# Peckham House: Balancing Brutalism and Warmth Architects' experimental freedom in designing their own home. - **Source:** [Yanko Design](https://brifing.si/source/41d28791-ef47-4e0b-a40a-2a5efca0c11b) - **Published:** 2026-07-24 - **Topic:** [Design & UX](https://brifing.si/c/design) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/eb7ab156-e0fb-4ed6-a257-74448b001963 ## Architects Setting Their Own Rules Peckham House is a self-designed home by architects Tom Surman and Percy Weston for their family. Without traditional client constraints, they maximized a small plot while testing architectural ideas. The project became a laboratory for their creative vision. ## Intersection of Three Architectural Contexts The house sits between three distinct architectural styles in southeast London: a Brutalist car park, Victorian terraces, and social housing. Surman Weston created a design that references all three, resulting in a building that belongs yet stands out. ## Transformative Brick Facade The brickwork transitions from solid at street level to nearly transparent at the top. By recessing headers progressively, the upper floors appear to dissolve into lattice-like screens. This subtle gradient makes the heavy structure feel light as it meets the sky. ## Rooftop Garden with Dual Purpose A hidden rooftop greenhouse serves as both garden space and ventilation engine. During warmer months, it naturally draws air upward through the house. This elegant solution combines leisure with environmental performance in one space. ## Sustainable Material Choices Timber and recycled aggregate blocks form the primary structure, reducing embodied carbon while providing thermal mass. Left exposed, these materials define the interior's raw, textured character where construction becomes decoration. ## Where Personality Meets Function Peckham House strikes a balance between Brutalist rigor and domestic warmth. The architects' hands-on involvement during construction created a home that feels carefully considered yet spontaneous. It's experimental architecture that truly lives. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.yankodesign.com/2026/07/24/peckham-house-balances-brutalism-warmth-and-garden-living/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=peckham-house-balances-brutalism-warmth-and-garden-living — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._