1-6, Little Orchard, Dinas Powis, Vale of Glamorgan

History

Little Orchard is a development of 6 houses by the Cardiff architects Thomas Glyn Jones and John R Evans. The scheme was implemented in 2 phases, with plans for the first phase approved in 1966. 4 houses had been completed by 1968; 2 more were completed in 1973. The first phase won a Welsh Office Housing Medal in 1968 and a Concrete Society Award in 1969. In 1972 the scheme won the gold medal in architecture at the Haverfordwest Eisteddfod.
An immediate influence was Paul Rudolph''s Art and Architecture building at Yale University which was published in the U.K. in Progressive Architecture in 1964; this building also used the rugged in-situ concrete which is a hallmark of Little Orchard. The houses also clearly show Scandinavian influence (especially the work of Aalto in Finland), and acknowledge a debt to le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright. They give expression to several important contemporary themes including:
- Working with the expressionistic properties of the chosen material - celebrating and enhancing the rough qualities in in-situ concrete (which the architects considered a reference to the rugged Welsh landscape, but which had become highly pertinent in the development of a modern aesthetic since its use by Le Corbusier).
- The inter-penetration of internal and external space.
- A modern picturesque in which the houses are skillfully linked in a harmonious composition, both with each other, and with their landscaped setting.
- Practicality in the selection of materials and methods of building: the ribbed concrete allowed long-term consistency even under adverse weathering conditions - other materials were also chosen for their durability, and the high levels of insulation made contact with the outdoors via large areas of glazing practical.

Exterior

The 6 houses form a self-contained group in a carefully designed setting.
Granite sets accent the tarmac of the curving roadway, line the banks and surround a tree which punctuates the widened space at the end of the cul-de-sac. There are stone-faced retaining walls to the high bank at the entrance to the site, and similar detailing where banks are cut for access to parking areas. The setting is characterised by open landscaped banks on the road-side, and enclosed gardens to rear, and is notable for the retention of many mature trees.

The 6 houses are unified by consistent use of the same architectural language, and represent a careful rhythmic composition in which each building, whilst individually designed for its particular position and aspect, is linked to its neighbours both visually and literally (by white painted connecting walls with railed garden gates).The design exploits its sloping site by positioning the accommodation on an upper level over garages and stores on the road side, bringing it to ground level at the rear, with direct access to enclosed gardens.

The houses are largely concrete construction, dominated by the use of cast in-situ ribbed and hammered concrete for some sections of the principal storey, but with some walls of painted concrete block construction. Fair-faced reinforced in-situ cast concrete painted white for the ground floor construction. Reinforced concrete floor slabs, and wood-wool slabs to flat roofs. Timber framed roof boxes, clad in standing-seam aluminium were part of the original design in phase 2, and are later additions to numbers 1 and 3. Where used, the ribbed concrete is sometimes also expressed internally, but other internal walls are concrete block, painted but unplastered. Aluminium and timber windows, used as glazed walls to living rooms, tall windows with a central transom elsewhere. Timber entrance doors with side lights to entrance doors.

The contrasts of rough and smooth, solid and void, variously combined in a rigorous geometry, are the key design principals. The inter-penetration of internal and external space is achieved by large areas of glazing, by extending internal walls to punctuate the external envelope, and continuing wall and ceiling finish across walls of glazing.

Number 1 has simple rectilinear form, but was later modified by the addition of a roof box: roof terrace has glass panelled balustrade. The house presents two elevations to the street, both in ribbed concrete. Entrance in centre of long front elevation in cast-glass porch using extruded ribbed profilit glass which echoes the ribbed treatment of the concrete. Garage beneath the shorter stepped return. Vertical windows in each elevation. Rear elevation not seen but original plans indicate painted blockwork with glazed wall to living room and continuous fascia.

