Description

The original hosue was designed by Sir Joseph Paxton circa 1860, as the London residence for Sir Edwin Saunders, who was dentist to Queen Victoria. The proposal sought to bring a viable use for the building, to sustain the extensive repairs necessary.

The building stands as one of the last ‘Villa dwellings’ on Wimbledon Park Side, having outlasted its neighbours through it’s consistent adaptation and extension. While the original building remains the most important part of the composition, the changes to it’s size and fabric give it an eccentric charm and tell a narrative that is now as important as it’s historic origins.

However as the great survivor it has seen large changes to the surrounding area that make it difficult to adapt to a new economic climate. The institutional and office uses that it has seen since the 1950’s have proved useful as a temporary solution but have been unable to guarantee the buildings long term future, and have lead to periods of disuse. In 1981 the building was saved from demolition by it’s listing, but the need to find a long term solution for the building remained unanswered.

It is our proposal that the building should be brought back to a residential use that better matches the location and environment that the building now finds it’s self in. While the grand rooms of the original house lend themselves to use as large apartments around the original hall, the extensions equally lend themselves to become dwelling houses, largely due to the way it has been extended and adapted over it’s history. The grandeur of the house and it’s features guarantees the apartments will be at the top of the local market and as such would be subject to a consistently high standard of maintenance for the long term.