Architect's Statement regarding The Tall House:"Set
on a narrow sloping site overlooking the leafy suburbs of South-West
London, the house is a measured reaction to the traditional and
conservative suburban context, whilst its internal organisation is
inspired by the spatial intricacy and architectural density of the
house in Lincolns Inn Fields by the architect Sir John Soane.Built
adjacent to a mature oak tree, the house is made predominantly of
timber and brick, deliberately reflecting the traditional materials of
the area. However, the way in which these materials are used within the
building creates a new architectural language that is contemporary and
does not resort to pastiche in order to parody the other nearby
houses.The
main organizing element of the house is the principal stair that sits
centrally in the plan, becoming both conduit and separator between the
living spaces that face the garden and the more private bedroom spaces
that are contained in the oak-clad tower.

Internally,
the simplicity of the plan combined with an interlocking
three-dimensional geometry, has produced a rich internal spatial
sequence where sunlight penetrates into every corner of the building.
Unexpected vistas, hidden voids and the use of two staircases create a
route through that gives a sense of surprise and delight. Places have
been carefully designed for sculpture and paintings to be displayed
without the whole feeling like an art gallery; the house resolutely
remains a private domestic space."Terry Pawson