Buildings with Character 🏰

This week marks the start of Heritage Open Days in England, from 11–20 September, when buildings and places open their doors for people to explore. It’s an opportunity to discover local history, step inside somewhere you may not usually get to visit and notice some of the character and stories hidden within our built surroundings.

Stand back or step inside and take a closer look at buildings and what gives them their character.

Buildings come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Some are old and full of history, while others are modern, colourful or unusual. Sometimes it’s the little details that catch our eye — an interesting doorway, window, crooked roof or decorative feature. With a new academic year beginning, you might also find inspiration in a school, college, university or library, past or present.

Churches and cathedrals are full of fascinating details too. Look up at spires, gargoyles and grotesques, or step inside to discover stained glass, arches, carvings and monuments. You could capture the whole building or focus on just one feature.

The Crooked House, Lavenham — wonderfully wonky medieval architecture. Source: crookedhouselavenham.com

The Crooked House in Lavenham, Suffolk, was built in 1395 as part of a grand medieval house for a wealthy wool merchant. Built quickly using timber that wasn't fully seasoned, its wooden frame twisted as it dried, creating the wonderfully wonky walls, windows and rooflines we see today. A building doesn't have to be perfect to be fascinating!

And your building doesn’t have to exist at all. Imagine your own. What would it look like? Where would it be? Who might use it, and what would make it special?

Fantasy building — who might live here? Let your imagination take over and create a building where anything is possible. Source: pixabay.com. AI-generated illustration by Eleanor Smith (ElephantSoup)

A few ideas to get you started…

🎨 A building with a story 🏠 — explore a building connected to history, a memory, a place or a story of your own.

🎨 It’s all in the details 🚪 — focus on an interesting door, window, rooftop, sign, pattern or decorative feature.

🎨 Learning spaces 📚 — take inspiration from a school, college, university or library, past or present.

🎨 Old and full of character 🏰 — explore a cottage, castle, ruin or another building that shows its age.

🎨 Look up, look closer ⛪ — discover gargoyles, grotesques, stained glass, arches, spires, carvings, statues or monuments.

🎨 Something unusual 🏢 — find a building with a quirky shape, bold colour, surprising feature or unexpected design.

🎨 Imagine your own ✏️ — invent a building where anything is possible. What would give yours its character?

Choose whichever idea inspires you, combine a few or take Buildings with Character in a completely different direction of your own.

A fascinating topic — I’m looking forward to seeing which buildings capture your imagination! See you on Wednesday at 7:30 pm (UK time).

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