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Pen Y Fan

2012-01-15T16:11:00.002Z

The almighty Pen Y Fan - What a great climb this morning, the quality of light amongst the elements was just amazing.

Inspiration: Endemico Resguardo Silvestre, Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico by Gracia Studio

2012-01-12T14:40:00.000Z

I really like this hotel and would love to visit!

The Cost of Studying Architecture

2011-12-20T19:23:00.001Z

Outside the Jokhang Temple, Lhasa

2011-11-12T08:41:00.000Z

Nepal + Tibet

2011-10-19T20:00:00.001+01:00

Can't wait to make it too Tibet, look forward to sharing my journal + photographs on my return....

Fresh New Website!

2011-10-17T12:47:00.003+01:00

We've finally launched our new website today! The new website now showcases some of our completed work and projects which are on site.

A successful win!

2011-09-27T17:44:00.002+01:00

A win at Planning Committee today, can't wait to start on site.

CAT Professional Diploma Bird Hide

2011-08-25T13:18:00.007+01:00

I was fortunate enough to see this structure grow out of the forest last week whilst being part of a group who were involved in building a structure for the Shambhala Festival taking place this coming weekend.

Not only was it inspiring but also empowering to see the value in creativity and the power of working as a group.

Further reading - http://blog.emap.com/footprint/2011/08/25/cat-architecture-students-build-a-pavilion-and-a-bird-hide

Enjoy the sunshine this bank holiday weekend.

2011-07-26T19:20:00.000+01:00

It was worth getting up early for a sunrise on the water like this!

Project: Red Farm House

2011-06-24T18:04:00.005+01:00

I love it how this new aperture frames a view of a beautiful tree.

I'm hoping this is going to be a really nice place for the White
family to spend not only a summers evening but to embrace
every season.

Maximising South Light

2011-05-16T17:05:00.004+01:00

In an attempt to try and make the most of south facing light an interesting element of glazing has been introduced, along with a curved wall to try and scope this precious light in to what will be the new kitchen + dining room extension to this house in the Swansea Valley.

Cheeky Seagull

2011-04-19T12:00:00.000+01:00

I managed to capture a cheeky seagull scrounging for food the other day. He oddly looks wise.

Castell Coch [Red Castle]

2011-04-16T12:00:00.000+01:00

I'm lucky to live in Wales! A friend came to stay and wanted to experieince the magic that is a Welsh castle. Here is a great example of a castle which sits nicely perched on the side of a hill with views over Cardiff and the coast. What would it have been like to live in such a building?

I'm loving the new collection!

2011-04-12T12:00:00.000+01:00

Everyone should have a Nivaldo de Lima bag! They're the craftsmanship of a god. All of these items from the new collection are in my wishlist, which shall come first?

www.nivaldodelima.com

Inspirational Critiques

2011-04-09T19:18:00.012+01:00

I was fortunate enough this week to be invited as a visitor to critique students at the University of East London were they are undertaking their part one architecture course. Such a refreshing experience to listen to students ideas and concepts!

Above is a an image of a students initial concept which I loved! Its an existing three storey building of which they wanted to create a walled garden within, of which could be amazing. The cubes represent glass/ greenhouse structures. I would like to thank Lumini Bhagya Gunatilake lumini84b@gmail.com] for allowing me to share her project with us.

Sculptural tulip

2011-04-07T09:01:00.003+01:00

The fist sign of springs vibrant colours in the garden his morning.

Such energetic reds and oranges with a hint of architectural form.

Project: Ty-Hedd F. Home

2011-03-22T10:29:00.007Z

What a difference a week can make! These are the first photos of this project starting on site. I plan to take panoramic photos from the same spot every week with the thought of making a flip book at the end of the project.

Furthermore I shall share the weekly progress with followers of this blog, hope you enjoy!

What colour door should I be?

2011-03-08T14:21:00.003Z

The sash windows have now been refurbished, a new timber door
installed and the exterior decorated in white at the project in
Llangennith, Gower.
What colour door should I be? We're thinking maybe a sapphire purple
but we would love to hear your thoughts!

Inspiration..... Sagrada Família

2011-02-23T12:22:00.000Z

New Website!

2011-01-21T12:44:00.000Z

I've finally got around to launching a new website! A great start to
2011! (even if I say so myself)

Hopefully with a more refined layout and condensed content, this will
allow us to keep the website more current as to what's going on in the
studio of Samuel Harris.

February sees the commencement of three projects on site of which I
will endeavour to bring the construction of these buildings to the
blog for all to enjoy.

Best wishes,
A

What a wonderful day!

