Wimbledon House Reception
The Harvard Graduate School of Design and the HCUK hosted a reception for our members at the English Heritage site
It was a very special night for our members and guests at the Wimbledon House, 22 Parkside, Wimbledon. This event was in our pipeline for a long time and became a reality at last on 8thSeptember. The house is not open to the public and the GSD use it for a large part of the year. The GSD leadership graciously offered us access to the house when they were over in the UK in September and helped organise the reception.
Wimbledon House is an architecturally acclaimed, visually striking, single-story, minimalist house which was designed by Lord Richard Rogers in the 1960s. It was granted English Heritage status for its structural and historical importance. Lord Rogers donated it to the Harvard GSD in 2015. The architect Philip Gumuchdjian subsequently restored the house. GSD now use it to house fellows on their residency programmes.
Over 40 guests were welcomed by GSD and HCUK leadership, Pat Roberts (Executive Dean, GSD), George Arvanitis (GSD graduate, HCUK committee member) and Yuko Thomas (President, HCUK). Mr. Gumuchdjian made a special appearance and regaled the guests with an engaging talk about the history and special design features of the house – energy conservation, flexible living space, harmony with nature. The lively audience had a chance to ask Mr. Gumuchdian questions and mingle over wine and canapes. It was a convivial and enlightening evening. We hope to do this again in the future.
