30a, Hendon Avenue

House, built in 1959 by Geoffry Powell of Chamberlin, Powell and Bon for Dr and Mrs E Rossdale. The house is an important domestic work by this practice, reflecting an English Miesian architectural style. The central core is constructed of dark charcoal grey Uxbridge flint bricks, projecting to form a clerestory, with timber cladding that has been stained dark. The projecting elements are supported by three-inch diameter steel tubes set in concrete footings. The upper storey is framed with a broad white-painted timber surround, with dark cladding within the frame. All living accommodation is on one floor, raised a full storey above ground level to incorporate garages underneath. The brick core forms a ten-foot square space in the center of the plan, serving as a partially open fireplace and sitting area. Living and dining areas are arranged to one side of this core, with a kitchen beyond, accessible from the dining end and a passageway serving three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Windows are of white-painted timber, some of which have been replaced with UPVC units. The south-east front features two garages under an overhang, with a timber stair rising from a raised paved area to a deck by the entrance. A clerestory projects above the main roofline. The entrance door is timber, with two glass panes, sheltered by a later porch canopy. Continuous windows to the left of the door include a full-height opening section with a roller blind above. Inside, the lobby leads to a hall area with clerestory lighting and an exposed brick wall of the core. A sliding partition to the left leads into an L-shaped living room, where the brick core creates a semi-enclosed central sitting area with a hearth accessible from two sides, a white flue muffler rising from a black tiled shelf, and fixed timber benches on two sides, along with a clerestory light. The dining end features a hatch and two-way unit to the kitchen. Bedrooms have suspended shelf and drawer units running wall-to-wall. Two bedrooms, near the entrance, are linked by a folding timber partition wall. As noted by Ian Nairn, the architects "saw the problem fresh, and the result is delightful.”