
of a thatched medieval house
like this,
549
00:29:14,206 --> 00:29:15,793
I found rather interesting.
550
00:29:18,241 --> 00:29:20,448
It's really a matter
of making the whole thing work,
551
00:29:20,551 --> 00:29:23,965
and finding ways of,
of weaving things into it
552
00:29:24,068 --> 00:29:25,275
and stories into it,
553
00:29:25,379 --> 00:29:27,620
and giving it a sort of,
much more,
554
00:29:27,724 --> 00:29:28,896
well, having fun, essentially.
555
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,000
[soft music]
556
00:29:56,655 --> 00:29:58,068
Narrator:
John Simpson has never felt
557
00:29:58,172 --> 00:30:01,586
the odd man out in a profession
that is overwhelmingly attracted
558
00:30:01,689 --> 00:30:03,310
to modernism.
559
00:30:03,413 --> 00:30:06,827
His new classicism is admired
not only by the Prince of Wales
560
00:30:06,931 --> 00:30:09,551
but also by dozens of clients
all over the world,
561
00:30:09,655 --> 00:30:12,482
private and institutional.
562
00:30:12,586 --> 00:30:16,275
He keeps alive the old methods,
including sketching and drawing,
563
00:30:16,379 --> 00:30:18,517
keeps artisans in business,
564
00:30:18,620 --> 00:30:22,172
and worries that traditional
skills are being lost.
565
00:30:23,517 --> 00:30:26,793
- They don't draw now,
unfortunately.
566
00:30:26,896 --> 00:30:30,724
And that I think
is, is a great tragedy,
567
00:30:30,827 --> 00:30:34,206
because they end up
sitting before computers
568
00:30:34,310 --> 00:30:36,068
and before these screens
569
00:30:36,172 --> 00:30:38,206
and they spend
all these hours
570
00:30:38,310 --> 00:30:41,000
sort of sitting there,
sort of clicking on a mouse.
571
00:30:42,517 --> 00:30:46,793
And it is nowhere near
as instructive or as enjoyable
572
00:30:46,896 --> 00:30:47,827
as it used to be
573
00:30:47,931 --> 00:30:50,689
when I would be sitting there
and drawing with a pencil
574
00:30:50,793 --> 00:30:52,413
or a pen,
575
00:30:52,517 --> 00:30:56,103
because you can actually feel
the building a lot more
576
00:30:56,206 --> 00:30:58,068
as you draw it by hand.
577
00:30:58,172 --> 00:31:01,241
And I hope technology
is going to develop,
578
00:31:01,344 --> 00:31:04,000
because I think
we're probably in the early days
579
00:31:04,103 --> 00:31:07,275
of electronic technology
and I'm sure it's not long
580
00:31:07,379 --> 00:31:09,896
before people will be drawing
with a stylus again.
581
00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,310
And it might be picked up
on a computer
582
00:31:12,413 --> 00:31:14,448
because there are lots
of brilliant things
583
00:31:14,551 --> 00:31:15,482
about a computer.
584
00:31:15,586 --> 00:31:18,241
You know, it records all this
information accurately,
585
00:31:18,344 --> 00:31:19,620
carries it through.
586
00:31:19,724 --> 00:31:23,310
So I mean, it's not,
we use them all the time,
587
00:31:23,413 --> 00:31:25,689
because there's this great
benefit in doing that.
588
00:31:25,793 --> 00:31:29,275
But at the moment,
there is a great disadvantage
589
00:31:29,379 --> 00:31:33,793
for the poor human being who's
having to interact with it.
590
00:31:33,896 --> 00:31:37,448
And I hope that will all
put itself right
591
00:31:37,551 --> 00:31:40,758
over the next 10 or 20 years.
592
00:31:41,862 --> 00:31:43,000
Narrator: What of the future?
593
00:31:43,103 --> 00:31:44,862
John Simpson can't go on
forever.
594
00:31:44,965 --> 00:31:46,241
That he knows,
595
00:31:46,344 --> 00:31:49,034
and apart from the architects
in his own practice,
596
00:31:49,137 --> 00:31:51,517
to whom he gives credit
for his success,
597
00:31:51,620 --> 00:31:54,379
he's keen to pass on his style.
598
00:31:54,482 --> 00:31:57,344
So, he's establishing
a new School of Architecture
599
00:31:57,448 --> 00:31:59,000
at the University of Buckingham
600
00:31:59,103 --> 00:32:01,724
which will teach
traditional architecture
601
00:32:01,827 --> 00:32:06,137
but use 21st century technology,
computers and robotics
602
00:32:06,241 --> 00:32:08,965
to put that architecture
into practice.