Number 2 remains virtually as built: A simple rectangular block, with entrance to right of centre in cast-glass porch using extruded ribbed profilit glass which echoes the ribbed treatment of the concrete. This is approached up steps from garage level, which is built under the left-hand section of the house. Vertical windows in ribbed concrete wall to either side of entrance. Rear is largely white fair-faced concrete, with large glazed areas and overall projecting fascia forming a strong geometric composition.

Number 3 is L-plan, with long rectilinear block facing the street. It was later modified by the addition of a roof box above the right-hand section of the house. Garage is beneath this section, and cantilevered steps to its left lead to terrace in front of entrance and glazed wall of dining room on the left. A white-painted wall separating entrance from dining room is advanced as a fin to subdivide this area, which is articulated by an advanced fascia (painted), and stopped by the advanced side wall in ribbed concrete. Ribbed concrete wall with vertical windows in right-hand section. Living room in rear wing, not seen, but original plans show glazed wall to garden and ribbed concrete return wall.

Number 4 retains the original shape, but has lost some detail. L-plan, with long rectilinear block facing street. Garage under left-hand section, whence cantilevered steps lead to terrace in front of entrance (the original doorway lost) and glazed wall of dining room. White-painted wall separating entrance from dining area is advanced as a fin to subdivide this glazed area, which is articulated by an advanced fascia (detail changed) and stopped by the advanced side wall in ribbed concrete; windows replaced in original openings in ribbed concrete wall to right. Living room in wing to rear, not seen, but original plans show glazed wall onto garden, and ribbed concrete return wall.

Number 5 was part of the final phase, and was designed with a roof box from the outset (though this was subsequently extended). The house forms a long rectangular block, with the lower-level garage and entrance advanced at right-angles to it surmounted by a deep terrace in front of the glazed wall of dining-room and stair hall. The internal dividing wall here projects as a white fin. Advanced timber fascia articulates this glazed area. Ribbed concrete block to right, pierced by horizontal kitchen window, and wrapped around corner. Fair-faced concrete block walling to left. Roof-box in two sections above: raking wall to right hand section, straight-sided block to left, with roof-terrace beyond. Rear elevation not seen, but original plans show block-work walls, and living room advanced behind entrance area with glazed wall to garden.

Number 6 was also part of the final phase, and was designed with a roof box from the outset. It remains virtually as built. Long rectilinear block of ribbed concrete, with garage under right-hand section. Steps built into bank lead to the white-painted cantilevered terrace in front of the entrance and glazed wall of dining room. Internal dividing wall between entrance and dining area projects as a white fin. Timber fascia advanced over glazed area, and the terrace continues in front of tall bedroom window in concrete wall to right. Further vertical window set to extreme left in concrete wall. Roof box over left-hand side has raking sides and horizontal strip window.

Rear elevation has a strong geometry: the main accommodation block forms a long low rectangle, with secondary trapezoidal block formed by the roof-box above. Fair-faced white painted wall to kitchen to, left with large glazed wall of sitting room to right (wrapped round angle). A boarded fascia is advanced across the entire façade. Roof box above, with large windows, and railed terrace area.

Interior

Each house adopts a similar principal of planning with the dining room adjacent to the entrance lobby at the centre, from which bedroom wings, kitchen and living room open off. Bedroom wings have lobbies with top-lit bath-rooms and built-in storage. Numbers 5 and 6 were designed with spiral stairs to roof box accommodation. Where ribbed concrete was used, it is sometimes expressed internally, but most internal walls are either unplastered painted blockwork or vertically boarded wood. Ceilings are cedar-boarded, continued beyond glazed walls where projecting fascias are used.

Reasons for Listing

Listed as a highly unusual small-scale housing development, tightly designed in a bold modern idiom. Notwithstanding some alteration and loss of detail, the overall composition is intact, and the architectural language remains clear: the bold, expressive use of concrete in various forms created a visually interesting, structurally honest architecture. This simultaneously expresses the characteristics of the material, and articulates the different elements of plan. Architectural discipline and careful composition and landscaping have achieved a highly integrated development, which is an excellent demonstration of the progressive architectural thinking of its day.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.