Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 Designing the British Post-War Home In Designing the British Post-War Home Fiona Fisher explores the development of modern domestic architecture in Britain through a detailed study of the work of the successful Surrey-based architectural practice of Kenneth Wood. Wood’s fi rm is representative of a geographically distinct category of post-war architectural and design practice – that of the small private practice that fl ourished in Britain’s expanding suburbs after the removal of wartime building restrictions. Such fi rms, which played a signifi cant role in the development of British domestic design, are currently under-represented within architectural histories of the period. The private house represents an important site in which new spatial, material and aesthetic parameters for modern living were defi ned after the Second World War. Within a British context, the architect-designed private house remained a ‘vehicle for the investigation of architectural ideas’ by second generation modernist architects and designers. Through a series of case study houses, designed by Wood’s fi rm, the book reconsiders the progress of modern domestic architecture in Britain and demonstrates the ways in which architectural discourse and practice intersected with the experience, performance and representation of domestic modernity in post-war Britain. Fiona Fisher , Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Kingston University, London, UK. Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 Routledge Research in Architecture The Routledge Research in Architecture series provides the reader with the latest scholarship in the fi eld of architecture. The series publishes research from across the globe and covers areas as diverse as architectural history and theory, technology, digital architecture, structures, materials, details, design, monographs of architects, interior design and much more. By making these studies available to the worldwide academic community, the series aims to promote quality architectural research. An Architecture of Parts The Films of Charles and Ray Eames Architects, building workers and A universal sense of expectation industrialisation in Britain 1940–1970 Eric Schuldenfrei Christine Wall Intersections of Space and Ethos Towards an Articulated Searching for the unmeasurable Phenomenological Interpretation of Nikolaos-Ion Terzoglou, Kyriaki Architecture Tsoukala and Charikleia Pantelidou Phenomenal phenomenology M. Reza Shirazi Ars et Ingenium The embodiment of imagination Architectural System Structures in Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s Integrating design complexity in drawings industrialised construction Pari Riahi Kasper S á nchez Vib æ k Kahn at Penn Space Unveiled Transformative teacher of Invisible cultures in the design architecture Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 studio James Williamson Edited by Carla Jackson Bell Designing the British Architectural Temperance Post-War Home Spain and Rome, 1700–1759 Kenneth Wood, 1948–1968 Victor Deupi Fiona Fisher Assembling the Centre: Architecture Dr awing the Unbuildable for Indigenous Cultures Seriality and reproduction in Australia and beyond architecture Janet McGaw and Anoma Pieris Nerma Cridge Designing the British Post-War Home Kenneth Wood, 1948–1968 Fiona Fisher Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 First published 2015 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2015 Fiona Fisher The right of Fiona Fisher to be identifi ed as author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication data Fisher, Fiona. Designing the British post-war home : Kenneth Wood, 1948–1968 / Fiona Fisher. pages cm. – (Routledge research in architecture) Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Wood, Kenneth, 1921–Criticism and interpretation. 2. Architecture, Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 Domestic–Great Britain–History–20th century. 3. Modern movement (Architecture)–Great Britain. I. Title. NA997.W685F57 2015 728′.37094109045–dc23 2014040629 ISBN: 978-0-415-82354-8 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-71721-0 (ebk) Typeset in Sabon by Out of House Publishing Contents List of fi gures vi Acknowledgements x Abbreviations xii Introduction 1 1 Kenneth Wood: an introduction 4 2 The modern house 27 3 House for an artist: Whitewood, 1958 46 4 Flexible house: Wildwood, 1958 60 5 Timber house: British Columbia Lumber Manufacturers’ competition house, 1957 80 6 Exhibited house: Vincent House, 1959 100 7 Developing house: Fenwycks, from 1959 114 Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 8 Show house: Hampton House, 1961 128 9 Converted house: Torrent House, 1965 143 10 House for art: Picker House, 1968 153 Conclusion 167 Bibliography 171 Index 178 List of fi gures 1.1 Eric Alfred Lyons, Parkleys, Ham Common, 1956 7 1.2 Kenneth Wood at home at Merton House, East Molesey in the 1960s 8 1.3 Kenneth Wood, Emmanuel Church, Tolworth. View of timber frame and screen during construction, c . 