Letter: We Should Remember the Uplift Good Architecture Can Give

Published on: 8 Mar, 2024
Updated on: 8 Mar, 2024

From: Gerry Lytle

Guildford architect

It is with great sadness I have watched the changes in the environment of Guildford town in recent years.

Once vibrant and often referred to as the natural county town of Surrey, its demise has been heralded by a succession of events beyond the control of any individual.

This is reflected in the standard, or low standard, of the architecture, and although not limited to the town alone, it is indicative of the lack of appreciation of the arts, in general, and the associated benefits that good architecture provides, for local inhabitants, together with a pride and sense of place.

With three separate political parties guiding the council during the three last terms, there has not been the ability from the council to attract a high standard of built design, and the commensurate benefits of a thriving society.

This degradation is sadly observable throughout a majority of local towns as the commercial landscape is changing rapidly.

The interactive urban experiences of enjoyment of the built surroundings are being replaced by reliance on tablets or phones and the isolation from the surrounding environment that this technology promotes.

This loss of consciousness of our environment, and the architecture itself, is encouraging a banal attitude to our surroundings.

Why architects or developers show such poor standards is hard to fathom. There is good local design, although limited, but is a mere drop in the ocean of the current general proposals for massed housing.

The technical advances in the most recent 50 years have been extraordinary whilst the average home still reflects the past. These homes do not investigate or propose a better living environment for our younger generations.

The debate on the planning of new developments is generally about density, height, style, etc, while lacking a true understanding of the spaces created and how future inhabitants will experience, enjoy, work and live in these proposed environments.

Creating a place for the enjoyment of the residents requires a multitude of factors of which architecture and the surrounding environment are basic ingredients.

The aesthetic style is only a portion of the quality of any design.

From mass housing to large commercial proposals, the architecture, whether because of a commercially led view or a lack of caring design, has produced such an array of non-descript solutions with insipid elevations and living spaces that have not been fully understood by the designers.

The recent major town developments bear witness to this with the approved development proposals for the station, Debenhams and North Street.

All are limited in style and placement and lack the language of Guildford’s historic nature.

From a daily thriving community in the 1960s to today, a “café culture” environment, so similar to surrounding satellite towns.

This is not simply about appearance, but the spaces in, and in between, our built environment.

The future should encourage a diversity of design, encourage an interest and awareness that good design produces, and encourage an awareness within both councillors and council officers of the uplift in enjoyment good design provides.

If this is achieved modern media will do the rest.

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