Red House should be valued as a piece of heritage because of its historical significance in changing the course of architecture and how domestic homes are designed and built. To determine a piece of heritage, the values of a building are assessed. Red house which was designed and built by William Morris and Phillip Webb has a universal importance to modern architects as it demonstrates the importance of craftsmanship and exploring historical building methods which can be adapted and used to improve the future of the built environment. In this essay, I will discuss the heritage values of Red House and the impact this nineteenth-century building can have on modern society. Through the lens of heritage value, I will explore identity, architectural values, aesthetic, historical values and social values. I believe that the house is an important part of our heritage due to the forward-thinking philosophies and beliefs that went into designing it, and by conserving and protecting this building it can have a great impact on the design of modern architecture.
Building Context
Red House was designed by Phillip Webb in 1859 for William Morris and is situated in Bexleyheath, just outside the centre of London which can be seen in both figure one and two. Morris wanted a building that conveyed authenticity of the building methods used as well as being both a home and a studio space. Therefore, Webb and Morris designed the house, taking inspiration from gothic architecture which valued the truth of materials. Their approach to the design sparked the beginning of the Arts and Crafts movement in England which greatly influenced how buildings should be constructed (Wodehouse, Moffett and Michael Fazio, 2003). Red House, therefore, is an important historical building. Their defiance of conventional building methods which was having a detrimental impact on society makes this house key in the campaign against industrialisation. This progressive approach can also be seen in Webb’s large focus on the design of the garden as it improved the aesthetic of the home and encouraged visitors to feel comfortable in contrast to the rigidity of Victorian houses. The house was sold five years following its completion, where the building underwent various interior transformations by an array of owners which impacted the building’s history (Ashmore and Suga, 2006). Red House is an important piece of historical heritage as it encompasses forward-thinking philosophies and design methods which can be utilised by modern architects to improve current architecture.
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Evaluative lens
The term “heritage value” means the significance of historical buildings and the benefits they can have on society. Preserving key buildings is a fundamental aspect of architecture as it protects the irreplaceable history of a place, which is an important foundation for future development and improvement (Bond and Worthing, 2016). Historic buildings can serve as powerful reminders to us of earlier generations ways of life and plays a part in our sense of national identity. The protection of buildings can enable modern-day architects to not only learn from past beliefs but to utilise historic building techniques to improve modern architecture (Bond and Worthing, 2016). The assessment of Red House’s heritage value can be broken down into five key categories:
- Identity – Historic buildings are integral to our sense of identity as it can provide us with a connection to our past
- Architectural values – The innovation and development of architectural ideas.
- Aesthetic values – The importance of a historic building’s aesthetic and the impact that can have on how a person experiences the building.
- Historical values – A buildings influence over a specific event or movement, and how that has influenced the present.
- Social Values – The impact of a historic building on improving and benefiting society, for example, a particular event which has occurred in the building.
Through this evaluative lens, I want to reinforce the significance of Red House as a vital piece of English Heritage, as it embodies Webb and Morris’ forward-thinking beliefs which enabled the design of buildings to adapt and therefore succeed, which would benefit both Victorian and modern architecture.
Identity
Red House’s change in identity as a result of various owners increases its heritage value and enables visitors to connect with various aspects of its past. It was originally built as a family home for William Morris, who lived there for five years before returning to London. Subsequently, the house has retained many of the ornamental details he designed such as the stained-glass windows and the handcrafted painted dresser in figure four with the scene from Mallory. Morris sold the house in 1865 and it was bought by Charles Holmes in 1889 resulting in the interior of the building changing in identity and style. Charles Holme furnished the interior with furniture from Asia, and the house became a unique combination of various cultures and designs (Ashmore and Suga, 2006). Ultimately, Holme’s additions to the house enhanced its cultural value, which I believe has helped sustain its significance as a piece of heritage. In 1952, Red House was bought by Edward Hollamby who preserved many historical characteristics of the building as well as incorporating his own style into furnishings. The Scandinavian furniture in figure five which was installed by Hollamby juxtaposes Morris’ hand-painted cupboards and wallpapers, creating a fusion of styles (Ashmore and Suga, 2006). The combination of architectural styles and furnishings which have been added to the house by various owners enable visitors today to witness the complete history of the house. Architecturally, the house has evolved but still remains as valuable and important as it was many years ago, thus echoing Morris’ belief “what business have we with art at all unless all can share it?” (Morris, 1883)
Architectural Values
Webb’s reinvention of the British home by designing it to be a place of comfortability and simplicity is a key architectural value which makes Red House an important piece of heritage. Webb’s opposition to Victorian conventions of domestic space meant that he designed Red House focusing on functionality and increasing comfort within the home. The building was practical and suited all aspects of family life as opposed to traditional Victorian homes which prioritised ornamental design. Historian James A. Schmiechen stated that the Victorians designed “needless ornamentation, sham castles, and rooms filled to overflowing with overstuffed and overdecorated furniture.' (Schmeichen, 1988, p. 287). This view was counteracted by the Red House’s large rooms which created a journey through the house resulting in an improved version of the home. The placement of the walls within the building alters how you move through the house so that it becomes an experience. The L-shaped plan of the building, which is visible in Webb’s original plans in Figure six, creates a flow of continuous spaces which increases the flexibility within the home as opposed to divided floors (Meggs, 1992). The shape of the building maximises light and ventilation which makes the home more functional – similar to twentieth- century modernism. Breaking away from the strict organisation of other homes at the time, Red House embodies a freer style of design which symbolically contrasts to the repetitive style of industrial factory life. Therefore, Webb and Morris’ innovative redesign of the home highlights Red House as a crucial piece of heritage as it has influenced how houses are designed both in the Victorian era and today (Wodehouse, Moffett and Michael Fazio, 2003).