1958 12 1.4 Kenneth Wood in association with J.H. Lomas, Barnfi eld Youth Club, Kingston 14 1.5 Kenneth Wood, Atrium, Hampton, 1962 15 1.6 Kenneth Wood. Dykes, Virginia Water: a side elevation, 1964 16 1.7 Kenneth Wood. Student drawing of Francesco Borromini’s church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane, Rome 19 1.8 Kenneth Wood. Extension to Wychbury Cottage, St George’s Hill, viewed from the garden 20 1.9 Kenneth Wood. St Paul’s School, Kingston 21 2.1 A Sunspan House at Woodlands Avenue in New Malden 36 2.2 Edwin Maxwell Fry. Miramonte, Kingston upon Thames, London, 1937 38 2.3 Patrick Gwynne, The Homewood, Esher, Surrey, 1938 39 2.4 Richard and Su Rogers. House and guesthouse for Richard Rogers’s parents in Wimbledon, 1970 41 2.5 Kenneth Wood. Offi ce suite for Mary Quant Cosmetics, New York, 1973 42 Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 3.1 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. The entrance courtyard 47 3.2 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. The patio outside with double doors to the lounge, c .1957 49 3.3 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. From: Woman magazine, 1958 51 3.4 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. Detail of the studio/living area. From: Woman magazine, 1958 53 3.5 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. From: Woman magazine, 1958 55 List of fi gures vii 3.6 Kenneth Wood. Whitewood, Strawberry Hill. Detail of the living/dining area. From Woman magazine, 1958 56 4.1 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. Plans dated June 1956 61 4.2 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. The front entrance and garage, 1959 63 4.3 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. View of living room and staircase, 1959 64 4.4 Kenneth Wood. Tanglewood, Hampton, 1962. View from the living room to the dining zone 65 4.5 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. View to the living room from the gallery, 1959 67 4.6 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. The dining room fi tment, 1959 68 4.7 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. View from the kitchen to the dining room, c . 1959 72 4.8 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. Nigel Money with a scale model of the house, c . 1959 73 4.9 Kenneth Wood. Wildwood, Oxshott. Nigel Money landscaping the garden, c . 1959 74 5.1 Serge Chermayeff. House at Bentley Wood, Halland, East Sussex, 1938 81 5.2 Wells and Hickman. The Canada Trend House. The living room with the dining room beyond, 1957 84 5.3 Kenneth and Micki Wood with a model of Wood’s BCLMA competition design, 1958 85 5.4 Housing Trends. A Selection of Designs Prepared by British Architects Featuring Canadian Timber Frame Construction 87 5.5 Gracious living UK style. From: Housing Trends 88 5.6 Gracious living Canadian style. From: Western Woods Present Ten Canadian Trend Houses 89 5.7 Kenneth Wood. BCLMA Competition, Design 109. From: Housing Trends 90 5.8 Wood’s photograph of the John Porter House, West Downloaded by [New York University] at 07:01 16 August 2016 Vancouver, 1947–48, taken on his visit to Canada in 1958 93 5.9 Davison and Porter, Vancouver Trend House. From: Western Woods Present Ten Canadian Trend Houses 94 5.10 Kenneth Wood, Forestry Commission District Offi ce, 1968 95 5.11 Kenneth Wood, Forestry Commission District Offi ce Motor Transport Servicing and Workshop, 1968 96 6.1 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. Garden elevation, 1959 101 viii List of fi gures 6.2 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. Detail showing concrete frame, 1959 103 6.3 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. Master bedroom with view to en suite bathroom, 1959 104 6.4 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. First fl oor landing with window seat, 1959 105 6.5 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. Music and dining area, 1959 107 6.6 Kenneth Wood. Vincent House, Kingston Hill. View to kitchen and breakfast area, 1959 108 6.7 Kenneth Wood, Rowan Bentall and Sir Hugh Casson at Architecture Week, Kingston, 1961 110 7.1 Kenneth Wood.