Hi Steve & Derek,

You raise some interesting points worthy of note and some reflection.

In 1898 Ralph Nevill (architect) wrote :-

"The art of building, to be really living and successful among us, must not depend on the efforts of a few architects, but must be the possession of the whole of those concerned in the building trades. The builder, his clerk and his workmen, may, by a diligent study of the good old work that exists all round them, improve themselves, just as architects have since they took to more diligent study. They may then pick up again the tradition and they will certainly add a new interest and pleasure to their lives, and spare the public of the purposeless and wanton atrocities that so disfigure our land." - Ralph Nevill 1889.

Nevill was referring specifically to the practice of building using traditional timber frame methods and his book - "Olde Cottage and Domestic Architecture in South West Surrey" became an inspration to architects to start designing again in the old traditional ways much as Ted Benson's book "Building the Timber Frame House - the revival of a forgotton craft did almost 100 years later".

I rather suspect that we are all in this together and that there is nothing new under the sun.

Ken Hume P.Eng.