Technical Architecture

The mansion is known as Tindalls House after the first owners, John Tindall and his family. The home was initially built in the Ticehurst neighborhood between 1700 and 1725. It was disassembled in 1974 to make room for Bewl Bridge Reservoir, then rebuilt by Weald and Downland Museum (Weald & Downland, 2017, 1).

The Tindalls house’s current framework, or Tindalls Cottage as it is formally named, was built in 2012 in accordance with the original framework. It had been kept in storage during that time. The cottage aims to showcase English life in the early 18th century, in particular, East Sussex, where it was originally built (Weald & Downland, 207, 1).

Tindall house research

Research on the cottage helps in showcasing the original lifestyle of the English due to the architecture employed, as well as the materials. It also shows the construction methods of people in this era, such as the recycling of building materials (Craig, 2014, 17).

Construction

The cottage was constructed using a method that was prevalent at the time, a type also seen in the Poplar Cottage. The building features a gable end chimney and a hipped terminal, and predominantly uses oak derived from older buildings (Orbasli, 2000, 32). The building was constructed in a way that is anticipatory of future redevelopment of the house to fit other needs.

Wall construction

The building’s walls were reinforced using Timber, as well as brick pillars. The walls themselves are made of wood, apart from the chimney, which is constructed of red bricks. Inner walls are not as reinforced, and are painted differently from the outer walls’ white coat.

Windows construction

The house spots large windows; of which each floor has four. The windows are made of wooden shutters, meaning that they have to be opened to let in the light. The windows are painted black, and offer a stark contrast to the general white coat of the walls, and the red of the chimney and the roof.

Floor construction

The outer room of the house has a brick floor. It houses the kitchen and a fireplace, which is serviced by the chimney. The inner room houses the buttery. It has earthen floors, which is also the case with two service rooms. The floor types give the house a general brown floor, as the images included here illustrate.

Fireplace construction

As indicated, the fireplace is located in the outer room that also serves as a kitchen chamber. The fireplace leads to a large chimney, which dominates one side of the house. The fireplace is used to warm the house, as well as prepare food. The fireplace is large enough to hold even a small furnace (Spahic, 2008, 15).

Roof construction

The roof of the house is made of red tiles, of the same type as a small structure alongside the chimney. The roof’s tiles are made of overlapping tiles, which are effective in controlling the temperature during the cold and dry seasons (Minaei, Ali, 2013, 11). The red colour of the roof augurs well with the chimney and the walls.

Roof attachment

The roof attachment to the walls is completely compact. This means that it does not leave any ventilation these instead being done via the specially designed spaces on the walls. The house’s roof attachment is reinforced with wooden trasses, which are able to support the weight of the tiles (Conway, & Roenisch, 1994, 5).

Conclusion

The house is a rich show of the quality of life in the English countryside in the 18th century. The house was constructed in a version popular at the time, as shown with other buildings such as the Poplar Cottage and others (Spahic, 2008, 7).

Bibliography

Conway, H., & Roenisch, R. (1994). Understanding Architecture: An Introduction to Architecture and Architectural History. London: Routledge.

Craig, L. 2014. Measuring Good Architecture: Long Life, Loose Fit, Low Energy. European Journal of Sustainable Development, vol. 3(4), 10-76.

Macy, C., & Bonnemaison, S. 2003. Architecture and Nature: Creating the American Landscape. London: Routledge.

Minaei, R., Ali, M. 2013. Enterprise Architecture Development Based on Enterprise Ontology. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, vol. 8(2), 5-124.

Orbasli, A. 2000. Tourism in Historic Towns: Urban Conservation and Heritage Management. London: E & FN Spoon.

Spahic, O. 2008. Towards Understanding Islamic Architecture. Islamic Studies, vol. 47(4), 6-98.

Weald & Downland. 2017. TINDALLS COTTAGE FROM TICEHURST. Retrieved from http://www.wealddown.co.uk/buildings/tindalls-cottage/ (Accessed 17th May 2017)