Roger Barnes
Buildings Boats Books
Buildings
Modern buildings rooted in history, with a contemporary spirit.
Roger is a qualified architect in both the UK and France. His designs defy conventional categorisation. He uses colour, decoration, rhythm and sculptural form to produce an architecture totally of our own time, but with a profound historic sensibility. He aims to create buildings with enduring meaning, sensitive to their surroundings, to the environment and to their place in history.
Boats
The antidote to yachting
Roger is President of the Dinghy Cruising Association and his enthusiasm for his enthusiasm for small sail and oar boats is well known.
Coastal waters once teemed with simple small vessels. These honest working craft were used for fishing and short distant transport, carrying pilots, lighthouse keepers and other watermen. These open dinghies were stout, sturdy and stable vessels, working under sail and oar, and very different from the sailing dinghies of today. The coves, creeks and drying harbours they frequented still exist, mostly forgotten now. Sailing a small simple vessel between these neglected havens, you'll rediscover a lost coastal environment, full of wonder and surprise.
Books
The Dinghy Cruising Companion
Published in 2014 by Adlard Coles Nautical - part of Bloomsbury - this is the essential handbook to small boat leisure sailing, covering everything from a potter down the river for a family picnic to open water passages sleeping on board under a canvas boat tent. Roger is presently working on the Second Edition.
Sailing the Shallows
To be published in 2024, also by Bloomsbury.
Articles
Classic Boat
Watercraft
Dinghy Sailing Magazine
The RSA Journal
Roger has written articles on sailing, philosophy and architectural theory for a wide range of publications
Videos
YouTube channel
Roger's popular YouTube channel is about his various passions, sailing, architecture, the rural environment, and philosophy.
Art
Paintings and drawings
Roger illustrates his books and articles with his own paintings and watercolours, usually done from life in the open air.
Happy Homes
Roger is a member of Architect Your Home
Architect Your Home is here to make sure you start your home improvement project as you mean to finish it.
Collaboratively, we’ll nurture your ideas and commit them to paper, provide you with inspirational solutions and a roadmap to getting it done. We produce the scheme drawings required for planning permissions and give you full clarity on the ins and outs of your project. And our flexible approach means we will be on hand to support you throughout your project, providing you with the expertise and knowledge you need to fulfil your dreams.
Talks
Roger is often asked to give talks on nautical and architectural matters to clubs, groups and other organisations. these can be virtual or physical events.