Reflecting on 100 years of house design

According to the Collins Dictionary, contemporary things are ‘modern’ and ‘relate to the present time’ — but how literally should we take that? Does it mean that something that was contemporary last month is no longer contemporary? If something was contemporary a day or two ago, does that mean that today it’s old hat? Where does traditional end and contemporary begin?

It’s all a bit confusing, especially in the world of architecture, where the word ‘contemporary’ gets thrown around in a pretty haphazard way. Most of the time, it’s difficult to know when something really is contemporary, as opposed to just a bit unusual, quirky, experimental or plain odd. And, despite the fact that much has happened in the last century, certain architectural features have endured the test of time – right through from the 1920s – and are still seen as ‘contemporary’ today.

1920s architecture

A hundred years ago big shifts were occurring in the world of house design, mostly as a result of the post-war demand for cheap housing, but also due to advances in technology and a group of forward-thinking architects who turned their backs on the frill and froth of Victorian architecture.

“The 1920s was an era of change and progression, when the world was turned on its head by the impact of war. The idea of what constituted a home changed forever,” says