Is this house an eyesore

[Miss Chicken]

I read this yesterday and thought I will get people's opinion on it.

This is the house in question (not quite finished)

Here is part of the article I read

The millionaire owner of a controversial seaside house branded an "eyesore" has been told the building does not have to be demolished.
Planners allowed an appeal to retain Bettws Newydd, a large house nearing completion near Newport in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park.
The house belongs to Nolan Nicholas, who owns a windows and doors firm.
He had been refused retrospective planning permission because the house was larger than originally agreed.
The Pembrokeshire Coast National Park authority had wanted the building pulled down.

Rest of story here


and a video here showing it and its surrounding area


I don't like the house but it isn't anywhere near bad enough for me to go to the bother of protesting about if it was close to me.

 

[Joshua Howard]

It just looks like a house. What's the big deal? It is, albiet, a glassy house; but in my opinion, not an eyesore. I wouldn't give it a second look.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Looks fine to me.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

Looking at that picture, I would say it's too big for my taste, but not an eyesore. In fact, I like all the glass; I'm assuming it has a water view or something.

However, the video shows the other side of the house, and that is pretty ugly, IMHO. Plus, we don't know what the other houses in the area look like. If they're much smaller and/or more traditional, I can see why people would call this an eyesore.

 

[Finn]

Okay. This house, while not my style, is far from the ugliest house I've seen. I think those people are way overreacting.

 

[trekkiedane]

Looking at that picture, I would say it's too big for my taste, but not an eyesore. In fact, I like all the glass

Indeed, the way the windows reflect the sky is actually part of what makes this house look good in that particular place. And the grey (slate?) roof also looks good in that location!

 

[Spot's Meow]

It isn't my style, but it doesn't stick out to me as anything more than a regular house. Especially when they pan away from the shore in the end of the video, it seems to fit in with the other house nearby, it is about as large, though of course it has more windows.

It might just be a regional thing though, as it really isn't unusual to see gaudy custom homes around here, plopped right into the middle of otherwise uniform-looking neighborhoods, or next to rivers/the ocean. Really it looks like a typical Southern California house that you might see while walking down the beach.

 

[bigdaddy]

It's not my taste in house, but it looks fine.

I think it should be knocked down because he built it bigger than he was supposed to!

 

[auntiehill]

I would hardly call it an eyesore. It's more attractive than most of the buildings in downtown Houston. OK, that's not saying much, but still....

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

The only question I would ask is, is that in a designated historical area? In the US, anyway, if you do buy a house in a historic district, there are major restrictions on what you can and can't do with it due to the need to preserve a period look. If it's not in a historic district...I don't like it but I don't see why it would need to be torn down.

 

[Captain Shaw]

It looks OK to me, but why would he build it bigger than what he was allowed to in the first place, that's taken a big risk, I swear to god it depends what mood the plaining officials are in when deciding what you can and can't get away with.

 

[Orcus]

It's not my taste in house, but it looks fine.

I think it should be knocked down because he built it bigger than he was supposed to!

Yes, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones - should they?

Thanks - I'll be here all week...

 

[Holdfast]

...I swear to god it depends what mood the plaining officials are in when deciding what you can and can't get away with.

The planning regulations in this country are seriously screwed up. Getting permission takes forever, so many people can delay/derail a proposal, and there are a million different petty regulations. I'm all for protecting the character of an area, but there has to be a better way of dealing with the approval of planning permissions than the arcane system we currently have.

My favourite local cafe/deli recently had to fight to get retrospective approval for a change of purpose that was so clearly in the local community's interests that it was blindingly obvious to all but the planning department. Took months of process and political shenanigans until it finally got approved.

 

[Itisnotlogical]

Jesus Christ... that's a palace! Wish I lived in a place like that...

 

[Captain Shaw]

...I swear to god it depends what mood the plaining officials are in when deciding what you can and can't get away with.

The planning regulations in this country are seriously screwed up. Getting permission takes forever, so many people can delay/derail a proposal, and there are a million different petty regulations. I'm all for protecting the character of an area, but there has to be a better way of dealing with the approval of planning permissions than the arcane system we currently have.

My favourite local cafe/deli recently had to fight to get retrospective approval for a change of purpose that was so clearly in the local community's interests that it was blindingly obvious to all but the planning department. Took months of process and political shenanigans until it finally got approved.

I remember reading about a couple who's builder made the front of the house just a little to big, He told them he would pay for a appeal but if it failed he would move the wall to where it should be.
The planning officials told the couple they had to pull the whole lot down

 

[Avon]

google 'newport, pembrokeshire'.

now contrast those picturesque cottages with that american-style glass-fort.

although, i think everyone should live in white modernist cubes.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

It looks like any beach house i've seen here in CA; lots of glass. Looks just fine to me.

 

[Colonel Green]

Not to my taste, but it isn`t any worse than your average McMansion. That said, if he didn`t get approval to build it, I`m all for tearing it down and charging him for the cost of the bulldozer. Where I`m from we have a real problem with developers getting approval for a development and then completely disregarding the terms of their permit with no consequences and it really pisses me off.

 

[SVD]

Nice house, but a poor fit architecturally for the climate, terrain, and the neighborhood.

A better fit would be made in the Napa Valley, CA.

 

[Marie1]

I like it, love the windows.
And it's not like there are houses sitting on top of it.

Maybe the locals are bored...

I don't think they should tear it down, sometimes designs change, and it looks like there is enough space for it. I hope he gets the permissions.

Sometimes houses don't fit with the surrounding ones, but if you have a dream house... and that's the lot you have...