603
00:32:09,068 --> 00:32:10,827
John: What's really essential
604
00:32:10,931 --> 00:32:12,931
and what really needs to be done
at the moment,
605
00:32:13,034 --> 00:32:15,482
is actually to have
a school of architecture
606
00:32:15,586 --> 00:32:20,586
which gives you the whole basis
607
00:32:20,689 --> 00:32:22,000
of what architecture
is all about,
608
00:32:22,103 --> 00:32:23,655
so you understand it.
609
00:32:23,758 --> 00:32:27,206
And then for the students
to decide
610
00:32:27,310 --> 00:32:29,068
what they want to do from there.
611
00:32:30,448 --> 00:32:32,344
Narrator:
The Simpsons are settling in
612
00:32:32,448 --> 00:32:35,034
and unpacking
in their new, old house.
613
00:32:37,275 --> 00:32:39,379
John Simpson is taking time out
614
00:32:39,482 --> 00:32:41,517
to think about
what his long career
615
00:32:41,620 --> 00:32:43,724
in new classicism means
616
00:32:43,827 --> 00:32:46,448
and how, consciously
and sub-consciously,
617
00:32:46,551 --> 00:32:48,517
he's brought all his ideas
together
618
00:32:48,620 --> 00:32:50,068
in a thatched house
619
00:32:50,172 --> 00:32:52,724
that those who pass by
may think was built
620
00:32:52,827 --> 00:32:54,551
in the fifteenth century
621
00:32:54,655 --> 00:32:58,724
but which was, in fact,
designed in the twenty-first.
622
00:32:58,827 --> 00:33:02,413
It's back to that idea
of architecture as a language.
623
00:33:03,620 --> 00:33:06,103
John: Just like, say,
spelling in English.
624
00:33:06,206 --> 00:33:07,931
Why do we use a 'T' in often?
625
00:33:09,068 --> 00:33:11,034
We've forgotten.
We don't know why.
626
00:33:11,137 --> 00:33:13,137
But we, we do it.
627
00:33:13,241 --> 00:33:14,965
And it's all part
of the language.
628
00:33:15,068 --> 00:33:17,551
And part of the grammar
in the sense that
629
00:33:17,655 --> 00:33:19,344
if that capital
on an ionic column
630
00:33:19,448 --> 00:33:21,000
wasn't used at the top
but at the bottom,
631
00:33:21,103 --> 00:33:23,586
everyone would know,
what's he up to there?
632
00:33:23,689 --> 00:33:25,000
[laughs]
633
00:33:25,103 --> 00:33:28,344
When you're dealing
with a half timbered house...
634
00:33:28,448 --> 00:33:30,793
..you don't have
such a developed language
635
00:33:30,896 --> 00:33:31,896
to deal with,
636
00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:37,172
and it's not quite like working
with classical ornament.
637
00:33:37,275 --> 00:33:39,931
So if you do add any ornament
to the building,
638
00:33:40,034 --> 00:33:41,896
it tends to mean more.
639
00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:43,206
And of course
if you're putting up
640
00:33:43,310 --> 00:33:45,000
a great, big oriel window
641
00:33:45,103 --> 00:33:47,275
you have to put
some stained glass in it.
642
00:33:47,379 --> 00:33:50,344
And if you put the stained glass
in this oriel...
643
00:33:50,448 --> 00:33:52,827
..you do have to invent
some sort of reason
644
00:33:52,931 --> 00:33:54,413
as to why you're putting
it there,
645
00:33:54,517 --> 00:33:55,655
what it's all about,
646
00:33:55,758 --> 00:33:57,137
and what it means,
647
00:33:57,241 --> 00:33:58,655
because traditionally,
648
00:33:58,758 --> 00:34:00,827
you would have had
your coat of arms up there
649
00:34:00,931 --> 00:34:02,758
and it would have meant,
you know, it was,
650
00:34:02,862 --> 00:34:06,448
a celebration of the owner
and who the owner was
651
00:34:06,551 --> 00:34:07,965
and all that kind of thing.
652
00:34:08,068 --> 00:34:12,965
So you do need to sort of
build up a sort of history,
653
00:34:13,068 --> 00:34:14,793
if you like,
654
00:34:14,896 --> 00:34:17,551
because the, the,
all the decoration
655
00:34:17,655 --> 00:34:23,379
is so much more iconographic,
and less just a language.
656
00:34:57,517 --> 00:34:58,620
Narrator: For Marcus Binney,
657
00:34:58,724 --> 00:35:00,586
himself educated
in the classics,
658
00:35:00,689 --> 00:35:02,517
the visit to John Simpson's
house
659
00:35:02,620 --> 00:35:06,931
has proved to him
that classicism is not dead.
660
00:35:13,034 --> 00:35:15,344
Marcus: You're a torchbearer
for classical architecture.
661
00:35:15,448 --> 00:35:19,586
Greek Revival, Roman Revival,
Regency, Empire.
662
00:35:19,689 --> 00:35:22,241
But here, we're in a
different world.
663
00:35:22,344 --> 00:35:24,551
- Well, yes, but it's all part
of a tradition.
