Tapiola was designed by Anthony Goddard and Donald Manton in 1975 as a prototype for a planned estate of similar houses that were to be built nearby. However, the developers ran out of funds before the estate was built, leaving only Tapiola and its neighbour, also designed by Goddard and Manton.

Speaking about Tapiola, Donald Manton described the house as a main body with wings “clipped on”. This modular prototype was created so that the houses on the estate could be built around the trees on the site. Tapiola is also set amongst trees, some of which now have preservation orders on them. It is interesting to note that the name ‘Tapiola’ derives from ‘Tapio’, the god of the forest in Finnish mythology.

The house’s link with Scandinavia can also be seen in the architecture. Manton acknowledges that he and Goddard were much inspired by the work of architects such as Alvar Aalto when designing Tapiola. The exposed timber and natural face brickwork throughout are testament to the architects’ interest in the modern architecture of Scandinavia. In the Pevsner Buildings of England guide ‘London 2: South’, the “excitingly steep and complex monopitch roofs” are highlighted as being of particular interest.

Tapiola was one of Goddard and Manton’s early projects, and in many ways it put them on the map (especially after the house received an RIBA commendation in 1982). Goddard Manton Architects went on to do many of the earliest warehouse conversions in Wapping, east London, triggering the ‘loft living’ trend that is still in full swing today.

Today, Goddard Manton Architects is still a thriving firm based in north London working on a broad range of large-scale projects.