Long Wall And Retaining Walls

Long Wall and retaining walls are a house built between 1964 and 1968 by architect Leslie Gooday for himself. The building is mainly constructed of brick with some concrete and features a part copper roof. It has a central spine that is one and a half storeys high, flanked by single-storey bedroom wings and lower kitchen and garage areas at either end. The large open plan living space is the focal point of the design.

The house showcases a picturesque modern style. The entrance is accessed from a paved yard with a timber pergola, leading to a glass door beneath an overhang. The garden front features a single-storey projecting bay with large glazing for the living room, which has a base made of board-marked concrete and projects over a pool from a concrete wall that extends to the left, forming a retaining wall for the terrace. The copper mansard roof with sloping lights covers the bay and extends across a recessed garden door that leads to a split-level terrace, also covering the single-storey brick bedroom wing on the right. The end elevation of this wing includes several windows with closely spaced brick mullions.

Inside, many walls are made of white-painted second-hand Fletton brick with sack jointing. The living room has a screen wall of board-marked concrete that supports an upper studio, a fireplace with an arched recess, and a grey-pigmented cantilevered concrete shelf below. A tapering concrete pier separates the dining area, and there is a spiral staircase with concrete treads in an irregularly shaped well. The soffit is made of Canadian birch plywood.

This house is a personal project by an architect known for his domestic work and exhibition design. It is considered one of his most successful and personal creations, exemplifying the evolution of contemporary style influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, with a thoughtful use of contrasting materials and picturesque planning.