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Chimney breasts

Pictures from an article published on the AJ in

April 1958 showing the precast units during on
site works at Langham House Close
The four typologies

The living room chimney breasts are the central

core of the interior of the flats at Ham Common,
constructed from old yellow London stock bricks
and combined with primitive geometric shapes
made out of precast concrete.

This volumetric dynamism and the vertical

openings leading to the kitchen/dining area,
enhance the open-plan look that extends
through the interior of the flats. The original
fireplace hearths are made of 4” (100x100 mm)
black quarry tiles that run along the length of the
chimney breast, flush with the flooring. One
interesting detail is provided by the bullnose cut
black quarry tiles that cap the chimney breast
openings and match the various window-sill tiles
featured in the flats.

The four different designs of the central fireplace

unit walls of Langham House Close are illustrated
below.
Type 1 Type 2

This type of The second type

design is used in of design is found
all the ground- inside all the first-
floors and floor flats of the
second-floors three-storey block
flats of the three- (Block 1).
storey block A total of six flats
(Block 1). A total of feature this
12 flats feature design (three
this configuration three-bedroom
(three one- and three two-
bedroom, six two- bedroom).
bedroom, and
three three-
bedroom).
Type 3 Type 4

Type 3 is found in Type 4 is found in

all the ground- all the first-floor
floor flats of the flats of the first
first two-storey two-storey block
block (Block 2) (Block 2) and in
and in one one first-floor flat
ground-floor flat of the second
of the second two-storey block
two-storey block (Block 3). Four
(Block 3). Four flats in total have
flats in total have this configuration.
this configuration.

Type 3 B Type 4 B
Type 3B is found Type 4B is again
in two of the three exactly the same
ground-floor flats design as Type 4,
of the second but “flipped”. Type
two-storey block 4B is found in two
(Block 3). Type 3B of the three first-
is exactly the floor flats of the
same design as second two-
Type 3, but storey block
“flipped”, because (Block 3) of the
of the mirror Langham House
layout orientation Close Estate. This
of the two two- configuration
storey blocks. occurs in only two
Only two flats flats on the estate.
have this
configuration.

Gallery