This spectacular property, located on a private road in the sought-after village of Holyport, Berkshire, is one of a group of three of the finest architect-designed houses in the UK. Designed in the late 1960s by the architects Peter Foggo and David Thomas, these houses are of steel frame, glass and wood construction much in the manner of the famous Californian ‘Case Study’ houses of Richard Neutra, Charles Eames and Craig Ellwood. The house has recently been extensively refurbished and sympathetically extended to an exacting standard.
The four-bedroom property has over 3,000 sq ft of internal space, including a recently built garage / studio. The property has an attractive garden that surrounds it and a private drive. The entrance to the private road has a recently fitted electronic gate. It is located in a Conservation Area on Green Belt land.
The house is entered via steps up to an external terrace and leading into an entrance hall. There is a bedroom wing to one side of the property which include four bedrooms. The main bedroom looks out over the garden with floor to ceiling glazing. On the other side is a large open plan space that accommodates a newly fitted Italian kitchen and a dining area. The kitchen incorporates Siemens appliance, Corian worktops and Barazza sink and hob. The main living area is large,light space overlooking the gardens. There is a bathroom and a shower room (with Vola and Boffi fittings) and a small room with skylight that could potentially be used a study, store room and even a fifth bedroom.
The recent refurbishment incorporated a new roof, new insulation, double glazing throughout, Marmoleum floors and a new under floor heating system. A new garage / studio building has also been built with white rendered walls and a large double-glazed window.
Holyport is a sought-after location due its excellent road links to central London (it is a few minutes drive from the J8 of the M4) and its proximity to a number of highly regarded pubs and restaurants. Bray, with two Michelin-starred restaurants (The Fat Duck and the Waterside Inn), is one of the world’s top culinary destinations. The George on the Green and the Belgian Arms in Holyport are also well known for the quality of their food and drink, as is the renowned Royal Oak in nearby Littlefield Green. Holyport also has a butcher, pharmacy, post office, a primary school and doctor’s surgery. A new much-anticipated free school, Holyport College, has also just opened in the village.
The closest large town to Holyport is Maidenhead (three miles away), which offers a range of shopping and dining opportunities and a train service to London Paddington (with journey times of approximately 25 minutes at peak times). The area is also due to have a number of Crossrail stations with further direct links to central London (due to begin full operation in 2018).
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 Holyport houses were an early project for a pair of talented young architects who went on to become directors at the renowned Arup Associates and later to establish their own successful practices.
Peter Foggo and David Thomas met whilst studying architecture in Liverpool in the 1950s. The pair of them came together over a shared passion for the work of Mies van der Rohe, (indeed they even once persuaded the legendary architect to travel to Merseyside to give a talk to students).
Foggo and Thomas designed the Holyport houses in their spare time as both were then working in other architectural offices. It is said that they came home from their day jobs and spent between 8pm and midnight working on other architectural projects for themselves, such as this one. Another house designed by Foggo & Thomas at around this time, ‘Sorrel House’ near Chichester, is now Grade II* listed.
Foggo and Thomas both went on to work with Ove Arup at Arup Associates. Foggo (1930-1993), was largely responsible for the celebrated design of the Broadgate complex in the City of London. Foggo’s colleagues at Arup Associates – Philip Dowson, Ronald Hobbs and Derek Sugden – wrote the following about Foggo in a 1994 edition of Building Design:
“His work is marked by its clarity and directness, which was also the nature of his character. The plans and the sections of his buildings were always ordered and structured, both in concept as well as practical reality. Rigour in analysis and rationalism in practice invested all that he did and is perhaps the hallmark of his work”.
The Holyport houses are three of a number of ‘H-houses’ (so named because of the shape of their original plans) designed by Foggo and Thomas. In a 1994 edition of the Architects Journal, Barrie Evans wrote the following about the houses:
‘[The houses] comprise a series of braced steel trusses supported from eight stanchion columns, with timber-frame walls, floors and roof slung between. This is supplemented with large areas of plate glass. The ‘H’-shaped plan is made up of a central service core, opening onto front and rear terraces, with living and bedroom wings flanking on either side.“
