How do modern house designs evolve?

[caughtalightsneeze]

I know this seems like a random thing to be wondering but hear me out.

I have always been quite interested in interior design and the like and have, over the years, bought many an interiors magazine. I'm from N Ireland and almost without exception over the years I have been able to identify at a glance if a house is in N Ireland, before I even read the accompanying article. Even if it is something like a Victorian terrace, which are obviously found all over the UK, I still can often look at one and think 'I bet that's Belfast'.

I understand how historically buildings were built with the materials that were available in their area, so you get all the different types of stone used around the UK but how does this result in such noticeable differences in style in this modern era of mass building?

If you saw a photo of a house that was from your part of the UK would you just 'know' even if it didn't have any identifying features, such as stone, that ties it to a particular area geographically?

[BournvilleGreen]

Well I would...but that's because the houses and gardens where I live have a very specific design, intentionally. Cadbury modelled it on a Somerset village apparently though.

[caughtalightsneeze]

I remember visiting my relatives in England as a child and being amazed because their kitchen (and that of all their neighbours) was at the front of their house. That's something I've only ever seen at home in large detached houses where the kitchen runs the whole way from front to back, whereas my extensive browsing of home renovation videos on YouTube makes me think that it's not at all unusual for a townhouse or semi in England.

[BogRollBOGOF]

I wouldn't in my area. The majority is standard Victorian to modern housing estates.

There is a particular composite blockwork made at a local quarry that was used to build an early to mid-twentieth century estate in a partiçular part of town. The owner realised that he could get an income from the waste.

It's not exactly that sandy London brick, Ham Stone or Cotswold stone though!

[caughtalightsneeze]

@BournvilleGreen

Well I would...but that's because the houses and gardens where I live have a very specific design, intentionally. Cadbury modelled it on a Somerset village apparently though.

I think I have seen your town/village (based on your username and the details you have mentioned) on TV. We do not have anything as pretty as that where I'm from

[BournvilleGreen]

It is very pretty, but it's quite unlike anywhere I've ever lived before (grew up in the shadow of dark satanic mills).

[Peony9876]

Where I live a lor of the older houses have hanging tiles on tge external walls and developers have sought to replicate this traditional look on the new builds.

Where I used to live in Suffolk pastel render with decorative patterns was a traditional style and again this was replicated in many of the new builds.

[willowdeandickson]

I think a lot of house designs are reused. I live in a new build (in NI, hi!) and I can always spot the houses built by the same builder as mine (or different builders) as I’ve noticed they use the same layouts and styles with some tweaks in different developments so they aren’t identical.
I imagine it is similar in older houses too. When I was moving house and viewing options, I could always guess from the outside what the layout and pros/cons of that would be.
I know people who’ve built houses and said they looked at other similar houses in ghetto area as that way it was more likely to get planning permission, which would drive similarities too.

[willowdeandickson]

Not in ghetto area! In the area.