2010-12-07T20:35:00.001Z

I've found a new place to contemplate, a bench perfectly positioned with a panoramic view of the coastline. Such a wonderful day for a walk.

Friday, 26 November

2010-11-26T17:45:00.000Z

A day of four seasons but this has to be my favorite!

Meet my new client!

2010-11-25T16:14:00.002Z

Each and every member of a family is important when writing a brief for a home. Meet my new client!

I'm excited about this project! The most amazing setting, landscape and views! Watch this space to see what follows.

A studio with a retreat

2010-11-11T08:35:00.005Z

A stones throw away from the studio sits a sand dune of which over lies a place to sit and contemplate, a place to escape the grinds of everyday life, a place to weight up and measure the direction of ones life.

Its also quite interesting to see how man has made his mark on the landscape. Cranes in the near by port look like futuristic figurines sitting on the horizon; evidence of man's industrial footprint on our precious planet.

Humbling Words

2010-10-02T23:43:00.008+01:00

Something humbling to kick start the blog again! Given to me as a gift from someone special, holds pride of place on the studio wall. My favorite line being 'With all its sham, drudgery & broken dreams, it is still a beautiful work. Be careful. Strive to be happy'.

Hungry Cities

2009-11-26T08:58:00.002Z

This is a truly fascinating book about how food shapes our lives, read more about Carolyn Steel's work here, it will inspire..

"Today, the fact that most of us buy our food from supermarkets has changed the way we inhabit cities fundamentally. Instead of heading into town to buy food, we drive out to large, anonymous boxes. The civic aspect of food selling has disappeared, and along with it, much of the character and purpose of our town centres. That’s more than just a shame. Those who control food, control us, and when you consider that that 80 percent of the grocery trade in Britain is controlled by just four supermarkets, that gives them incredible power, not just over our wallets, but over our bodies too."

Carolyn Steel, Hungry Cities

the singing ringing tree

2009-11-16T20:39:00.003Z

we've been away from here for some time so I think a little inspiration is due! The "Singing Ringing Tree" is a touch of genius by Anna Liu, listen to it's wondrous otherworldly sounds here ...

2009-09-29T09:58:00.004+01:00

Nicola Louise Heard 1984-2009

Sleep soundly oh little fairy with the most courageous soul

what ever you do..

2009-09-11T22:57:00.006+01:00

"Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it."

Mahatma Gandhi

With every day that passes we are moving closer to achieving the insignificant, take a look at these wonderful photos of the Kutamba Aids Orphans School here...one day we will build one!

sun! you are so welcome here..

2009-09-10T10:01:00.004+01:00

I went over the brow of the hill just next to the studio here and this lovely vista unfolded in front of me. The wide expanse of big blue sky sent my spirits soaring after months of grey cloud blanket. Sun! you are so welcome here...

little gem

2009-09-01T14:42:00.002+01:00

Adam discovered that this little gem is on our doorstep, wonder when they will move in?..read more here..!

good heart recipe book

2009-08-28T20:43:00.003+01:00

I just stumbled across this lovely little recipe book, it appeals to me just now as I have been skipping meals too much and I know that colour equals good health...it is a colourful book bursting with goodness, I like the idea of sharing with friends, thank you Jonsi and Alex!

Lost in Translation

2009-08-27T23:49:00.004+01:00

Frequently, thankfully finding my self lost in Lost in Translation..truly perfect

penguin abstracts

2009-08-27T23:35:00.003+01:00

birds: waterborne_and airborne..

"Be like the bird that, passing on her flight awhile on boughs too slight, feels them give way beneath her, and yet sings, knowing that she hath wings."

Victor Hugo

Bruder Klaus field chapel

2009-08-27T22:59:00.003+01:00

This incredible gem of a building is by Peter Zumthor, built by local farmers in honour of their local hermit- saint.

The farmers made the walls by pouring concrete every day to create layers of various texture and colour. Inside, the prayer space is formed from a void left by local tree trunks that were laid in a teepee-shaped form that was slowly burnt out. The floor is poured lead.

The ritual of this building's birth is quite something to behold, quite awesome, rising from the ashes like a phoenix from the flames..see more images here.

working late

2009-08-18T22:42:00.003+01:00

working late, lots to do, quite a whirlwind..tawny concrete floors and delicate plant shadows keep smiles on our faces..

a film for the weekend

2009-08-14T13:24:00.004+01:00

beautiful, sad, inspirational, if you are in the mood for any of these at the weekend..enjoy The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.Watch the trailer here.

