Sunspan

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 11 October 2021 to correct date of build and reformat the text to current standards

SU60NE 100-0/3/10005

HAVANT Bedhampton PORTSDOWN HILL ROAD, (south side) No.47 Sunspan

II House. Built 1934-35 to designs of 1934 by Wells Coates and David Pleydell-Bouverie. White-painted rendered brick. Flat asphalt roofs.

PLAN: diagonally-set on a north-south axis with curved north and south corners; the south is the garden front and has a broad terrace over a projecting basement and is flanked by the kitchen and garage wings. The entrance is on the north corner at a higher level because of the sloping site. International Modern style.

EXTERIOR: two storeys and basement. Symmetrical north front has curved corner at centre, the ground floor projecting, the central recessed porch has a curved door and a flat canopy integral with the single storey kitchen and garage wings to left and right. The first floor set back has three windows, the centre curved. Set back again, on the roof, a block containing the water tank with an integral chimney. The south garden front is also symmetrical with a curved central corner; the basement projects and has curved window bands and a central doorway; terrace above flanked by rear walls of kitchen and garage wings and set back 2 storeys of the main block with curved window bands on both floors. All metal-flame casements with curved glass on the corners.

INTERIOR: the interior plan and most of the details remain intact. Drawing room has original brick fireplace and plywood folding doors to dining room and study, which have cast moulded plaster electric fires set in walls. Two similar fires in bedrooms. Staircase on angle behind central chimney stack, has solid balustrade with chromium-plated tube handrail. Curved door to principal bedroom.

NOTE: this house is derived from the Sunspan design, first exhibited at the 1934 Ideal Home Exhibition. The design, with variants, was intended for speculative builders as an alternative to the usual traditional design of house and that the architects would receive royalties on the copyright.

SOURCE: The Architects' Journal, April 26th 1934.

Listing NGR: SU6911306302