Hill House

Hill House

A residence of in situ reinforced concrete frame with concrete block infill, featuring a flat roof above a slight mansard, with gutters and downpipes set within the frame. The structure employs a cruciform plan across two main storeys, organised with principal rooms on a north-south axis, additional main rooms to the west, a children's range to the east, and a service range to the north. A south-facing double-height living area forms a key feature, with the main entrance approached from the north through a porte cochère.

The service wing to the north spans across a link block above the porte cochère, with garaging beneath. A pool house addition dating to 1984-5 stands to the north of the house, and a further extension containing a circular library of 2000-1 is linked to the house by a corridor to the west.

The entrance is sheltered beneath the porte cochère by the rear service wing, accessed through a single-leaf pine door flanked by narrow lights. The east and west elevations are similar in treatment, with projecting sections forming wide bays between the ends of paired reinforced concrete roof beams. A lower beam runs behind these, with a shallow sloping roof covered in lead. Upper windows slide in two groups of three in each bay, with projecting transoms and fixed lights below. A deep concrete beam sits between upper and lower storeys. The ground floor features full-height glazing with sliding sashes.

The south elevation's centre block projects forward, with paired beam ends overhanging the concrete block wall to form a deep concrete soffit. Double-height glazing occupies the end wall, with a single pane above and two panes below, one of which slides. Double doors on the right are framed by concrete piers beneath a deep projecting cantilevered balcony—just separated from the main frame and fitted with a chrome handrail. The south faces of the two wings have concrete block walls to the first floor with slit windows.

On the west elevation, the right-hand end bay has recessed glazing forming a covered paved area with a raised concrete sill and step, with the overhanging corner supported on a concrete column. The left-hand end bay features a projecting wall built in 2000-1, which conceals a sunken extension and incorporates a circular window and curved concrete rooflight. To the north of this wall and the main house sits the semi-sunken swimming pool of 1984-5.

The rear north service wing presents a continuous concrete fascia beneath which run six bays of paired windows with projecting transoms and fixed lights below, with four garages situated beneath. A cylindrical concrete boiler flue rises on axis from the north elevation. The east elevation displays pairs of projecting beams over a continuous cornice and a band of windows on the first floor; the ground floor is fully glazed but set back, with a separate children's door.

All windows are of dark brown anodised aluminium with steel mullions, designed to the architect's specifications, replacing the original sliding windows (also in anodised aluminium) in 1984.

Interior circulation spaces feature unplastered concrete block walling with concrete paving to floors. The plan develops on axis from the porte cochère, creating a large hall and lounge suitable for entertaining, with intimate family rooms to the east and west—the eastern rooms forming a dedicated children's wing. From the entrance, a double-height stair hall opens, with a single flight rising on the right side, featuring a solid board-marked concrete balustrade and tubular chrome handrail fixed to its inner face. The balustrade continues as the front to a first-floor gallery running on three sides. Two display recesses sit in the wall near the stair base, with additional recesses opposite. A plain plaster ceiling incorporates a continuous skylight running north to south.

A secondary staircase rises behind the left-hand wall of the hallway, with a squint window. The lower end wall of the hall opens through glazing to the drawing room—double-height in part—accessed via a door on the left, beyond which steps rise to the main level of the room. An internal stair rises from this room to an external balcony and the continuation of the upper landing, which serves as a study area and gallery. An island hearth with white flue penetrates the gallery and partially separates a single-height area of the room extending to a covered terrace on the west side.

The bathroom retains tilework from a shop of 1882. The dining room features fabric-covered walls. The master suite employs travertine finishes. The swimming pool incorporates a barrel-vaulted roof. The 2000-1 extension represents the architect's last work and features a circular library reminiscent in style of his extension of 1994-6 to the Royal College of Physicians in Camden, London (Grade I listed).

A broad raised terrace of concrete paviours extends externally, providing a platform for the house and reinforcing its temple-like form. A ha-ha is present in the setting.