New College - Oxford University

New College was founded in 1379 by Bishop William of Wykeham, about the time that Mob Quad at Merton College was being completed. It had a generous endowment from the start, and was the first college plan to be conceived all at one time as a coherent architectural whole. From the time it was built and to the present day, New College set the standard for collegiate architecture in Oxford. It has a wonderful cloister, completed in the late 14th century, and the original town wall dating from the early 1200's is still visible along the North edge of the campus.

Merton College - Oxford University

We are still visiting Oxford, England and its many historic colleges. Merton College was founded in 1264 and is one of the oldest colleges at Oxford University. It has a beautiful chapel, which is thought to be the finest late 13th century building in Oxford. The plan of the college developed haphazardly over time, incorporating existing buildings dating before the college, but eventually Mob Quad evolved (one of the oldest collegiate quadrangles).

Compass and Rule - Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England

We visited the Museum of the History of Science on Broad Street, and saw an interesting exhibit titled Compass and Rule - Architecture as Mathematical Practice in England, 1500-1750. This exhibit displayed drawings and instruments that show the transition of the practice of architecture from a craft to an intellectual pursuit. Some of the more interesting drawings were the first medieval maps drawn to scale and used for military purposes, and of course the drawings of Christopher Wren for the dome of London's St. Paul's Cathedral. Wren's drawings are one of the first recorded instances of an architectural form being developed during the design process (instead of during construction). Also of interest were the drawings of King George III from the 1700's. He was one of the first "gentleman-architects" and studied architecture with a tutor. His drawings preserve his first steps as a teenager to his sophisticated designs as a middle-aged man. As paper was precious, it was unusual to save a record of the basic beginning exercises. These drawings give us an idea of what an architectural education was like in the 18th century. This exhibit will be coming to the Yale Center for British Art in New Haven, Connecticut in February 2010.

Oxford an Architectural Guide

We have been using a wonderful architectural guide book on this trip, and want to cite the author. Much of the information from these Oxford blog posts is referenced from Geoffrey Tyack's Oxford an Architectural Guide. It's hard to find in the U.S., but if you find yourself in Oxford, you can pick up a copy at Blackwell's bookstore on Broad Street.

University Museum, Oxford, England

Just across the street from Keble College, we happened on a very interesting building. Oxford University Museum of Natural History, begun in 1855, still fulfills its function to exhibit "all the materials explanatory of the structure of the earth, and of the organic beings placed upon it." The design by Benjamin Woodward, junior partner in the Irish firm of Deane Woodward, was chosen from a design competition. Woodward was deeply influenced by the Oxford-educated John Ruskin and his books, The Seven Lamps of Architecture and The Stones of Venice. Ruskin believed that Gothic was more "natural" than classicism, allowing architectural ornament to be freed from rigid rules and orders. This idea is displayed in the carvings around the window jambs on the front of the museum - of monkeys, cats, dogs, rabbits, etc. These carvings were executed by Irish craftsmen brought to England by Woodward, which also put into practice Ruskin's belief that "all architectural ornamentation should be executed by the men who design it." The interior of the museum is really quite stunning, and its most spectacular feature is the glass roof supported by cast iron columns. This building and its exhibits were a favorite of our younger travel companions.

Keble College - Oxford University

We are still visiting Oxford, England, and have managed to see another notable college. Keble College, built in 1868-82, was designed by William Butterfield. The design of this college was quite controversial, and Butterfield's individuality and disregard for convention has never been forgiven by some to this day. One of the major differences (from other Oxford collegiate architecture) displayed in the buildings of this college is the use of brick instead of stone. This allowed Butterfield to create colored patterns and stripes, and resulted in one of the most impressive buildings of the Gothic Revival.

