Longhurst

Longhurst is a substantial new villa in a residential area on the southern outskirts of Belfast. In contrast to its more traditionally designed neighbours, which stand assertively and distantly at the centre of their large plots, Longhurst is a fine exploration of a modern house that is generated by and responds to the topography and orientation of the site. The architects have skilfully orchestrated a beautiful unfolding sequence of spaces that begin with a modestly scaled, almost Japanese entry courtyard, then carefully step down the slope to finally open out to expansive living spaces, terraces, and lawns to the south. The design hides the villa’s scale from external gaze, presenting an almost mute expression to the access lane, while the glazed, garden-facing south elevation reveals its sheer generosity. The quality of detail, materials, and construction is exemplary. This is clearly a house for relaxation and entertaining friends on a grand scale.

The villa secretes itself within what was once the Longhurst Estate – a mature parkland landscape that was parcelled up into large plots. While the surrounding, very large, quasi traditional villas stand as far from the service lanes and their neighbours as possible, McGonigle McGrath Architects have located their villa to the north of their site, engaging directly both with the lane and the sloping topography. A radical difference in approach to site is further and emphatically emphasised through a very different approach to architectural expression.

Longhurst’s architecture is urbane, courteous, and contemporary. Still, it carries an almost nostalgic air, alluding to a time long gone. There is perhaps a ghost of Ludwig Mies van Der Rohe’s design for the Villa Tugendhat (built in 1930 in the Czech city of Brno) in its horizontality and how it steps down the hill from the modest entrance to the glazed elevations overlooking the gardens. In contrast to that house, which appears lightweight through its material abstraction, Longhurst is characterised by a sense of weight and materiality through its in-situ concrete, dark timber, and smooth render. There is no doubt that Longhurst can sit within the canon of significant modern houses.

From the discreet entrance into the small, landscaped courtyard flows an exquisite architectural promenade. A compressed series of circulation spaces weave down the hill, animated and marked by vertical light shafts and the occasional glimpse through the plan. The house is carefully zoned to afford privacy to guest accommodation and family accommodation.

The architects are known for the precision and care with which they detail and make their buildings, and Longhurst is no exception. However, what this villa also reveals is a sophistication of designing in plan and section that is rare.