The Homewood
Encyclopedia
The Homewood is a modernist
house in Esher
, Surrey
, England
. Designed by architect
Patrick Gwynne
for his parents, The Homewood was given by Gwynne to the National Trust
in 1999.
s) their son Patrick Gwynne would design and build to replace it, at the age of 24. The family sold off property in Wales
to finance the project which cost £10,000 at the time, exceeding the original estimate.
and Mies van der Rohe
, fathers of the modernist International Style
that took hold in the 1920s. Like Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright
before him, he designed everything including the furniture and fittings, even the grounds. But unlike Wright, he emphasised the grounds being arranged for the house rather than the house built for the grounds. He created two models of measurement used throughout to regulate proportions. The vertical model was 20 inches and multiples of this would delineate everything upright, for example, from window ledges, to window and ceiling heights.
The new Homewood was structured so that bedrooms and offices were on one side and on the other, living and utility areas. At one end is the servants' quarters. Below are the car spaces and entrance.
glass chandelier
on the landing. The Homewood served as Gwynne's living portfolio to clients and students, exhibiting his designs from architecture to furniture, finishes and fittings, as well as attention to detail and complete design control.
As post-War years meant no staff, Gwynne installed a pool and converted the servants' quarters to an entertainment/relaxation centre which relocated this function from the roof (rooftop entertaining being a 1930's custom that favoured flat roofs) to the grounds, making access easier for the purpose.
Since each member of the family had a car, the stilts provided space for four cars. The entrance was approached by driving in completely under cover. Gwynne's blue-green Aston Martin
remains at The Homewood.
When Patrick, his sister and father enlisted or joined the war effort
, the house was tenanted until they returned. Both parents died of natural causes before the end of World War II
and did not survive to live in the final result. After his sister left the house because she married, Patrick lived alone in the house for 46 years. In his later years he lived in the former servants' quarters while working with the National Trust to restore it to the original.
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
house in Esher
Esher
Esher is a town in the Surrey borough of Elmbridge in South East England near the River Mole. It is a very prosperous part of the Greater London Urban Area, largely suburban in character, and is situated 14.1 miles south west of Charing Cross....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Designed by architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
Patrick Gwynne
Patrick Gwynne
Patrick Gwynne was a British modernist architect with Welsh roots, best known for designing and building The Homewood, which he left to the National Trust in 2003.-Early life and work:...
for his parents, The Homewood was given by Gwynne to the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1999.
Origins
The family demolished the original rambling Victorian house called "The Homewood", to make way for the house on stilts (pilotiPiloti
Pilotis, or piers, are supports such as columns, pillars, or stilts that lift a building above ground or water. They are traditionally found in stilt and pole dwellings such as fishermen's huts in Asia and Scandinavia using wood and in elevated houses such as Old Queenslanders in Australia's...
s) their son Patrick Gwynne would design and build to replace it, at the age of 24. The family sold off property in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to finance the project which cost £10,000 at the time, exceeding the original estimate.
Influences and structure
The Homewood was Gwynne's first house project and his lasting favourite. His influences included Le CorbusierLe Corbusier
Charles-Édouard Jeanneret, better known as Le Corbusier , was a Swiss-born French architect, designer, urbanist, writer and painter, famous for being one of the pioneers of what now is called modern architecture. He was born in Switzerland and became a French citizen in 1930...
and Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
, fathers of the modernist International Style
International style (architecture)
The International style is a major architectural style that emerged in the 1920s and 1930s, the formative decades of Modern architecture. The term originated from the name of a book by Henry-Russell Hitchcock and Philip Johnson, The International Style...
that took hold in the 1920s. Like Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
before him, he designed everything including the furniture and fittings, even the grounds. But unlike Wright, he emphasised the grounds being arranged for the house rather than the house built for the grounds. He created two models of measurement used throughout to regulate proportions. The vertical model was 20 inches and multiples of this would delineate everything upright, for example, from window ledges, to window and ceiling heights.
The new Homewood was structured so that bedrooms and offices were on one side and on the other, living and utility areas. At one end is the servants' quarters. Below are the car spaces and entrance.
Style
The elevated house with its lean modernist lines and industrial materials, is open plan with the spaces signified by furniture arrangement. It is spare, spacious and functional, yet comfortable. The concrete interior staircase is lit by a sunken uplight. Décor includes signature wall papers, innovations such as mechanised blinds over the floor to ceiling windows, convertible work desks, multipurpose cabinets (some with interior lighting), concealed storage and bedroom ensuites. There were originally five bedrooms, later four, and the colour scheme is neutral ranging from cream or white, shades of brown to chocolate and black with some sky blue accessories. In contrast, there is one lavish bespokeBespoke
Bespoke is a term employed in a variety of applications to mean an item custom-made to the buyer's specification...
glass chandelier
Chandelier
A chandelier is a branched decorative ceiling-mounted light fixture with two or more arms bearing lights. Chandeliers are often ornate, containing dozens of lamps and complex arrays of glass or crystal prisms to illuminate a room with refracted light...
on the landing. The Homewood served as Gwynne's living portfolio to clients and students, exhibiting his designs from architecture to furniture, finishes and fittings, as well as attention to detail and complete design control.
As post-War years meant no staff, Gwynne installed a pool and converted the servants' quarters to an entertainment/relaxation centre which relocated this function from the roof (rooftop entertaining being a 1930's custom that favoured flat roofs) to the grounds, making access easier for the purpose.
Since each member of the family had a car, the stilts provided space for four cars. The entrance was approached by driving in completely under cover. Gwynne's blue-green Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
remains at The Homewood.
When Patrick, his sister and father enlisted or joined the war effort
War effort
In politics and military planning, a war effort refers to a coordinated mobilization of society's resources—both industrial and human—towards the support of a military force...
, the house was tenanted until they returned. Both parents died of natural causes before the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and did not survive to live in the final result. After his sister left the house because she married, Patrick lived alone in the house for 46 years. In his later years he lived in the former servants' quarters while working with the National Trust to restore it to the original.