I am taking the liberty of reproducing the ground plan of Nithurst Farm, because it helps to make clear the coalition between openness and complexity which is an essential part of its character. There is a big open main hall for public gatherings, with kitchen and eating located on opposite sides; a playroom disguised by a settle; entered by a tight lobby which creates a sense of contrast when one enters the big hall space.
Then there is a minstrel’s gallery, an unusual feature of a modern house:-
And the entry to the staircase is treated theatrically, with tapering used to confuse the perspective:-
It’s not a machine for living in, but a place to explore and get lost in:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 