Many of us do have a deep regard, even a nostalgia, for the past of the nation; we tend to be more emotional than our neighbours. At times we are over optimistic, at others we lack confidence. These contradictions are expressed in our attitudes to sport and our visual culture. As a poor people we have traditionally had little time for the visual arts; as a rural people we had little experience until recently of life in towns. Yet from our multicultural society – Norman, English and Irish and others more recent – we have gained much. The founding of the National Assembly now offers the opportunity both to conserve and improve our environment.

We should not undervalue the variety and beauty of our countryside; but we must also be aware that most of Wales strongly shows the direct influence of our forebears. Our land is not wild or natural, but moulded over generations by the people and their animals. Today we should be able to build with equal respect in our countryside, embracing both continuity and change. The quality of many of our earlier buildings sets standards for today.

The search for a valid regionalism has concerned many emerging nations in the recent past, particularly in Europe. The freestyle movement in Britain and elsewhere, like national romanticism in Scandinavia, responded to folk building, but were relatively short-lived. In America, Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright were more positive in attempting an architecture related to time and place. Wright was particularly successful working across different climatic zones, well-illustrated in his two homes – Taliesin, Wisconsin, in a cold northern areas, and Taliesin West in the semi-desert of Arizona. The more recent work of Ralph Erskine in Sweden is also relevant in his studies and designs for a harsh winter climate.

Attempts have also been made in Wales, with various degrees of success. John Prichard and Percy Thomas in the south, Herbert North, Clough Williams-Ellis and Colwyn Foulkes in the north, have made significant contributions. More recently, the work of Christopher Day, aiming for “spirit” and “place” is worthy of study, but I would question how far the crafted nature of his work is a valid solution to our building needs. The recent house in Pembrokeshire by Future Systems delightfully illustrates the integration of building and site using modern materials.