156 AND 158, CRESSING ROAD

A pair of cottages built in 1918 by C H B Quennell and W F Crittall, originally intended as show houses for the Crittall Manufacturing Company. The buildings demonstrate a modular system of concrete block construction, developed in response to the need for affordable housing following the First World War. They are constructed of painted concrete block with a flat roof. Each cottage is two storeys high and two windows wide, with the outer bay set back. Windows have square-headed replacement metal frames featuring a chevron pattern to the lintel. Entrances are within recessed porches, which have since been enclosed. The buildings feature a moulded cornice and parapet. An article in Architectural Review (January-June 1919, pages 64-6) and a 1918 prospectus document the original show home.