Aunty Lizzie's House

2009-08-12T23:11:00.003+01:00

this is Aunty Lizzie's house. She reduces, re-uses and recycles and has done so all her life. To her, thrift is the only way, the rayburn is the heart of her home and the focus of her attention, for keeping warm and cooking food. She makes paths and shifts stones. She has shifted stones all her life, she loves to shift stones. The stones and the rayburn keep her warm, fed, fit and healthy. She moves much, eats little and is wiser than the hills.

5 westbourne place

2009-07-28T09:34:00.004+01:00

We have a new blog here! it is the story of a classic Welsh terrace and its rejuvenation...

cake

2009-07-21T08:52:00.004+01:00

Carrot cake, home made..

Studio

2009-07-20T20:48:00.002+01:00

...here is the reason for my prolonged absence from this space! a new studio! we have been here for one week and it is a pleasure to be here, I hope it continues to inspire us. We have a large door that opens to let in sunlight and fresh sea air! Mmmmm!

proverb

2009-06-22T11:54:00.002+01:00

"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."

-Persian proverb

Cruella de Vil

2009-06-17T12:15:00.004+01:00

I thought I would share this drawing done by Rhys, my son. The shoes are so dainty and the hands so graceful..

the spiral staircase

2009-06-17T12:02:00.004+01:00

the spiral staircase,how beautiful. The journey down to the underworld where myth and legend bring wisdom and truth..

the walls glowed the most vibrant green and the brass handrail was so cool and smooth to the touch.

Guide

2009-06-06T13:50:00.003+01:00

Looking at "Guide" I hear the ancient voices that brought it into our present.

Their voice is powerful yet tender, quiet but ecstatic.

They are the voices of the spirit world, the act of creation.

They come from that world between worlds, the Rio Abajo Rio, the river beneath the river.

They blessed its maker with their greatness.

Now they bless us too.

Here, another extract from Women Who Run With The Wolves:

"Protect your creative life. If you would avoid hambre del alma, the starved soul, name the problem for what it is- and fix it. Practice your work every day. Then, let no thought, no man, no woman, no mate, no friend, no religion, no job, and no crabbed voice force you into a famine. If necessary, show your incisors"

fifteen minutes of stillness. every day

2009-05-27T17:18:00.004+01:00

Some words from words from Dr. Estés, the poet, psychoanalyst and cantadora (keeper of old stories in the Latina Tradition, a beautiful word I think). From Women Who Run With The Wolves..

"Long ago the word alone was treated as two words, all one. To be all one meant to be wholly one, to be in oneness, either essentially or temporarily. This is precisely the goal of solitude, to be all one...Solitude is not an absence of energy or action, as some believe, but is rather a boon of wild provisions transmitted to us from the soul. In ancient times, as recorded by the physician- healers, religious and mystics, purposeful solitude was both palliative and preventative. It was used to heal fatigue and prevent weariness. It was also used as an oracle , as a way of listening to the inner self to solicit advice and guidance otherwise impossible to hear in the din of daily life."

Today I shut my eyes and remained still for 15 minutes, the rush of thoughts was a tide that I could barely stem but the seconds of stillness were enough to provide some precious clarity through out the day. Everyone deserves that fifteen minutes of stillness. Every day.

A garden for them

2009-05-20T11:13:00.004+01:00

Sometimes I look back over my posts and realise that it is a place of small pleasures, a place to breathe and be inspired. Every day that passes I am so grateful for the moments of happiness that they bring as life is so hard for so many people. Today I think of these people. Today I plant my garden for them.

spring flowers

2009-05-13T12:42:00.002+01:00

just dropping by with a bunch of spring flowers for you..the hedgerows are bursting with beauty, fresh verdant growth and bluebells, bluebells everywhere..

Into the Wild

2009-05-02T21:16:00.004+01:00

Some say he was reckless and selfish but to me Chris McCandless was a soul too sensitive to endure the pain and injustice of this world, a martyr who loved this earth so much that he died for it. His story is here , in this captivating and beautiful film, why not go Into the Wild with him..

Such beautiful places in your head

2009-04-19T21:27:00.008+01:00

Today I was revisiting some photos I took of a model I made last week, abstract images of a chapel altar with gold panel. How lovely it is to play with simple apertures and watch the light travel around the space of this miniature world..I get quite lost in it! I like to listen to music too, this album is one of my favourites, courtesy of a lovely lady in Spain who cooked us some delicious meals, I am so grateful to her for introducing me to it.

