A rather important element in the construction of a new house is the very first step - design. In the not too distant past home design followed set rules of form and proportion, and the result was homes that made sense to the eye and were pleasing in form. The plans may have come from an architect, an experienced builder or even a catalogue or pattern book. Certainly there were designers who thought outside the box so to speak, but they did so in logical and thoughtful ways. More recently we have the "I can design my own house" mentality - and we certainly are not richer for it!

The result is homes like this - designed by builders where the bottom line is key and a draftsperson is paid minimally to design something "unique". With five different exterior wall finishes, a column holding up nothing but a stuccoed beam, and a walk out roof deck above the double car garage. How bizarre. 

Another in the same development, oddly jutting forms, a collection of mismatched window styles and sizes, and this use of cheaper vinyl siding on side walls has to stop - we can see it from the front and it just screams "I was built on a budget". 

And right around the corner, as if to emphasize that this development can indeed have "oh so many" poorly designed houses, sits this garage with an entry way tacked on the side. I could not determine why the roofline above the garage is so high, no windows indicating living space above it - and that is another design rule - if it doesn't make visual sense to the casual observer, it cannot appeal. This one certainly does not!

We are drawn to houses such as these for very basic reasons - they make sense - the porch is for sitting on, the front door is prominent and logically used to enter and be greeted, the large window is a sitting room, the upper gable windows are bedrooms, etc. The detailing is pleasing and shows that these homes were built by craftsmen who were proud of their work and took care with the construction. We have so many examples of how to do it right, that our insistence on doing it poorly by reinventing the home and "improving" it is a real head shaker.

Rory McDonnell is a General Contractor, Licensed Carpenter and Architectural Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom home builds and renovations.

Pillar Six: Craft with Natural Materials

Fine craftsmanship and natural materials are timeless and are meant to endure. Less likely to be replaced by wear or trends, contributes to saving money and a healthy environment.
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Pillar Seven: Create the Patina of Age

The popularity of salvaged materials is proof that people enjoy the beauty of well aged and natural. New materials have a more convincing antiqued appearance if aged by natural weathering processes.
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Pillar Eight: Incorporate Modern Conveniences

We don’t expect you to live as if it were the early 1900s! You will need your modern conveniences and there are many ways to integrate and hide them to maintain the illusion of a vintage house.
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The doors at St. James Anglican Church in Stratford are coming down for restoration today. The church built in the late 1860s was designed in the Decorated Gothic Revival style by Toronto architect's Gundry and Langley. The exterior of the building is protected by an Ontario Heritage Trust conservation easement (1985) and is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. 

A new "old" house is a new home tailored for modern living but designed within the style and proportions of a traditional house. Designing and building a new home steeped in tradition is high on Build's builder bucket list. The majority of new houses lack the care and thoughtful design attributed to master craftsman of the past and instead rely on imbalanced design and cheap materials. Education and intuition is important when designing a home but there are also rules which can be applied to the process. 

Architect Russell Versaci’s Eight Pillars of Traditional Design are a helpful guide and compliment Build’s philosophy of Modern & Traditional Heritage Builders which we incorporate into all of our design projects. The following are the first four pillars and examples from our own portfolio:
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Pillar One: Invent Within the Rules​
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Stay within the rules of a style of architecture. Invent using this traditional language, especially with additions and restorations, follow the cues of the style and proportions of the existing house.

Pillar Two: Respect the Character of Place

Every geographical area has local building traditions often based on the land, climate and history of the people who migrated there, the design and materials should reflect this history.
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Cheers to the lovely red brick homes on Church Street! This one built in 1889 by James Corcoran, a Stratford business man, has a charmingly irregular design. A great example of late Victorian architecture; decorative bargeboards with a sunburst motif, detailed chimneys and brickwork, interesting rooflines and plenty of stained glass. The unique double front doors with bevelled glass were added in 1900. Our favourite standout heritage feature is the circular porch and veranda, a nice place to sit if spring decides to arrive this year!

Catherine Cassidy is a Designer with Build, a construction firm in Stratford, Ontario, specializing in new custom homes and renovations.