What Stephen Taylor’s cowshed (Buildings December 21) actually looks like is an off-the-shelf standard barn chosen out of a catalogue, to which the architect has stuck on an extra bit made of concrete, with round arches.

Shatwell Farm cowshed, Somerset by Stephen Taylor Architects

Source: David Grandorge

A resident of the cowshed at Shatwell Farm in Somerset. Ellis Woodman’s review of the building was one of the most commented on stories at bdonline over the holidays.

I would myself describe the end result as a dog’s breakfast. I find it quite incredible in this context that anyone could dare to reference the great Hugo Häring.

Scepticalaboutthewholething
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Worth a visit

I would suggest that Asplund is a better model of comparison than Häring — that strange classicism married to utilitarian programmes.

The site plan and the thumbnails of the other buildings look as though this would be a very interesting place to visit. It also reminds me of Plecnik.

Adrian Watson
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A pretentious outhouse

It’s a barchessa; they are typical of “better” farms in Italy. As well as adding temple fronts to farmhouses, Palladio also “did up” their barns. It’s clearly part of a series of intended buildings by the architect, and also part of a group of projects by various architects who have been commissioned to work on the estate over the centuries. The manor house is Palladian.

As a “type” of pretentious outhouse, it’s not pretending not to be a metal shed too. This combination of what “is” and “isn’t” true is a bit tricky for the empiricist to get, I know. Best to think of it as a joke you don’t get.

Patrick Lynch
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