I am transported to some beautiful places when I close my eyes. "Mali Sajio" is my favourite, for some reason when I listen I am surrounded by white horses and african children all running through a desert, they are very happy..it is a breath taking sight. You can visit such beautiful places in your head, I was apparently born on "the day of the beauty lovers". I am glad.

Pant Y Meddygon

2009-04-09T21:08:00.007+01:00

I'm sure I have been absent from this space for too long! The good thing is that Easter time has been filled with wonderful things that I hope to share with you here..

Walking in our mystical land has been the source of much inspiration and rejuvenation! This is "Pant Y Meddygon" meaning "dell" or "dingle" of the physicians. Legend has it that the "Lady of the Lake" gave birth to sons who collected medicinal herbs in this magical place and healed many. It has quite a special energy and I am drawn to return here soon. I hope to visit the Bodleian Library at Oxford where the Red Book of Hergest is held, full of the ancient remedies.

I was honoured to witness a newly born lamb with its mother nearby, she was so gentle with it, such a beautiful sight, a birth at Easter time. There is new life every where, blossoming around us.

Maen Llia, you are beautiful

2009-04-07T17:51:00.009+01:00

Today we ventured North, deep into the beacons.

We dropped through valleys where the clouds were trying to chase the blue sky away. To drive with no destination and watch the ruined farmsteads flash by like ghosts in the landscape as I used to with my father is such a pleasure. They have such presence! But none so much as the monolith we stumbled across today. Driving down the valley it appeared as a massive black diamond, the most impressive monolith I have seen. Maen Llia is it's name. "Maen Llia, you are beautiful" I thought as I walked up to it. I had to touch it and pat it as you would a horse's nose, it drew me like a magnet.

Apparently, in the forties Latin and Ogham inscriptions were still visible on its mossy side but today they have disappeared. It is said that if a cockerel crowed the stone would take a walk to the river Nedd. It seems no surprise to me that this stone could walk so human was its presence. Maybe it will come to visit me one day!

Ghost

2009-04-02T13:38:00.005+01:00

Today I am reflecting on the themes of this book courtesy of Adam who brought it back from Ireland..(thank you Adam!)

"Ghost is rooted in the hands-on master-builder tradition, emphasizing an intimate interaction between master and apprentice in response to the increasingly virtual nature of architectural design. It focuses on timeless themes of landscape, making and community and provides a crash course in material culture through tangible wooden constructions."

Ghost is the story of Brian MacKay- Lyons who, with a group of students builds beautiful structures every year on the coast of Nova Scotia. The first project, (my favourite) mirrors the archetypal farmhouse, "just a sparse wood frame, draped in white fabric. The structure was lit from the inside: the entire building glowed like a ghost haunting the coast."

The whole process allows for the deviation from the original plan during the building process and allows it to develop fluidly within the hands of the makers, participants learn the give- and -take of good design as it rises from the ground. One day I hope to build a ghost too...

Weekend

2009-03-31T09:58:00.006+01:00

Hello again, days fly by so swiftly and it's been a while since I have been here so I'm dropping by to share my weekend.

we observed earth hour and lit many candles, sat in the quiet and watched their light dance

we harvested branches that people had thrown by the roadside and cut them into lovely bundles of various sizes

we made apple cake and shared it with our visitor from Seoul and walked in glorious sunshine up to the pond. It was a shame that we had just missed a baptism in the river...

Today the sun is reluctant to appear through the blanket of grey. On such days I like to visit here , their story makes me happy and the pictures take me to a lovely lovely place. Pastries and roses, rustic stone, soaring pine trees, hammocks and blue sky, beautiful objects made with the hands to last a lifetime.

Hoping to visit here soon again. Enjoy!

10 minutes of magic

2009-03-20T07:38:00.003Z

Our blue skies have decided to bless us with their continued presence! I found myself here, amidst a pocket of ancient trees in the middle of the city. Where there are trees, there is life and a profusion of it. I have rarely heard such ecstatic birdsong, if only our hospitals were built around such places. I could swear this place would heal, there was light tumbling through the trees all around me..to sit, bathed in sunshine, immersed in life! And then, a girl with a skipping rope, dressed like a primrose. Spring is truly here. Let's celebrate!

( If you are that girl, I hope you don't mind being my symbol of spring)

A perfect spring day

2009-03-17T20:38:00.004Z

I paused for a glimpse of the sea and paid homage to this perfect Spring day. I breathed in the soaring blue sky and kept that euphoric feeling with me all day...

It moved me to tears

2009-03-16T20:08:00.004Z

This weekend I had the honour of witnessing something quite incredible that will stay with me always.

