[Info-vax] Completely OT: Frank Lloyd Wright

[Paul Sture]

In article <2a100$5087a06a$5ed43c14$17170 at cache90.multikabel.net>,
 Dirk Munk <munk at home.nl> wrote:

> Getting back to the subject of real estate, you can never do as you 
> please with a building. It depends on the situation of course, but I 
> know streets with normal family houses that were build in the 1920's and 
> 1930's, and those houses were recently restored and improved to modern 
> standards. Before the restoration these houses were rental 
> accommodations, but afterwards they were sold. The outside of these 
> houses were brought back to the original design, including the colours 
> of the window frames etc. And the new owners are not allowed to change 
> those colours. When you think about it, that preserves the value of your 
> property. If owners would paint their doors and window frames in any 
> colour they like, it would ruin the original concept of the architects, 
> and the street would look cheap and run down. Now these houses have a 
> certain grandeur and that improves the value.

One example is the village of Saltaire in the north of the UK.  This was 
originally built by a textile mill's owner for his workers, at least in 
part because he found that workers didn't like commuting.  He didn't 
stop at housing, and built a church, library, hospital etc.

This was good quality housing built in the 1800s, and even during the 
1950s/60s when it was nigh impossible to get a decent mortgage on a 
pre-WWII house, you could apparently get a mortgage on these.

During the 1980s these came under a protection order, with rules on the 
type of doors, windows and even the gate on the back yard.  I am not 
sure how this was enforced for existing owners, but anyone buying was 
obliged to replace non-conforming windows and doors with approved ones.

This paid off, and in 2001 it was designated as a World Heritage Site by 
UNESCO:

http://www.saltairevillage.info

-- 
Paul Sture