yesterday, saying there was no place in Bermuda for "design socialism''.

They said Canadian-raised historian of British Empire architecture Dr. Robert Grant Irving was unrealistic -- even "ridiculous''. And his opinions were historically biased.

Dr. Irving told the The Royal Gazette's Community section this week he was "astounded'' at local architects' lack of sympathy for traditional Bermudian architecture. And he admonished Government for having done "so little'' over the past 30 years to protect it, adding that Bermuda was being "rapidly overbuilt''.

But architects insisted they were making an effort to preserve tradition in their designs. However, they had to give their clients what they wanted.

Traditional wooden shutters and windows were impractical nowadays, one architect said.

"He should live here and have to pay for the cost of maintaining a house with traditional blinds and windows,'' Mr. Sjur Linberg of the firm Barker and Linberg said.

And you could not design an office building for a major international company that looked like an old Bermuda home, the architects said.

International company clients "demanded the most up-to-date modern facilities'', Mr. Linberg noted.

Dr. Irving had asked: "Why should you allow the Bermuda lifestyle and environmental ambiance to be dictated by foreign financial corporations?'' Hamilton was in danger of "looking like every other over-built city in the world'', he claimed.

Mr. John Gardner, senior partner in the firm Cooper and Gardner, agreed the Island's architectural heritage needed to be protected. "Yes, Bermudian architects care ... but the reality is that there are many clients who do not wish to have historical buildings.'' He added the Planning Department already had strict controls in place for builders.

"There is no specific formula in place -- it wouldn't work,'' he said. "You can't turn Bermuda into Williamsburg, Virginia. There are places in Bermuda you have to be much more careful in -- I'd say St. George's should be protected ... But we don't need design socialism, just continued respect for our architectural heritage.'' Other than education to encourage quality Bermudian architecture, he suggested: "Lowering the maximum height for office buildings so Bermuda roofs could be put on them, a master development plan for St. George's which incorporated financial incentives for preservation; recognition of quality architecture on a national level.'' Another Bermudian architect, Mr. Oemonde Brangman, felt there was more need to train members of the Development Applications Board in preservation of traditional architecture than architects.

"The Planning board does not have the kind of experts in the decision making process when it comes to what is Bermudian. We have people on the DAB who are not even trained in architecture or preservation.'' He agreed Bermuda's historic buildings had suffered to "a large extent'', some even being knocked down, but it was not the fault of architects.

"A lot of office blocks going up are not Bermudian because there's no such thing as Bermudian commercial architecture. An office building is not a house.'' Mr. Linberg further commented: "Does he (Dr. Irving) mean that all new buildings built should look like old buildings. That may be appropriate for Front Street but not everywhere.'' Head of the Institute of Bermuda Architects Mr. Neil Sloan said Dr. Irving's views were "over-simplified''.

"A lot of the issues he raised were valid,'' the Bermudian architect said.

"But he does not seem to be much of a realist.'' Dr. Irving's issue over aluminium windows not being Bermudian was "ridiculous'', Mr. Sloan said. "There are only so many buildings that can be restored. We are doing our utmost to be sympathetic to traditional architecture. But we are dictated to a large degree by our client's needs.'' Dr. Irving will be giving a public lecture at Bermuda College on Friday at 8 p.m.

In an interview he told the Community section: "It is astounding that resident architects don't show more sympathy for island architecture in the local tradition in terms of materials, scale and adaption to climate.'' Bermudian architects had designed "some of the worst examples of contemporary architecture''. The reason for their lack of regard, he said, was a lack of training in traditional Bermudian architecture.

He invited the Bermuda National Trust to launch a scheme to educate the public on the importance of preserving tradition.