The creator of RoboThespian, a full sized humanoid acting robot, and his artist partner have run into stiff resistance over plans to demolish their house and replace it with an eco-villa.
Will Jackson, Director of Engineered Arts Ltd based in Falmouth, and his partner Tracy Rasburn have applied to demolish the house at 13 Spernen Wyn Road.
They want to replace it with, what they describe as,: “a new, architecturally distinct home that prioritizes sustainability, local character, and innovative design.”
However, at a recent meeting of Falmouth Town Council’s planning and licensing committee councillors recommended refusal of the application saying it was: “not in keeping with the street scene and due to poor drainage to rainwater run-off from the hard standing.”
The application put together by LiLYROSE Architecture says the existing dwelling is modest in design and historically unimportant and therefore the principle of demolishing the existing building is acceptable.
It says the replacement dwelling has been sensitively designed.
The replacement home will be larger than the existing one, with a tiered and staggered layout which, they say, results in lower profile than the current dwelling to reduce its mass and volume.
It says the architectural concept for, what would be known as Villa De Piggledy, evolved through a “dynamic and iterative process, reflecting the eclectic nature of the clients' artistic interests and their desire for a home that seamlessly blends creativity with practicality.”
It adds: “The journey began with an inspiration drawn from Jonathan Hill's philosophy in Weather Architecture, particularly the idea of Ruination—the notion that destruction often precedes innovation and that the remnants of the past can serve as the foundation for future creativity.
“In essence, the concept of Villa De Piggledy reflects an eclectic and organic design process, embodying a true higgledy-piggledy approach that celebrates the convergence of past and future, chaos and order, and art and function.”
The building will have a studio for each of the occupants tailored to their specific artistic needs as well as an indoor swimming pool.
The new driveway, which caused councillors concern, will be constructed using granite setts, designed to be permeable.
The sub-base beneath the setts will consist of a permeable graded aggregate, allowing water to filter through and into the ground below.
In conclusion the application says the new dwelling will: “significantly enhance the visual and functional quality of the site while contributing positively to the broader community and environment.”
A final decision will be made by Cornwall Council.
RoboThespian is the ultimate acting humanoid designed for human interaction in a public environment.
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