my better custom house
Is my house Better Building Practices?
There are many people who would like to know if they live in a Better Building Code house. There are several factors that can define whether a house is Better Construction - some are more straightforward than others.
The National Association of Better Buildings delivered throughout the association's lifetime from 1915 to 1965 proposals and corrections for many different types of buildings. Although the association stuck to its aesthetic ideals, the idiom in Denmark's architecture changed drastically during the 50 years. This had a knock-on effect on the work of the national association, which over time lost the architectural rigor that characterized the first 20 years. Therefore, the structural characteristics are strongest in the association's early projects.
Is the house built according to Tegnehjælpen's guidelines?
It is quite straightforward that a house is Better Building Practice if there are drawings that have been corrected by the association's consultancy Tegnehjælpen, and if Tegnehjælpen's guidelines have been followed. Despite this, these houses can vary greatly from the association's aesthetic standards. Many builders and owners only submitted their drawings to Tegnehjælpen when the foundations had been cast, and therefore it was a limited influence that the National Association of Better Construction could assert. In those cases, the correction consisted of the art of the possible.
Is the house built by a builder who has received training from the association?
There is also the possibility that the house was built by a master builder who was a student at the School of Architecture in Holbæk or who participated in the association's course activities and thus received guidance from the association's architects when building the house. Here we are already in a slightly more uncertain determination of the house as Better Building Practices. In this case, current homeowners can proceed in the Valuable Links section at the bottom of the page.
Is the house built according to one of the association's published type drawings?
Although the house was built by a builder who did not receive guidance from the association, the house may very well have been built according to one of the many well-described type drawings that the association published in its annual reports, building books and booklets. Or perhaps the client or builder has been inspired by already built Better Building Practices houses, which leads us into the more uncertain decisions.
Does the house follow the aesthetic guidelines set out by the association?
If the history of the building is not known, the last option is to determine the house based on whether it follows the aesthetic guidelines set out by the association. This is of course a matter of opinion; the house may have been remodeled to an extent that makes it impossible to determine whether it was originally a Better Building Practice house.
The typical Better Building Practice house
Despite the variants found in the building cases we know from the National Association of Better Building Practices' archives, there are some characteristic features that are usually found in the association's typical smaller buildings:
The typical Better Building Practice house
Ground plan
The ground plan of the house is usually written in a simple and compact form without crooked angles, protrusions or retracted parts. The house is often deep, i.e. the gable is wide.
Facades
The facades are often symmetrical and neatly divided into sections. As far as possible, the division is carried through from plinth to roof so that all the building elements follow the continuous escape lines. The cornice at the base of the roof is distinctive and often runs around the gable.
Tags
The roof is a simple gable roof, often hipped with two smaller roof surfaces in the gable of the house. The eaves follow the divisions that the house's facades are part of. The roof is usually high and rarely overhangs; emphasis is placed on the main profile of the roof surface being within the outer wall. The roof surfaces are preferably unbroken; however, there may be a single smaller twig, rarely two. In small houses and single-family houses, there is usually only one floor and a used attic. The middle part of the facade can be elevated, e.g. in a gable branch.
Windows
The windows, which are slatted, follow a horizontal continuous escape line as well as the vertical escape lines of the house. The windows should preferably not be large, and in the facades they should preferably be high, so that the upper edge of the windows sits close to the cornice of the eaves.
The typical materials
The use of traditional and natural building materials was one of Bedre Byggeskik's hallmarks. For the association, it was important that the building materials fit in naturally with the landscape. For the National Association of Better Building Practices, it was the materials that defined the constructive structure and thus the rhythm and divisions of the facades; just as it was the materials that defined the craft in which the traditions lived. It was the new industrial and mass-produced building materials that had been a large part of the reason for the "decay of taste", which the National Association for Better Construction initially reacted against. Gradually, other and cheaper materials such as cement roofing tiles and cast iron were incorporated into the association's repertoire, but the new materials never became the norm.
Bricks and bricks
The roof is preferably made of red bricks, but a particular brown-red shade of cement roof tiles was acceptable.
The house is brick, preferably in plain brick (i.e. without surface treatment), but the facades can also be plastered, e.g. if the quality of the bricks could not support a smooth masonry. The cornice at the base of the roof may be plastered, partly to mark the intersection between the 'roof body' and the house's brick block, partly to emphasize the horizontal lines of the house.
In a Better Construction style house, we are talking about an overall connection between solid materials, a particularly tactful and simple, but well-executed proportioning and good craftsmanship with a distinct sense of detail. Even so, it is difficult to set up categories for what a Better Construction house looks like, but there is a special atmosphere – a kind of robust calm – over the best and most original Better Construction houses.
Decoration
There are no unnecessary decorations and embellishments. There may, however, be some form of decorative emphasis around the front door.
Maintenance and remodeling of a Better Building Practices house
When you as a homeowner have to renovate or rebuild your older house, it is always a good idea to seek guidance from an architect; preferably someone who knows about the older building methods and craft techniques. The homeowner is often in a situation where it can be difficult to choose between the needs that a modern home must meet and the desire to preserve the cultural and historical values that the home represents. However, with a certain amount of care and the right advice, solutions can usually be found that meet both housing needs and conservation values.
How do I proceed with my Better Construction house?
Homeowners who do not have the original drawings for their house lying around can try to proceed on the following archives:
The National Museum's Department for Modern Times has Marius Pedersen's private archive lying around.
At the National Archive's branch in Viborg, there are a number of the National Association of Better Construction's publications and Tegnehjælpen's drawings and proofreadings.
The Collection of Architectural Drawings at the Royal Library contains drawing material, but mainly by the nationally renowned architects.
In addition, you can find the building cases that the municipality has dealt with regarding the individual cadastral register on the relevant municipality's Building Case Archive.
The national archives and many other local as well as private archives contain information regarding construction matters.
Useful links
On Raadvad Centre's "Center for Building Conservation" there is a glossary with explanations of technical terms divided into professional areas. Here you can also download instructions and pamphlets free of charge. On this website, you can also find Søren Vadstrup's pamphlets about the correct use and maintenance of original building materials, the correct execution of some classic craftsmanship details and how older building elements are restored or replaced.
Historic Houses is an amalgamation of, among other things, the former ByFo and Bygningskultur Danmark, and there is also very good knowledge to be gained here.
The Palaces and Culture Agency also has one thorough introduction to how a building historical survey is carried out and everything that you need to be aware of if, for example, a listed house is to be renovated.
