Box clever

As square houses go, the Peckham House in south London is as cool as they come.

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Designed by Surman Weston architects, the cuboid construction uses a number of creative devices to playfully reflect its vibrant and eclectic urban surroundings - not least the distinctive façade with bricks made up in a hit-and-miss system to attenuate what would otherwise appear as a monolithic form. Meanwhile, the uniformity of the exterior is softened with self-supporting arched openings at the front and rear - a nod to th