This page showcases a few of the projects that I have worked on.
Some have been built, and some have only made it to sketch design stage.
They have all been good projects to work on, and I have learnt something from every single one of them!
A live link with my Facebook posts is also below, showcasing projects I have worked on, as well other articles of interest.
Portfolio
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Caerphilly Castle – Wales![]()
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Constructed by Gilbert de Clare, known as the red Gilbert because of the colour of his hair, in the 13th century as part of a campaign to maintain control in Glamorgan.![]()
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Surrounded by extensive artificial lakes – considered by historian Allen Brown to be "the most elaborate water defences in all Britain" – it occupies around 30 acres (12 ha) and is the largest castle in Wales and the second-largest castle in the United Kingdom after Windsor Castle.![]()
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The project was opposed by Gilbert’s Welsh rival Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, leading to the site being burnt in 1270 and taken over by royal officials in 1271. Despite these interruptions, Gilbert successfully completed the castle and took control of the region.![]()
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After 1486 the castle went into decline, and once the sluice gates fell into disrepair, the water defences drained away and by the 18th century several towers had collapsed.![]()
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In 1776 John Stuart,the Marquesses of Bute ,acquired the castle and took steps to protect the ruins. In the early 1930’s a major project to restore the castle began. And in the 1950s after major land purchases, and the handing of the castle over to the state, the lakes were reinstated.![]()
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Below is a link to the official Caerphilly website:![]()
cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caerphilly-castle![]()
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And a link to a 3D walk through of the great hall:![]()
my.matterport.com/show/?m=o9cQN8tY2Y8
Caernarfon Castle – Wales![]()
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Caernarfon Castle (Welsh: Castell Caernarfon) is a medieval fortress in Gwynedd, north-west Wales.![]()
The first fortification on the site was a motte-and bailey castle built in the late 11th century, which King Edward I of England began to replace with the current stone structure in 1283. Here Edward and his military architect Master James of St George erected a castle, town walls and a quay all at the same time.![]()
This gigantic building project eventually took 47 years and cost a staggering £25,000, very loosely a cool $50 million pounds (or $98 million AUD) in today’s money.![]()
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The castle and town established by Edward acted as the administrative centre of north Wales, and as a result the defences were built on a grand scale. The castle was born out of bitter war with Welsh princes. So of course its immense curtain walls and daunting King’s Gate were designed to withstand assault. ![]()
There was a deliberate link with Caernarfon’s Roman past—nearby is the Roman Fort of Segontium—and the castle’s walls are reminiscent of the Walls of Constantinople.![]()
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They also recalled the Welsh myth of Macsen Wledig, who dreamed of a great fort at the mouth of a river – ‘the fairest that man ever saw’.![]()
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Below is a link to the official Caernarfon website:![]()
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cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/castell-caernarfon
Bran Castle – Romania![]()
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This castle is quite famous, possibly the most famous Romanian castle in the world!!![]()
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Bran castle was built by Saxons in 1377, given the privilege by King Louis I of Hungary.![]()
It is located 25km southwest of Brasov, a town in Transylvania, Romania.![]()
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It has had a history of being a fort, a customs post, and a strategic military outpost.![]()
In 1920 Hungary lost Transylvania to Romania, where Castle Bran became a royal residence, and was the favourite retreat of Marie of Romania, the last queen of Romania. She authorised extensive renovation work.![]()
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However, Castle Bran is more well known as Dracula’s Castle. This despite the fact that Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, knew nothing of the castle, and does not even resemble the description of the castle in the book.![]()
It is quite the iconic castle though.![]()
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Below is a link to the official Bran Castle website:![]()
bran-castle.com
This haven in the hills is finished!!![]()
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And wow, how amazing does it look!!![]()
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It is hard to showcase the whole house, so here are just a few snippets.![]()
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I think one of my favourite parts is where the feature blockwork comes inside, and the entry door has the side window frame rebated so that it seems like one wall outside to in.![]()
the dark steel cladding (Lysaght Dominion) is very nicely offset by the near white blockwork.![]()
These durable cladding elements will ensure this home is here to stay.![]()
There are a couple of photos of the front of the house, as well as a render to show the idea versus the built form.![]()
I have also included a night photo to show how amazing it looks at night as well, and also an image from last year with the steel frame up.![]()
This is a unique house with owners who had a vision, and were truly delightful to work with.![]()
Hopefully I can do a Grand Designs and come back in a few years to see how the house has worked out.