664
00:35:24,655 --> 00:35:26,000
And of course the basis
665
00:35:26,103 --> 00:35:28,793
of what classicism and tradition
is all about,
666
00:35:28,896 --> 00:35:30,620
is that you're not just building
a building
667
00:35:30,724 --> 00:35:32,793
as an entity in itself.
668
00:35:32,896 --> 00:35:35,896
You're actually building
it so as to contribute
669
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:40,103
and create a village or a city
or a whole neighbourhood
670
00:35:40,206 --> 00:35:42,241
that the building
needs to relate to.
671
00:35:42,344 --> 00:35:44,655
Here, of course,
we've got a village
672
00:35:44,758 --> 00:35:49,172
which is full of thatched,
half-timbred houses.
673
00:35:49,275 --> 00:35:51,310
So that was the place to start.
674
00:35:51,413 --> 00:35:54,758
It just made sense
to start there.
675
00:35:54,862 --> 00:35:56,827
Because that thing adds
to the whole village
676
00:35:56,931 --> 00:35:59,103
and it becomes part
of the whole thing.
677
00:35:59,206 --> 00:36:03,517
And it builds on the history,
so it's, and the identity.
678
00:36:03,620 --> 00:36:04,965
Which is what it's all about.
679
00:36:05,068 --> 00:36:08,206
And that's really having
that flexibility,
680
00:36:08,310 --> 00:36:10,517
ability to work with all that,
681
00:36:10,620 --> 00:36:12,000
which is what tradition
682
00:36:12,103 --> 00:36:14,379
and classicism
is really all about.
683
00:36:31,724 --> 00:36:33,034
Narrator:
So, what's the verdict?
684
00:36:33,137 --> 00:36:35,413
What would
the architecture writer
685
00:36:35,517 --> 00:36:38,379
write about John Simpson's
latest creation?
686
00:36:40,965 --> 00:36:44,241
- All his life, he's designed
wonderful houses and buildings
687
00:36:44,344 --> 00:36:45,517
for other people.
688
00:36:45,620 --> 00:36:47,827
But here, this is his own house
689
00:36:47,931 --> 00:36:50,275
and he has been able
to do what he wants
690
00:36:50,379 --> 00:36:53,482
and bring together
a whole lifetime of ideas
691
00:36:53,586 --> 00:36:55,103
in microcosm,
692
00:36:55,206 --> 00:36:58,206
but with a sense of surprise
wherever you turn.
693
00:37:00,482 --> 00:37:02,827
It looks like a traditional
thatched house
694
00:37:02,931 --> 00:37:05,379
in a lovely unspoiled village.
695
00:37:05,482 --> 00:37:08,862
And I had no idea
what was going to be inside
696
00:37:08,965 --> 00:37:12,137
in terms of the sense of space
and style.
697
00:37:14,862 --> 00:37:17,310
He's been able
to do what he wants
698
00:37:17,413 --> 00:37:19,724
to exercise his own imagination,
699
00:37:19,827 --> 00:37:24,896
to introduce conceits, tricks,
wonderful use of materials.
700
00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,310
You know, every idea,
701
00:37:26,413 --> 00:37:28,758
he hasn't had another client
he's had to convince.
702
00:37:28,862 --> 00:37:32,896
He's only letting his own
imagination develop.
703
00:37:33,000 --> 00:37:35,310
Because this is
the architect's house.
704
00:39:23,206 --> 00:39:25,206
Narrator: Next time...
705
00:39:25,310 --> 00:39:28,344
Opened in May 1873,
Alexandra Palace
706
00:39:28,448 --> 00:39:31,000
was hailed as
the 'people's palace'.
707
00:39:31,103 --> 00:39:33,896
Two weeks later, it burned down.
708
00:39:34,000 --> 00:39:36,344
Rebuilt, it became famous
as the first home
709
00:39:36,448 --> 00:39:38,827
of BBC television in 1936,
710
00:39:38,931 --> 00:39:40,517
and the mast which transmitted
711
00:39:40,620 --> 00:39:43,275
the world's first fully
electronic television pictures
712
00:39:43,379 --> 00:39:44,448
survives.
713
00:39:45,517 --> 00:39:48,241
The theatre wasn't so lucky.
714
00:39:48,344 --> 00:39:50,931
Used by the BBC to store props,
715
00:39:51,034 --> 00:39:53,758
it's been hidden
from public view for 80 years.
716
00:39:53,862 --> 00:39:57,103
Now, this sleeping beauty
has been restored.
717
00:39:58,172 --> 00:40:00,413
But this is
no ordinary restoration.
718
00:40:00,517 --> 00:40:04,482
The architects who took it on
settled on a design philosophy
719
00:40:04,586 --> 00:40:07,413
that said decay was part
of the story
720
00:40:07,517 --> 00:40:08,793
and should stay.
721
00:40:08,896 --> 00:40:10,965
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