By the early 1970s the British architect Michael Manser had firmly established himself as one of the country’s leading architects. His work was much admired for the clarity of its conception, the high standard of its execution and was widely published. In fact, it was a newspaper article that led the original owners of this mid-1970s modernist house to call Manser, to ask him to create a house for a site they had just purchased overlooking the Wiltshire countryside. Manser agreed and came up with his design that fused – in typical fashion – his love of Miesian minimalism with strict geometric principles into a simple, low-maintenance steel frame structure.
Fast forward more than 30 years to 2007 and the house, it would be fair to say, needed reimagining. It was decorated, inside and out, in a suspicious shade of brown, for one thing, and the straightforward, simple elegance of its original intent had been somewhat diluted by the planting of a few too many rose bushes over the decades.
Today, the same house is transformed. Under the ownership of David Liddiment and Michael Denardo, who bought the house via our agency, and the work of Guard Tillman Pollock Architects, Mancett House, as it’s known, is more refined and purer in its architecture than ever, while the creation of a separate studio has “completed” the site, says David. Here, we speak to the friends about the renovation, their love of art and the value of some peace and quiet.
David: “I grew up in Huddersfield and I can remember looking up at Farnley Hey, the house by Peter Womersley, and just being dazzled. To a kid growing up in an industrial town, that had a huge impact on my aesthetic. But it wasn’t just about modernism, that house represented modernity, a way of looking at the world, that appealed to me more than anything.
“As I grew up and was able to afford to express that interest, I’ve had the chance to work on our London home, which expresses very strong modernist lines within a period home in Chiswick. Then came the opportunity to buy somewhere outside London. I suppose we wanted somewhere that was accessible, that gave us a different quality of life, a different atmosphere.
“A thatched cottage didnt appeal to me at all. Part of the joy of the countryside is the light, the skies and the views, which are all the more appreciated in a house like this.
“The Modern House was only a few years old when we bought this place. Our search actually started at Long Wall in Suffolk, designed by Philip Dowson. We saw it on the website and when we got to the viewing day there were around 30 cars there. It was 2007 and the market was booming.”
|
v
发表于 2020-8-4 01:36:24
已绑定手机
