Architects Directory 2020: Surman Weston, UK
Established in 2014 and led by Tom Surman and Percy Weston, this London studio brings a distinctive approach full of individuality to its projects. ‘We eschew a house style,’ say the two founders, who have worked together on a variety of interior redesigns, single-family houses, small scale residential, cultural, education and commercial work. Ditton Hill House is among the studio’s latest completions. The new-build, 250 sq m detached Surrey home gently references the suburban vernacular of its locale, complete with a pitched roof and archetypal house outline; yet it does so in a pared down, contemporary way that blends Tudor style and industrial aesthetic.
A slanted refrence to the mock Tutor style ubiquitous to suburbs nationally, Ditton Hill House celebrates local architectural vernacular in a contemporary way. The steel, pure white exoskeleton (a nod to the local train station, an Art Deco masterwork designed by James Robb Scott) marks this home apart from its neighbours, enhancing the suburban locale.
The client, founder of a bohemian fashion brand, asked for a contemporary house with an industrial aesthetic, that went further than the minimalist open-plan box typology. Surman Weston answered by introducing an increasingly warm material palette through the home. Timber floors underfoot and soft plaster walls act as counterpoints to the steel roof and floor decks that run throughout. The exposed decks add texture to the interior palette – a modern interpretation of exposed Tudor timber beams.
MORE FROM WALLPAPER* ARCHITECTS DIRECTORY 2020
Inside, the spaces are modified by varying sizes. A church-like, triple-height entrance hall offers an impressive welcome, while sequentially smaller spaces create areas of intimacy. Views over the garden were also priority of the client. As well as being visible through panoramic ground floor windows, on the upper floor (housed in the equally impressive five metre high loft), the master bedroom opens onto an enclosed balcony, where views of the trees and sky beyond offer a visual escape from the suburbs.
Ditton House marks the studio's first new build, which they describe as a ‘rite of passage.' ‘For us, the most interesting and rewarding part of designing a house is the opportunity to work with a client to realise a home tailored to their specific needs and personality,' they explain. ‘We're firm believers that the best projects are those with strong briefs and engaged clients, which allow us to foster a creative dialogue that gets richer and richer as the project progresses.'
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
Elly Parsons is the Digital Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees Wallpaper.com and its social platforms. She has been with the brand since 2015 in various roles, spending time as digital writer – specialising in art, technology and contemporary culture – and as deputy digital editor. She was shortlisted for a PPA Award in 2017, has written extensively for many publications, and has contributed to three books. She is a guest lecturer in digital journalism at Goldsmiths University, London, where she also holds a masters degree in creative writing. Now, her main areas of expertise include content strategy, audience engagement, and social media.
-
Inside Valentino’s glamorous new Sloane Street store, inspired by the art of haute couture
The latest in Valentino’s ‘The New Maison’ store concept opens on London’s Sloane Street this week, offering an enveloping marble and carpet-clad space of ‘intimacy and uniqueness’
By Jack Moss Published
-
Aesop’s Salone del Mobile 2024 installations in Milan are multisensory experiences
Aesop has partnered with Salone del Mobile to launch a series of installations across Milan, tapping into sight, touch, taste, and scent
By Hannah Tindle Published
-
Dial into the Boring Phone and more smartphone alternatives
From the deliberately dull new Boring Phone to Honor’s latest hook-up with Porsche, a host of new devices that do the phone thing slightly differently
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Timber-framed Wimbledon house is a minimalist, low-energy affair
A new timber-framed Wimbledon house is designed to blend into its traditional surroundings with a neat brick façade, careful massing and pared back interiors
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
London Science Museum’s Energy Revolution gallery champions sustainable exhibition design
The Energy Revolution gallery opens at London’s Science Museum, exploring decarbonisation through sustainable exhibition design by Unknown Works
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This South Downs house stands as a testament to the value of quiet refinement
At one with the landscape, a South Downs house uses elements of quintessential country villas and midcentury gems with modern technologies
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Ash Tree House offers a contextual approach to a north London site
Ash Tree House by Edgley Design is a modern family home in a north London conservation area's backyard site
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
In memoriam: John Miller (1930-2024)
We remember John Miller, an accomplished British architect and educator who advocated a quiet but rigorous modernism
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
River Wing at Clare College responds to its historic Cambridge heritage
University of Cambridge opens its new River Wing on Clare College Old Court, uniting modern technology with historic design
By Clare Dowdy Published
-
Camden Workshop offers flexible family space in a transformed north London warehouse
Camden Workshop, a transformed industrial space in north London, was designed by architects McLaren Excell to combine residential space and a creative studio for its owners
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
The Haydon shows off its dramatic stepped volume and triplex penthouse
The Haydon, designed by architects Acme, reveals the triplex penthouse within its dramatic, stepped volume in London’s Aldgate
By Ellie Stathaki Published