topics
tools
editor's choice

Crime and the legal system in the UK

Tips for understanding the Brits

Banking in the UK

Culture and social etiquette in United Kingdom

Museums in London

Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2131.35 1.79
DAX 6407.48 1.21
IBEX 30 6602.6 1.20
CAC 40 3066.73 1.31
FTSE 100 5373.52 1.30
AEX 293.67 1.08
DJIA 12504.48 1.09
Nasdaq 2847.21 2.46
FTSE MIB 13353.15 2.62
TSX Composite 11280.64 -0.44
ASX 4173.5 1.19
Hang seng 19039.15 0.62
Straits Times 2823.75 1.20
ISEQ 20 494.35 0.90
You are here: Home Housing Buying Expat Story: A machine for living in France

Buying

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


18/02/2011Expat Story: A machine for living in France

Expat Story: A machine for living in France Blogger Janet Rogers grapples with the philosophers as she attempts to build 'a pretty darn fantastic house' in the countryside.

Have you ever doodled on a piece of paper and discovered an hour later that you’ve drawn the floor plan of a house that exists somewhere in the depths of your imagination?  I bet you have.  So have I, and it’s a wonderfully self-indulgent exercise.  All those ridiculous inner courtyards I’ve dreamt of!  When you actually have the opportunity to bring to life a creation on paper, however, there comes a point where you have to ask yourself what it is that you want to build.  What is it that you want your house to be for you?

Is it a dream home?
It’s funny that many people have just assumed that we’re building our dream home.  I suppose that the magnitude of taking on a building project in a foreign land doesn’t make that an unreasonable assumption, but is this truly our dream home?  Call me a cynic, but it feels like that’s a pretty big label to slap on a house that doesn’t even exist yet.  There are just too many expectations that come with such an ambitious label.  Isn’t it better to aim for just a pretty darn fantastic house?

© Janet Rogers

Knowing what will work for you seems to be a key concept in achieving even that.  Plus some restraint and, of course, finding the right people to help you make it all happen.  A daunting task, especially when you consider that even in the first century Lucius Annaeus Seneca, a prominent Roman statesman and philosopher yearned for “a happy age, before the days of architects, before the days of builders”.  Even worse, famous American architect Philip Johnson (1906-2005) once said, “architects are pretty much high-class whores. We can turn down projects the way they can turn down some clients, but we’ve both got to say yes to someone if we want to stay in business.”

So, what to do?  Tom had come up with a great basic design and our challenge was (if I’m to continue Johnson’s analogy) to find the harlot who would say yes and actually provide what we were after.  And I believe he was right: the emphasis should be on “high-class”.  Our research paid off and we were extremely lucky to find some local heroes (most definitely not harlots) here in Portugal – the people at Gaifem Ramos and ABO Arquitectos are all wonderfully talented and helpful people and I give thanks every day that they’re on board.  I think they’re also the main reason why I haven’t started having nightmares of flying bricks (although the other day I did have a fleeting vision of a wardrobe filled with gum boots and yellow hard hats, which was indeed a nightmare.)


So back to this house.  What’s the final word on what we’re trying to create?  I think I’d prefer to avoid all that pressure and not call it a dream house, but rather a desirable house, one that sits well in its world.  Yes, a desirable house, certainly an aspirational house and ultimately what Swiss architect Le Corbusier said a house is: a machine for living in.

 
Janet is a freelance writer who has lived in Canada and Russia.  She’s recently moved to Portugal.  You can follow her blog here: http://toomuchsandformytruck.wordpress.com/ 

 


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

Search for a home?

Browse all houses
Housing essentials
Discussion Forums

Community Noticeboard United Kingdom

BUY NOVELTY DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD, PASSPORT

Community Noticeboard United Kingdom

$100 MasterCard for Member with most new members

Community Noticeboard United Kingdom

Website for special needs and disabilities

Community Noticeboard United Kingdom

Military tour to Ukraine for football fans of Euro 2012

UK News

what do you think about the news of the world scandal

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
Visas for coming to the UK

Visas for coming to the UK

Visa paperwork Whether you're relocating to the UK or just visiting, it's important that you find out in advance whether you need a visa.

An online guide for expats finding & purchasing a UK Property

An online guide for expats finding & purchasing a UK Property

Expat mortgages and everything to do with buying a UK property might sound complicated, but there’s plenty of help out there for you.

UK healthcare: Finding the right NHS service

UK healthcare: Finding the right NHS service

You can access the UK's National Health Service (NHS) in a range of ways. Here is an overview of the main services available to help you get the treatment you need.

Banking in the UK

Banking in the UK

Just moved to the UK? You'll need a bank account to effectively manage your money while you're here. Cliff Govender explains the UK banking system, including facilities that may come in handy down the line.