Unit 101 - Lesson 4

Key construction design areas and changes over time

What defines a traditional build and modern built construction

Complete research task on Teams

​Traditional Buildings

A traditional building is one that was built before 1919 using solid wall construction methods, usually using locally sourced stone, slate, brick or timber.
Many traditional buildings have a historical and cultural importance to the heritage of Wales. These buildings are often listed.

• Stone used for durability

• Some brick in use

• Many building designs similar to traditional medieval styles

• Structures built with heavy timber frames

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​1550

• Stone still used extensively

• Building skills training improving in the crafts of joinery and brickwork

• Greater use of decorative features

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​1650

• Use of dressed stone to produce complex decorative features

• Stone tiles used for roof coverings, as well as slate

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​1750

• Greater use of brick and stucco, smooth coating applied over masonry

• Sophisticated designs

• Technological advances see the increasing use of innovative materials such as iron, larger panes of glass and concrete

• Shift from local to mass-produced materials

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​1850

• Solid wall construction replaced by cavity walls

• Reconstruction after WW2 required faster building methods

• Simpler architectural approach

• Use of corrugated iron for roofs

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​1950

​Modern Buildings

With the development of technology and new materials in construction, buildings have been able to be upscaled to facilitate larger open-plan spaces, taller buildings and large glass facades, that would have been too expensive to be viable prior to the mid-20th century.

• Cavity walls constructed in masonry giving way to a range of materials, including structural steel frames and reinforced concrete

• Larger internal spaces offering flexibility

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​1960

• New materials and ideas expressed in architecture

• Many attractive building designs making use of new technologies and manufacturing techniques

• New methods of glass manufacturing, allowing imaginative design

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​1980

• Renewed emphasis on 'statement' buildings for public use

• Striking use of local materials

• Greater consideration of environmental impact throughout the working life of a building.

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2000

What will the buildings of the future look like?

Any Questions?

Multiple Choice

Which one of the following types of buildings are examples of public buildings? 

• library, government office
• shopping mall
• private residence
• warehouse

Multiple Choice

What is a defining characteristic of traditional Welsh cottages?

• Use of modern materials like glass and steel
• Single-story structures with flat roofs
• Brightly colored exteriors with wooden shingles
• Use of local materials like stone and slate with thatched or slate roofs.

Match

Match the following properties to the year of construction

1550

2000

1950

1980

1750

• 1550

• 2000

• 1950

• 1980

• 1750

Multiple Choice

Which building technique became more common in Wales during the mid-18th century?

• Stone masonry
• Timber framing
• Brick construction
• Adobe construction

Multiple Choice

What defines a traditional Welsh building constructed before 1919?

• Local materials, steep roofs, large chimneys, and decorative stonework.
• Use of modern materials like steel and glass
• Flat roofs and large windows
• Brightly colored facades and minimal decoration

Multiple Choice

What was a major visual change in Welsh towns due to the arrival of railways in the 19th century?

• Use of glass curtain walls

• Decline of thatch and rise of slate roofs

• Introduction of solar panels

• Replacement of stone with timber

Multiple Choice

What type of housing became common during the Victorian and Edwardian industrial boom in Wales?

• Terraced houses
• Bungalows
• Mansions
• Detached houses

Multiple Choice

What time of wall is pictured?

• Clear Cavity

• Filled Cavity

• Partial Cavity

• Solid Wall

Multiple Choice

What time of wall is pictured?

• Clear Cavity

• Filled Cavity

• Partial Cavity

• Solid Wall

Multiple Choice

What time of wall is pictured?

• Clear Cavity

• Filled Cavity

• Partial Cavity

• Solid Wall