Commendation for Best Small Housing Development
COURTYARD RETREAT
Three houses, River Lane, Petersham, Surrey TW10 7AG
Sir Terry Farrell has always been a passionate advocate of courtyard housing, and when he was invited in 2001 to submit proposals in a limited architectural competition for three contemporary homes off River Lane, Petersham, he knew immediately how he wanted to tackle it. His winning design has awakened an interest in courtyard housing more generally.
"There is a need to create high-quality modern and sustainable districts in suburban and rual locations rather than increasing the density of our existing cities," he says. "It is entirely possible to create high-quality modern and sustainable residential districts using the courtyard housing application. The Three Houses at Petersham show how even the most sensitive location can be extended and how the contemporary can sit alongside the traditional with no loss of amenity or reduction in quality."
The site of Three Houses was originally occupied by one of two Modernist houses, Courtyards and Drum House, designed by Leonard Manasseh (one of the architects of the Festival of Britain in 1951), built in 1964-67 and set in large and secluded landscaped gardens 50 metres back from River Lane. Courtyards, with its monopitched roofs, still survives but is not listed. Drum House, which was the larger of the two, has now been replaced by Three Houses.
The planning authority, Richmond-upon-Thames, stipulated that the development should be low profile and should not be seen from outside the site. A height of seven metres was agreed, which was a contributing factor to the living rooms of each of the three houses becoming pavilions in their respective gardens, so as to allow for extra headroom. The planning application was made on 14 December 2001 and approved on 6 March 2002.
The design concept created three family homes that form part of a high-quality architectural grouping while remaining totally private. The northern wall of the double-height entrance hall that runs the length of each house forms the boundary wall of the adjoining property, thus ensuring complete privacy.
Each glazed living-room pavilion sits within its enclosed garden. The position of existing trees on the site dictated the dimensions of each house, which range in size from 5,500 sq ft to 6,000 sq ft, each having five bedrooms and three ensuite bathrooms, but the floorplans of each house is different, as are the internal finishes. House No 1 has white limestone floors, limestone worktops in the kitchen, and limestone paving the garden. House No 2, which is the largest of the three, has green slate floors, and slate floors and paths in the garden. House No 3 (which won this year's awards for Best House and Best Interior Design) has floors of grey Italian limestone.
HomeBuilder: Berkeley Homes (Southern)
Broadlands Business Campus, Langhurstwood Road, Horsham, West Sussex RH12 4QP
Tel 01403 211240
Fax 01403 211753
Website www.berkeleyhomes.co.uk
Contact: Sam Pullen, Marketing Manager.
Email sam.pullen@berkeleygroup.co.uk
The Old Aeroworks, 17 Hatton Street, London NW8 8PL
Tel 020 7258 3433
Fax 020 7723 7059
Website: www.terryfarrell.co.uk
Contact: Mike Stowell, Project Director.
Email m.stowell@terryfarrell.co.uk