Walters Way and Segal Close: The Architect Watler Segal and London's Self-Build Community

For anyone wishing to learn more about how the houses were built, and how they have been occupied, both by original inhabitants and subsequent ones, this book is invaluable. The interviews were of particular interest to me, as they offered genuine responses and feedback about how the flexibility and modularity of the houses has benefitted the inhabitants. The images are of a fantastic quality, and the book as a whole is beautifully printed and bound.

It has plenty of nice photos of the house interiors and gardens but apart from that this book offers relatively little information on Walter Segal's construction method, his design theories and the buildings themselves. If you are interested in self build then you will not learn a great deal from this book.Don't buy this if you are hoping for diagrams and detail drawings. It's definitely more of a coffee table book than a book for study, but it's a nice one nonetheless.

This book tells the history of two self-build communities and the stories of those living there today. This is a top quality book, engaging and beautiful. Highly recommended.

This is an original and very engaging way of looking at modern architecture, written and photographed by two inhabitants of these Segal-designed streets. And 'Segal-designed' means (among much else) encouraging dweller engagement. They were self-built Local Authority dwellings. These authors, arriving a generation later, demonstrate their engagement by producing this book (which also shows the range of opportunities offered by the 'Segal method', over a generation not just to redecorate but to alter, enlarge, reconfigure and - centrally - to enjoy one's home. Local Authority housing where the builders ensured the streets were named after their architect? And which, a generation later, is lovingly recorded by their inhabitants? Is there a lesson screaming out there for today?

A well written and beautifully photographed book documenting two tiny streets in Honor Oak Park, Lewisham (Walters Way and Segal Close) known for its unusual houses designed by modernist architect Walter Segal. The homes were built as part of a council-run self-building housing scheme that allowed people to design and build their own homes. Segal Close was part of the first phase built between 1977-82, while Walters Way (the second phase) was built between 1984-87. Segal passed away in 1985 and the streets were named after him in his honour. Occupants from both streets were involved in producing this book, allowing photographs to be taken from outside and inside their homes. The homeowners share their insight and experience in living their unique homes and tight-knit community. The book inspires us to consider self-building; not only in term of housing, but also of the communities we live in. Despite Segal’s prolific career, there are not many books published on him; I would thoroughly recommend this, especially if you are like me and enjoy having a nosey inside people’s homes!