Developer Renova has begun construction of Salter’s vision for four high-end bespoke houses arranged around a central courtyard on a tightly constrained site on Walmer Road. Mole Architects has been appointed to oversee the project.

Three houses are three storeys high, while the fourth is restricted to two storeys and lit exclusively by rooflights and a private yard — the result of planning constraints limiting its height and dictating that no windows should overlook the neighbouring property’s garden.

While the scheme’s key elements remain unchanged, many of the design details are still being finalised.

Mole Architects director Meredith Bowles said: “The level of detail in the drawings is far greater than normal. There are an awful lot of drawings trying to cover the many details.”

The scheme is expected to evolve throughout the construction process, reflecting Salter’s intense interest in materials and the means of construction, which has been described as “fetishistic” on more than one occasion.

Salter welcomed the opportunity to retain such a keen level of involvement.

“It’s totally different to the stuff I’ve been doing in Japan, where you do your plans, present it to the client and it’s handed over to a local architect,” he said. “It’s nice to be able to squeeze every last bit of detail out of the building.”

Renova chairman Crispin Kelly, who was a student of Salter’s at the Architectural Association, said: “It’s his chance to build the summary of all his sensitivities and knowledge. There are a lot of people who can’t wait to see it.”

Kelly added that work on the project was likely to be completed in November.