Walters Way
London SE23
Architect: Walter Segal
Register for similar homesThis rare three-bedroom detached house with garden is situated on a peaceful and sought-after cul-de-sac. Built in the mid-1980s, the timber-framed house was constructed using the ‘Segal
Method’, a system of design pioneered by the celebrated Swiss architect Walter Segal (for more information, see the History section below).
Internal accommodation measures approximately 1,112 sq ft (103.3 sq m) over two floors. The ground floor contains a 21ft reception room with timber flooring, separate kitchen, conservatory / dining room, utility room, studio and cloakroom. The first floor contains three bedrooms and a bathroom. There is a sun deck accessed from the main living space, which leads in turn to a patio garden. There is off-street parking space at the front of the house.
Walters Way is a small private road containing a total of 13 houses, all built using the Segal method, on a sloping site with mature trees. A strong sense of community prevails, and a summer party is held on the street every year. Walters Way receives occasional visits from architecture students and enthusiasts, and normally one house is open to the public each year as part of the Civic Trust Open House Scheme.
Although built using the same method of construction, the houses were designed with flexibility in mind. Each one is different, and many of them have been adapted and extended since they were built. This particular house was extended by the current owners to create the painting studio and utility room.
Honor Oak Park station is a short walk away, from where regular fast services run to London Bridge (12 minutes). The station is also now part of London Overground, with trains to Dalston via Canada Water (Jubilee Line), Shadwell (DLR) and Whitechapel (District and Hammersmith & City Lines).
Shopping and dining opportunities are available in nearby East Dulwich, Dulwich Village, Honor Oak, Forest Hill and Brockley. Open space can be found at Peckham Rye Park and Dulwich Park. The
Horniman Musuem in Forest Hill is also close by.
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
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 in architecture, 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 constructing houses that eliminated the need for various processes such as 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”, wrote Segal, “were by definition unassuming…They were meant to promote wellbeing.” He was also inspired by traditional building principles, particularly those of Japan. In an essay on Walter Segal, Colin Ward wrote: “In his life, as well as his work, he tried to pare away the superfluous and concentrate on the important.”
