The Speculative House In London, c1832 - 1914

This study is concerned with the morphology of the speculatively-built dwelling-house in London between c1832 and 1914. The thesis is that the 19th c. speculative house was the direct result of social, stylistic and legislative influences acting upon the basic form of the 18th c. town house. The study serves not only to place the 19th c. speculative house in its historical and architectural context, but to demonstrate how the house was assembled and what might be found or re-employed during a sympathetic restoration or rehabilitation building programme. The plan and section of the 18th c. terraced house provided the most economical and profitable way for the speculative builder to cover his leasehold site, and thus remained largely unaltered throughout the 19th c., except in the suburbs where land prices were not at a premium and more expansive planning could be employed. The architectural styles crudely adapted followed behind contemporary fashion, often by some years, and remained in use long after being discarded by leading practitioners. The developing building regulations controlled the form the speculative house took, initially in relation to the control of fire, but latterly light and ventilation. The development of new, and the refinement of established building materials affected the methods of construction, appearance and ultimate stability of the buildings. The speculative house was heavily criticised during the 19th c. for bad planning and poor construction. Yet it was not always the builder who was to blame, the speculator or land-developer often being ultimately responsible for the quality of the work. Many thousands of such houses have survived and today are in popular demand, especially among first-time buyers. This indicates their inherant suitability to our contemporary lifestyle, as well as their lasting quality as a building product despite so many assertions to the contrary.