I went to a preview performance of "Tabu" performed by the Nofitstate circus, inspired by Garcia Marquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude that I am now reading to illuminate my experience. You can visit their site here, they are touring across Europe, leaving a trail of awestruck people!..

I cannot begin to convey the experience of standing in that circular space as a powerful spectacle of human endeavour unfolded in front of my eyes and made my hairs stand on end. I was awe struck, dumbfounded and moved to tears.

Performers suspended above my head and all around me, one counterbalancing the other in touching and moving relationships with music, colour, light. Tightrope walkers, trapeze artists decked out in stunning silver silk or cream linen costumes stripped to reveal amazonian limbs so powerful it took your breath away.

Beautiful human forms encompassing and engaging the audience with their arcs of energy. A spectacle full of drama, passion, rawness, serenity and grace in a study of the human relationship to fear in the bullring of life.

When fear falls away true beauty is revealed, the human body can do the most amazing things, anything is possible.

If at any time you have the opportunity to see "the circus that everyone wants to join" , seize it. It will enrich your life and you will visit it in your dreams..

Ffynon Sant Antwn

2009-03-08T14:41:00.005Z

On Friday I made a journey to a special place, a small wayside shrine similar to those found in parts of Japan and India. Modern landscape planning does not allow for such places offering a window onto the eternal. What a shame this is, as now, more than ever we need a break from the goal orientated whirlwind of this life. Ffynon Sant Antwn, translated as St. Anthony's Well, is just such a place. It is a beautiful portal opening into silence, a place to pause in peace.

Thankfully these places do exist for those who know where to look..

We walked down the lane towards the sandy cove. The lane was lush and verdant and lined by walls of snow drops and celandine, their heads bobbing in the breeze. On the right was a mossy green wall with a green door. There is something that draws you to the door and open the latch although it appeared to lead to a private garden. Once inside you know that you have entered somewhere sacred. Descend down the steps and you are in a tiny roofless chapel, no man made roof that is, just hanging boughs of wisteria and honeysuckle.

In front of us, as we descended the steps was a plaque of Sant Antwn. He was believed to be a hermit who lived in the Egyptian desert for twenty years and returned to civilisation as a man of great wisdom. He inspired people to live simple ascetic lives and influenced early Celtic Christians whose way of life had much in common with the Druids. Someone had a placed a single snowdrop in his hand (that you may just see) in homage to his affinity with nature.

We turned around and behind us was the well, a triangle in the wall revealing its secret ancient trickle. Many people had cast shells (mainly white obeying the custom that white will make your wish come true) inside the shrine, believed to have healing properties. It felt intrusive to be photographing this place and although the images convey a little of its charm, its otherworldliness evaded the lens. We did not leave empty handed though, the memory is one that is carried in the psyche and I will return there many times.

Happy St David's day!

2009-03-01T10:26:00.005Z

there is nothing quite like spring flowers in jars and daffodils are the happiest of flowers..I was lucky enough to have been woken to the song of a wren. Happy St David's day!

Bench

2009-02-27T10:02:00.004Z

Just lovely.

The celebration of the threshold

2009-02-25T21:35:00.008Z

What a beautiful entrance this makes. A couple of steps raised off the lane, a profusion of pots and plants big and small, a bench for chatting on or watching the odd passer by. A small supply of fire wood tucked under a humble bench, a post box, a picture and a lantern completes the celebration of entry. I would be happy to sit here and watch the world go by.

And then there are the vegetables. Vegetables tucked in every nook and cranny, riverbanks, verges, every single piece of land claimed for the purpose of sustenance. This lovely garden was tucked between roofs. There is something so comforting about a roof that you can touch..

An Anso way of life

2009-02-24T20:26:00.006Z

Whenever I look back over my pictures of last year's holiday in Anso within the mighty Pyrenees of Northern Spain I am reminded of the villagers and their simple way of life and deep respect for their environment.

There are traces of this everywhere, around each corner, in every stone and bench and tree and piece of wood. They love their mountains, rivers and trees. They love their sunrise, their sunset. They love to be out in that fresh mountain air. Little benches scattered across their world to interact, to sit and listen to birdsong, to shut the eyes and feel the warmth of the sun. Over the next few posts I hope to share more of their wonderful way of life with you.

Hello

2009-02-11T12:48:00.006Z

Hello!

I must admit to having first entry nerves and I am trying my hardest not to be too precious about this blog!

This is a space to wear our hearts on our sleeves, where we hope to spread joy and inspiration, see the beauty in the everyday.. live every moment, in the now.

A peep into the world of Samuel Harris..

more soon.