A modernist Hertfordshire house that causes ‘puzzlement to the neighbours’

For more than six years, weekends for John Bonnington meant jumping into his car in all weathers and scouring every corner of southern England for a site on which to build his perfect family home. The young architect snooped around overgrown gardens, knocked on strangers’ doors and quizzed locals until finally, in 1962, he found himself a tranquil, wooded plot in the grounds of a large country house in Hertfordshire.
The setting of a former rose garden might have been bucolic, but Bonnington had little interest in the traditional English image of a pretty country cottage. What he built was a stark steel, glass and brick house that, to this day, ‘causes great puzzlement to the neighbours.’
What induces consternation in other residents, however, seems to entirely satisfy the owner, who still lives in the house with his wife, Esme. ‘If I could go back to 1964, when it was completed, I would not alter a thing,’ he says. Indeed, the house today is very little changed and appears almost newly built. The secret, confides Bonnington, is the way in which he designed it to be almost maintenance-free. ‘I wanted to avoid the miserable business of painting the thing every few years,’ he explains, adding that almost all the surfaces are exposed brick, steel, wood or glass. ‘People often ask when I’m going to finish it,’ he laughs.
An Arne Jacobsen chair, along with feathers, creates a strong first impression in the entrance hall.
Another clue to the exceptional condition of the house lies in his perfectionist nature. The design is based on a strict 3ft module. The fair-coloured bricks (chosen to contrast with the darkness of the surrounding trees) are 9in long and the steel members are all measured to a multiple of three. This exacting approach has meant that updating and altering the structure has always been a straightforward process.
The rationality of the architecture is, Bonnington says, something of a throwback to classical times. ‘The workmanship and simplicity of Greek temples,’ he asserts, has never been bettered.’ But it was a rather more contemporary influence, that of the great Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, which really drove the design of the house. ‘His architecture taught me about the elimination of superfluous detail.’
Bonnington visited the American offices of Mies van der Rohe early in his career, when he found himself working as a town planner in Memphis, Tennessee. Today, Bonnington runs a successful architectural practice that has designed buildings in 25 countries, but during his time in the US he was paid as little as $40 a week. So he begged and borrowed lifts across the country, glimpsing some of the best contemporary architecture of the period. His visit to Mies van der Rohe’s workplace sadly did not result in an encounter with the man himself, but he was thrilled to see great sections of steel displayed with due reverence in the office.
The fair-coloured bricks used in the dining room and throughout the home were chosen to contrast with the darkness of surrounding trees.
On returning to the UK, Bonnington found work with one of the leading British architects of the period, Sir Basil Spence. His meticulous eye soon saw him appointed to do the detailing on such schemes as Spence’s spectacular Coventry Cathedral. In 1964, Bonnington’s work with the practice, as well as that of his colleague Gordon Collins, was recognised by the changing of the practice name to Sir Basil Spence, Bonnington & Collins.
Now, Bonnington is the proud owner of a 17th-century Grade I-listed mansion in Hertfordshire, a restored 15th-century chateau in the Dordogne, and an Arts and Crafts villa on the Cornish coast. It is the home that he built for his family, however, to which he most enjoys returning. Here, most of the furniture has been made to his own designs (Bonnington toyed with the idea of furnishing the house entirely with pieces by the likes of Arne Jacobsen but decided that even these classics of pared-down design were ‘not simple enough for him’). Seeing him sitting on one of his steel and leather sofas, with the sun flooding in through the windows, he looks a picture of contentment. The several years of searching ceaselessly for the ideal spot, it seems, were clearly worth it. §
As originally featured in the September 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*126)
The living room is equipped with Charles and Ray Eames chairs, and sofas designed by Bonnington
The kitchen’s floating units and stools were designed by Bonnington
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the John S Bonnington Partnership Architects website
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
-
Step inside this Upper East Side jewel box apartment
This radiant Lexington Avenue home is a harbinger of good things for the Upper East Side, and the latest focus of The Inside Story, our series spotlighting intriguing and innovative interior design
By Anna Solomon Published
-
A new hilltop California home is rooted in the landscape and celebrates views of nature
WOJR's California home House of Horns is a meticulously planned modern villa that seeps into its surrounding landscape through a series of sculptural courtyards
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Is a tiny tattoo the best holiday souvenir? Kimpton Hotels think so
In partnership with Tiny Zaps, Kimpton Hotels is bringing city-inspired tattoo pop-ups to five U.S. locations
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
At the Institute of Indology, a humble new addition makes all the difference
Continuing the late Balkrishna V Doshi’s legacy, Sangath studio design a new take on the toilet in Gujarat
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
How Le Corbusier defined modernism
Le Corbusier was not only one of 20th-century architecture's leading figures but also a defining father of modernism, as well as a polarising figure; here, we explore the life and work of an architect who was influential far beyond his field and time
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Are Derwent London's new lounges the future of workspace?
Property developer Derwent London’s new lounges – created for tenants of its offices – work harder to promote community and connection for their users
By Emily Wright Published
-
Showing off its gargoyles and curves, The Gradel Quadrangles opens in Oxford
The Gradel Quadrangles, designed by David Kohn Architects, brings a touch of playfulness to Oxford through a modern interpretation of historical architecture
By Shawn Adams Published
-
A Norfolk bungalow has been transformed through a deft sculptural remodelling
North Sea East Wood is the radical overhaul of a Norfolk bungalow, designed to open up the property to sea and garden views
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
A new concrete extension opens up this Stoke Newington house to its garden
Architects Bindloss Dawes' concrete extension has brought a considered material palette to this elegant Victorian family house
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
How to protect our modernist legacy
We explore the legacy of modernism as a series of midcentury gems thrive, keeping the vision alive and adapting to the future
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A former garage is transformed into a compact but multifunctional space
A multifunctional, compact house by Francesco Pierazzi is created through a unique spatial arrangement in the heart of the Surrey countryside
By Jonathan Bell Published