20, Blackheath Park

Detached house, 1957-8, designed by Peter Moro as his own residence. The building employs a split-level arrangement responding to the north-south slope of the site, with a rectangular plan of two storeys. The ground floor to the south is slightly sunken, while the first floor is cantilevered over it.

The construction uses dark Sussex brick for the end cavity walls and ground floor of the north front, with the first floor clad in white timber boarding. Internal walls are of Thermalite blocks and Fletton brick. The roof is felt with two low pitches, the steeper pitch to the north raised over a full-length central clerestory. All facades have irregular fenestration of plate glass windows.

The north-facing entrance facade has a central door with four-light window and garage to the right. The first floor has a central pair of five-light windows with deeper windows at the extreme ends, the right-hand one being larger. The side elevations express the split-level arrangement and central longitudinal division: the west elevation has a two-light first-floor window to the right; the east elevation has a ground-floor window to the right and a two-light window placed centrally in the cantilevered projection to the left. The south facade has steps rising to a central first-floor glazed door, with a large full-height sliding window to the left, divided horizontally at dado height with a central strut below. A small window sits to the right of the door, with a smaller one further right. The ground floor has a central door with four-light window to the left and a larger window at the extreme right.

The interior is rich in built-in features, many crafted by Moro himself over many years. Walls are of unplastered brick and timber boarding, with a black tiled floor and timber-boarded ceilings. Flush doors feature distinctive Tecton-style handles. An open-tread staircase with timber balustrade ascends to the first floor. The principal living accommodation occupies the first floor, arranged as open-plan living room and study separated by brick piers flanking a central fireplace. The study features fitted shelving and bookcases with a long workbench. The lounge area has a fitted sofa set against a counter with a half screen to a central corridor linking the north-facing dining area and service rooms. The kitchen is separated from the dining area by a particularly substantial timber counter with drawers and cupboards. Cupboards range along the passage side of the kitchen. The bathroom has a pair of cupboards with sliding doors. The principal bedroom contains fitted wardrobes, drawers, and a fitted dressing table with pivoting mirror. All main bedrooms and living accommodation occupies the first floor, with ancillary rooms, workshop and garage below.

Peter Moro had previously worked with Lubetkin and Tecton and served as architect for the interiors of the Royal Festival Hall before establishing private practice. His limited output demonstrates clarity and stylishness that distinguishes it from his contemporaries, carrying forward modernist principles established by Lubetkin in England during the 1930s while remaining contemporary to its time. In this, his own home where he lived until his death in 1999, the design is highly personal, reflecting his limited palette and featuring fittings he designed and sometimes made himself. The house avoids the period contemporary style features typically associated with 1950s houses, presenting instead a timeless piece of modern design.