Longton Avenue
London SE26
Architect: Walter Segal
Register for similar homes“a real original, both in structure and interiors, having only ever been lived in by the owner who built the house himself using Segal’s self-build method.”
This wonderfully unique home, which is based on the self-build design pioneered by Swiss architect Walter Segal, sits on a fantastic corner plot opposite Sydenham Wells Park on Longton Avenue. The timber-frame house, built using the ‘Segal Method’ in 1981, is one of three houses awarded to the original owners as part of a land allocation lottery held by Lewisham Council.
The single-storey detached house is a foundation-free structure that stands on stilts, accessed at a slightly raised level at the front by a short flight of wooden steps. The slope of the site means that the land falls away from back to front by almost a metre.
There are three bedrooms and two bathrooms that are connected to a reception, kitchen and dining area by a central corridor. The kitchen and dining room have a lovely view across the wide avenue to the trees that border Sydenham Wells Park.
Outside, the plot surrounds the house on all sides, with a larger area to the front that includes an off-street parking space.
This is a very rare opportunity to work with a real original, both in structure and interiors, having only ever been lived in by the owner who built the house himself using Segal’s self-build method.
There are a number of Walter Segal designed houses in the surrounding area that form clusters of self-build communities also established in the 1980s. Walters Way consists of 13 houses, whilst nearby Segal Close is a group of seven houses.
The house is very well positioned in Sydenham, just to the north of Crystal Palace Park. The centres of Crystal Palace and Forest Hill are nearby, offering an ever-increasing selection of good cafes and local restaurants, and all the usual grocery shops and amenities. The Crystal Palace Triangle is well-known for some excellent mid-century furniture dealers and independent restaurants.
Sydenham is the nearest rail station, which is usefully positioned on both the London Bridge Line and the London Overground. London Bridge is around 20 minutes, Canada Water (for Jubilee) is 15 minutes, and there is a direct service to Victoria that calls at Clapham Junction.
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
The pictures (left) show three phases of the build on Longton Avenue; a meeting with the architect Walter Segal, the owner during the build, and the finished house in the early 1980s. The house is part of a cluster of three, built by the original owners using Segal’s ‘Self-Build’ method.
Walter Segal was a visionary architect who was born in Switzerland but spent most of his working life in the UK. One of the most fascinating figures of late 20th-century architecture, he was a Modernist who maintained an interest in traditional building techniques.
Segal trained in Berlin, a city that was at the forefront of Modernism, and moved to London in 1936. It wasn’t until the 1960s, however, that he 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.
The so-called ‘Segal Method’ was a way of building that eliminated the need for various processes such as a brick-laying, cement-pouring and other techniques that Segal considered superfluous to the construction of a good house. Instead, he advocated a modular, timber-frame system that is reminiscent of 19th-century American houses or traditional Japanese architecture.
Segal himself was much influenced by the egalitarian principles of William Morris, as well as the early Modernists. “The buildings of the International Style”, he wrote, “were by definition unassuming… They were meant to promote wellbeing.” Segal was also inspired by traditional building principles, particularly those of Japan. In an essay about the architect, Colin Ward wrote, “In his life, as well as his work, he tried to pare away the superfluous and concentrate on the important.”
