Elstree Hill
London BR1

SOLD

Architect: Walter Segal

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Located on a quiet residential road, this three-bedroom detached house was built to the designs of the visionary architect Walter Segal. There is also a separate ‘eco house’, designed and built by the current owner, with a further bedroom and large reception room. This could be used as a living space or as a separate office / studio.

Walter Segal (1907 – 1985) was innovator of the celebrated ‘Segal Method’ a timber-frame construction technique that inspired numerous self-builders. For more information on Walter Segal, please see the History section below.  To see another Segal house with The Modern House, visit our archive here.

Built in the late 1970s in what were the grounds of the neighbouring Victorian house, the property has a pleasant garden and an attractive terrace incorporated into the ground floor. The ground floor is largely open-plan and the three bedrooms are on the first floor. There is off-street parking space. Both houses are heated with gas central heating. The main house was recently fitted with a new roof.

Elstree Hill is an unmade road in a quiet residential area approximately one mile from Bromley town centre. There is a supermarket within walking distance and there are nearby train stations at Shortlands and Ravensbourne (approximately 10 minutes walk). Trains from Shortlands run to London Blackfriars and London Victoria in approximately 25 minutes. There are numerous good schools, such as Valley Primary, to be found nearby.

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.


History

This house was constructed by the current owner using the ‘Segal Method’ in the 1970s.

Walter Segal was a visionary architect, born in Switzerland, who devised a method of building that allowed for less skilled people to construct buildings by eliminating the need for various processes such as brick building. Using a modular, timber-frame system, the houses are adaptable and easy to maintain. For Wikipedia information on the Segal Method please click here.

Walter Segal trained in Berlin, a city that was at the forefront of Modernism in architecture, and moved to London in 1936. It wasn’t until the 1960s, however, that Segal began to gain recognition for his ideas and methods. Today, Segal’s reputation continues to rise not least because of his environmentally friendly approach to building. Segal himself was much influenced by the egalitarian principles of William Morris, as well as the early Modernists. “The buildings of the International Style”, wrote Segal, “ were by definition unassuming… They were meant to promote wellbeing”. Segal was also inspired by traditional building principles, particularly those of Japan. Colin Ward, in an essay on Segal, noted, “in his life, as well as his work, he tried to pare away the superfluous and concentrate on the important”.

‘Segal Method’ houses can be found across the UK and the house being offered for sale is one of two on Elstree Hill.

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