Aesthetic Values
Similar to Webb and Morris’ reinvention of how the domestic space was experienced, the aesthetic of Red House influences how a person experiences the building, which contrasts to the design of other Victorian houses at the time. This unique style of design features the home and its garden designed as one, to promote harmony between the home and nature (Hollamby, 1996). In his design Webb focused on the beauty of natural materials and saw nature as a key part in creating tranquillity, enabling visitors to feel calm and comfortable. Webb constructed Red House while retaining as many of the trees as possible, as shown in Charles Holme’s photograph in Figure eight, with many of the original trees still situated in the garden today. On Webb’s original elevational drawings, the arrangement of the garden was illustrated from the beginning – including honeysuckle, roses, jasmine and passionflower (Hollamby, 1996). These four climbing plants used in the design of the building reinforce man’s connection with nature, not to dominate but to coincide harmoniously. The conical well, in figure nine, which is situated on the east side of the house was originally surrounded by a wooden trellis covered with roses and reinforces the view that the garden is an exterior room to the house. Morris believed that a beautiful garden was essential to improving a person’s health, implying to modern architects that nature should be incorporated into all designs allowing people to reconnect with the natural world and escape the confinements of urban areas. Additionally, the exterior of the building which features windows of various shapes and sizes, which is shown in figures ten and eleven, conveys a sense of freedom of design similar to the unpredictability of nature (Hollamby, 1996). Furthermore, the use of natural materials within the home creates a unity with the outside and inside – increasing the comfortability of the home (Hart and Simmons, 1999). The aesthetic value of Red House can help reconnect people to nature through Webb’s design of the garden and can serve as a reminder to architects of the benefits of nature within the home.
Historical Values
The historical values of Red House can be seen in Webb and Morris’ return to traditional craftsmanship and honest design, such as the inclusion of natural materials within the home which inspired the beginning of the Arts and Crafts movement in England. The Arts and Crafts movement challenged many of the industrialist beliefs of the Victorian era, which was having a detrimental effect on society as well as the design industry. The design of Red House was based on the philosophy that buildings should integrate with its surroundings and show a high quality of traditional craftmanship (Wodehouse, Moffett and Michael Fazio, 2003). Webb and Morris, therefore, designed the house as a whole, with everything including the furniture and wallpapers handcrafted and designed by them. Muthesius wrote that it was “the first private house of the new artistic culture, the first house to be conceived as a whole inside and out, the very first example in history of the modern house.” (Muthesius, 1904) By designing their own furniture such as the Dragons Blood Dresser designed by Webb in Figure 12, helped to establish the ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement such as craftmanship. Furthermore, Webb, Morris, Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti who all helped design and create Red House conceived the idea of the firm, which eventually became the manufacturing firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. Designing both the house and the furniture inside helped to reinforce their beliefs that handcrafted products are unique and should be valued as opposed to mass-produced furniture (Hollamby, 1996). This company, which began at Red House, had a profound influence over the Arts and Crafts movement in England and became a campaign against the vulgarity and ugliness of domestic design at the time (Hollamby, 1996). The historical value of this home, I believe, is more relevant now as society is becoming more dependent on mass-produced items, emphasising Red House’s universal appeal and historical importance.
Social Values
Webb and Morris’ social values that went into designing Red House is apparent in their revival of the English vernacular style which can be seen as a form of social reform that challenges industrialist architecture. The English vernacular style of the home appeals to the “common man” (Hollamby 1996, p. 13) through its exposure of the truth and use of local construction methods which serves as a reaction against the inhumanity of industrialisation at the time. These values can relate to those who find themselves dehumanised and stuck in the repetition of modern life. Red house is a key element of heritage which, despite being unnoticed at the time of its construction, still echoes the designer’s reformist beliefs. Both Morris and Webb grew up amid the industrial revolution, which saw buildings being mass-produced. As a result, architects were now able to construct a large number of buildings faster, resulting in lower classes of society working in harmful factory conditions to produce the materials. Architects were now utilising their ability to access a variety of materials, instead of using local sources. In opposition, Red house was constructed using local red brick, which is visible in figure thirteen in order to challenge “the tyranny of the machine and call for a return to the human values.” (Casson 1990 cited Hollamby 1996, p. 1) By using locally sourced materials, Red house is a historic example of a sustainable domestic home. Webb’s exposure of the roof beams and joints which is shown in figure fourteen reinforces the truth of materials and English vernacular style. This shows that Red House was the start of a new revolutionary era of architecture which aimed at improving society by demonstrating a form of design which didn’t rely on factories. This “quiet revolution” (Casson 1990 cited Hollamby 1996, p. 1) can help inspire modern architects today to produce buildings which benefit society.
Conclusion
Morris and Webb’s revolutionary approach to the design of Red House has guaranteed its place as an important part of English heritage which not only helped to reinvent the architectural style at the time but greatly influences architecture today. The innovative design of the house, such as Webb’s reinvention of the domestic space and revival of the English vernacular, stands out as an iconic statement in the progression towards modernist architecture which Sir Hugh Casson describes that “inevitably their house was more than just a house.” (Casson 1990, cited Hollamby 1996, p. 1) The combination of identity, architectural, aesthetic, historical and social values have made the importance of this building universal and can be used as an example of great architecture which can be produced by learning from the past.
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