More posts from Oxford - Blenheim Palace

Just north of Oxford is the town of Woodstock and Blenheim Palace. The Palace was built for John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his Duchess Sarah, given by Queen Anne as a gift in reward for his military services. The palace was built between 1705 and 1722. The architect chosen to complete this task was Sir John Vanbrugh (also a playwright!) and his clerk of works Hawksmoor, who had already proved their ability with the masterly designs for Greenwich Hospital and Castle Howard. Set in beautiful parkland, Blenheim is thought to be the supreme example of English Baroque architecture.

Radcliffe Camera, Oxford, England

We have more highlights from Oxford, England. The city of Oxford experienced much rebuilding during the 18th Century, which concluded with the creation of Radcliffe Square and the construction of the Radcliffe Library (now known as the Radcliffe Camera). The money for this library was donated by Sir John Radcliffe, a physician. There was much debate about exactly where the library should be situated, but it was finally decided that it should have a site in the middle of the new square. Nicholas Hawksmoor, the architect behind the design of the new square, and James Gibbs were invited to submit designs for the new library. Gibbs proposed a square library, and Hawksmoor designed a domed circular library alluding in its form and decoration to the mausolea of classical antiquity. Hawksmoor died before the site was fully purchased, so the design of the library fell to Gibbs. Although a square library would have been more practical, the Radcliffe's trustees persuaded Gibbs to conform to Hawksmoor's circular scheme, and thus give Radcliffe his monument. Gibbs created a lighter, more Baroque building, drawing on his training in Rome. Light enters both through outer windows and through the drum of the dome, and the resulting effect of light and space is enhanced by decorative plastorwork. It is thought to be the finest classical interior in Oxford, and one of a few in England.

Magdelen College, Oxford, England

More highlights from our trip to Oxford, England... The great quadrangle at Magdelen College was constructed between 1474 and 1480. It is an excellent example of English Late Gothic architecture. Buttressed, pinnacled, and decorated, it proclaims the wealth and power of the college. Oriel windows light the interior rooms, and the gateway is embellished with vaulting ribs and carved bosses. The flying ribs around the main doorways are an unusual feature.

Christ Church College, Oxford, England

We happen to be visiting Oxford, England this month. The city was founded in the late 9th Century, and the University emerged in the late 12th and early 13th Centuries. The idea of the collegiate quadrangle was developed in Oxford, and its colleges have served as models for collegiate architecture up to the present time.
This photo is of Tom Tower at Christ Church College, designed by Christopher Wren in 1681. This tower reflects the spread of classicism after the Civil War, and is considered a creative solution to completing an older, Gothic style building.

More Fireplaces

This house features a double-height living space. The upper fireplace is in the master bedroom on the second floor, but it also has a glass back that faces into the living room. When a fire is lit in the bedroom, it can be seen from below in the living room as well. To see more photos from this project please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/bayridge/bayridge.htm.

Fireplaces and House Design

This fireplace is part of an Arts & Crafts farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania. The masonry chimney seems to float between two sheets of glass, and the firebox is backed with a piece of fireproof (oven) glass. Here, we emphasize the contrast between solid masonry and transparent glass, and also bring nature into the home. Imagine sitting by the warm fire on a cold winters day and watching the snow fall. To see more about this project and our other work, please visit http://www.bohlarchitects.com/ac_kitchen/ac_kitchen.htm.

House Design and The Fireplace

The fireplace is a symbolic part of a residence. The design of the fireplace expresses feelings, values, ideas and emotions: in the same way that the house design expresses these things- but the fireplace is a concentrated expression, it has greater intensity and more intimacy than the whole house.
The house in this photo replaced a small cottage with a big screened porch. Our client spent many summers there with her family, and most of their time seemed to be spent on that porch with its view of the water. When we designed a new house for the site, we started with the screened porch. At one corner of the porch we placed two fireplaces - one inside and one outside. Four large custom glass doors slide into a pocket between these two fireplaces, completely opening up the house to the porch on beautiful summer days. In this way, the whole house becomes part of the porch, and this idea is furthered through the design of the fireplaces.