A striking glass-fronted mansion featured on Grand Designs has gone on sale for almost £5 million, despite being mocked by some neighbours and likened by presenter Kevin McCloud to a university research facility.
The bold modernist property, created by Paul and Penny Denby, sparked fierce debate when it appeared among the traditional mock-Tudor houses of the sought-after Keston Park estate near Orpington, Kent.
Planning approval took five years and required two major redesigns. The architect behind the project remembered the strength of local opposition, saying residents appeared ready to confront the plans “with the picks and forks to have a go”.
Completed in April 2011, the expansive property features a private cinema, a library and a dramatic living space rising six metres high. On Channel 4’s Grand Designs, McCloud described the curtain-free home as a “Miami art-deco house”.
He told viewers: “Some on the estate will feel that the entire house is a mistake, boxed in in the wrong place.
“At the front there’s certainly a whiff, not of the suburban, but of a research centre on some university campus or even the HQ of one of Paul’s companies.
The vast six-bedroom detached property, spanning approximately 6,949 sq ft, was designed as Paul and Penny Denby’s dream home and featured on the Channel 4 programme in 2011
Grand Designs host Kevin McCloud called it a curtain-free “Miami art-deco house” and said it had the feel of “a research centre on some university campus”
“Its anonymity, however, hides its purposes as a genuine home for Paul and Penny’s family.”
The couple, who had lived in a neo-Tudor property for nearly two decades, knocked it down to make way for their vision: a four-bedroom home they named Sylvan Glade.
The ambitious build was not without its setbacks, with the couple eventually running into financial difficulties as construction progressed.
Initially expected to cost £1 million, the project grew to approximately £1.6 million. When the bank declined to extend further funding, the Denbys turned to their fund manager son, Mark, who provided a loan to help complete the house.
Although the completed residence made an impression with its sweeping glass walls and flowing curved interiors, McCloud remained unconvinced by the building’s exterior design.
He said: “Cosy isn’t a word to describe the exterior of this house.
“The over-complicated grid pattern doesn’t do justice to the curvaceous interior and the building just seems too big for the plot.
“This scale and complexity hasn’t come cheap.”
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Now, 15 years after its television debut, Sylvan Glade has returned to the property market with an asking price of £4,999,995.
The detached six-bedroom house provides roughly 6,949 sq ft of living space and is being offered for sale with no onward chain.
The Rightmove listing says: “Sylvan Glade is perfectly suited to buyers seeking a highly design-led home capable of delivering both privacy and entertaining credentials in equal measure.
“Morning light floods through the extensive glazing, while the open-plan living spaces naturally extend onto landscaped gardens and terraces – ideal for summer gatherings, outdoor dining and relaxed family living.
‘The architectural transparency of the home creates constantly shifting natural light throughout the day, while the woodland surroundings provide a unique sense of calm and seclusion rarely found so close to London.’
There is also a self-contained one-bedroom apartment and the potential to create a further ground-floor apartment.
The property was this month reduced to its present asking price from £5,750,000, according to Rightmove.
Despite the rows that had accompanied its creation, Penny insisted most residents eventually came around.
She said at the time: ‘I think the vast majority are happy about it. There are some people who aren’t happy about it but they are in the minority.’
Keston Park is one of the South East’s most desirable private residential enclaves, with gated entrances, CCTV and 24-hour security patrols.
Accountant Paul and Penny demolished the neo-Tudor house they had lived in for almost 20 years to build their dream four-bed home, which they called Sylvan Glade – but some of their neighbours on the upmarket estate in Orpington, Kent, were initially unimpressed
Former residents have included late Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman.
The Rightmove listing adds: ‘Featured on Grand Designs, this striking six-bedroom residence has been thoughtfully designed to maximise natural light, with extensive glazing, spacious open-plan living areas and high-quality finishes throughout.
‘The versatile layout includes a self-contained one-bedroom apartment, four bathrooms, a lift serving all floors, underfloor heating throughout and a double garage with three-phase EV charging.
‘Set behind secure gated entrances with 24-hour security patrols, the property enjoys a peaceful setting while remaining within easy reach of Locksbottom’s amenities and Orpington station, offering fast connections into London. Offered to the market chain free.’
