If the architectural volte face of the late 1960s heralded the genesis of postmodernism, deconstruction, and a golden age of theory, it came at an equally destructive cost. Escaping the totalizing regime of modernism demanded from architects more than the promise of new ideas; it required the falsification of modernist axioms and the wholesale annihilation of its spiritual eidos. In this critical moment of death and rebirth, some pieces of the modern project survived only by hiding under the cloak of the technological progress, while others—like modern city planning—persisted only because there was no way to turn back the clock.
Photo by Quintin Lake. Image Courtesy of Nick Leith-Smith Architecture+Design
Text description provided by the architects. London-based Nick Leith-Smith Architecture + Design built a timber frame family home in just ten weeks, replacing an existing post-war bungalow in Berkshire. The environmentally friendly residence is 240-square-meters and sits on a designated flood zone, requiring the house to be placed upon a 1-meter-high brick plinth. The addition of such height creates a split level between the garage and entrance level, adding depth to an otherwise restrained material palette.
Learn more about the project and view select images after the break.