Friston
Near Aldeburgh, Suffolk
Architect: Michael Hopkins
Register for similar homesSet in approximately two acres of secluded gardens and woodland, overlooking the Alde Estuary, this wonderful house was designed by architects Michael and Patty Hopkins. Completed in 2000, replacing two 18th century gamekeepers’ cottages, the house is largely constructed of glass and local Aldeburgh Red brick.
The house offers generous accommodation, including four bedrooms, a large, light living space and an annexe to the side of the house. The fittings throughout the house are all of an impressively high standard. Reached by an unmade track, the house and gardens have no immediate neighbours and offer an entirely private and tranquil setting.
Situated just over a mile from the heart of Aldeburgh, one of Britain’s most desirable seaside towns, the house is also just 5 miles from Saxmundham, a town served by a train route to Ipswich and London Liverpool Street.
Michael and Patty Hopkins are both directors of Michael Hopkins and Partners, an internationally renowned practice that has completed many major projects across Britain including the New Parliamentary Building and Underground Station at Westminster, London, the Manchester City Art Gallery and Glyndebourne Opera House, Sussex.
The house is situated approximately a quarter of a mile down an unmade track off Aldeburgh Road. Aldeburgh Road runs through the village of Friston and forms part of the A1094, a road that links Aldeburgh to the A12 (a main artery that runs from central London to Great Yarmouth). The house enjoys uninterrupted views of the Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve and the Alde Estuary on one side and the grazing land of Hazelwood Common on the other.
Nearby Aldeburgh is one of Britain’s most attractive coastal towns. It offers superb opportunities for walking, fishing and sailing. The town also provides a good selection of shops, restaurants and pubs. The town is also renowned for the annual Aldeburgh Music Festival and the Dunwich Heath and Minsmere Bird Reserve. A number of interesting examples of modern architecture can be found in the area, including the house of H. T. Cadbury-Brown in Aldeburgh (1964) and Snape Maltings (a malt house converted by Arup Associates in 1969 under the instructions of Benjamin Britten).
The house is approximately 5 miles from Saxmundham railway station which runs commuter services direct to London Liverpool Street (journey time just under two hours). The station also runs services to Ipswich, which offers connections to London Liverpool Street throughout the day.
Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. The Modern House has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.
History
The Friston house stands on the site of two 18th century
cottages, built for gamekeepers on the Wentworth estate.
The cottages were in an entirely dilapidated condition
when bought by the current owners of the house six years
ago so it was decided that they should be replaced.
The new house retains the feel of these cottages (especially
the front elevation) with the use of a pitched slate
roof and striking Aldeburgh Red brick. The house’s
architects, Michael and Patty Hopkins (who live in their
own house nearby) wanted to avoid disturbing the rural
atmosphere of the site so designed a house that is reserved
in its modernity.
Michael and Patty Hopkins pioneered the High-Tech
style of architecture (along with Richard Rogers, Norman
Foster and Nicholas Grimshaw) with the startling design
of a house in Hampstead in 1976, made almost entirely
of steel and glass. These tendencies, although muted,
still emerge throughout the Friston house, most notably
in the large, double-height living room which has one
entirely glazed wall and extensive exposed structural
flitch beams (made from Douglas fir and galvanised steel).
The spiral steel staircase, made specifically for the
house, is another feature that links the architecture
of the house to such projects as the Greene King Warehouse
in Bury St Edmunds, designed by Michael Hopkins and
Partners in 1976.
In the book, The Work of Michael
Hopkins and Partners (Phaidon Press, 2001), Colin
Davies describes Michael Hopkins’s architecture
as “functional and honest– For him, the
starting point of the design process is never an intellectual
idea, [it is] always an instinctive response to brief
and context”. This much is clear in the Friston
house, an essentially straightforward and satisfying
piece of architecture constructed largely from locally-sourced
materials.
Michael Hopkins (b. 1935) and his wife Patricia (b.
1942) established their practice in 1976. Among their
most celebrated projects are the Mount Stand at Lords
Cricket Ground, the David Mellor Offices and Showroom
in Derbyshire, Glyndebourne Opera House in Sussex, Manchester
City Art Gallery and the New Parliamentary Building
and Underground Station at Westminster. Michael Hopkins
and Partners have also completed a number of celebrated
private residences over the years. Both Michael and
Patty Hopkins are RIBA Gold Medal laureates.
