I feel at home working here

“I feel at home working here.”Philip Livingstone50s, game show producerResident for three yearsPhilip’s daughter is happy to visit his one-bed flat overlooking the car park in the rear courtyard. I bought the chandelier in France – isn’t it just right? But my girlfriend refuses to come here.”Alan Bayne50s, architectWorked in this studio for two yearsAlan designed many of the original RVPB flats and studios. He lives in Esher and works from this corner studio, which boasts a 4.5m-high ceiling, in what was a classroom in the north courtyard. Square-legged tables came courtesy of John Elbert, a designer who used to have a studio here.

One of the pictures by the fan is of the RVPB penthouse Alan designed in 1985 for Andy Taylor of Duran Duran “I love this building,” he says. I painted this room red and the hall purple, but I want to keep the mezzanine neutral, or it’s overkill. He counts himself one of the RVPB’s “new breed”: “I spend a lot of time travelling and I’m rarely in the bar.” The photographs are of his Irish ancestors “I wanted to optimise the Gothic feel. Also breaking up the otherwise stark white of the walls is a large photograph of a woman in fishnets, taken in the flat next door by a fetish photographer who used to live at the RVPB.Cian O’Hare26, works in the City Resident for four monthsCian bought his 1,600sq ft two-bed flat in the north courtyard from the photographer grandson of the ex-king of Egypt. “I’d be going to bed at six and getting up at seven, three days a week. It’s great for a bit but you don’t end up making much money.” He has kept mosaics and murals which were there when he moved in.

It gained a reputation for its swinging bachelor parties as an assortment of divorced middle- aged men began to colonise the flats and monopolise the building’s restaurant and bar, Le Gothique. But now they are starting to make way for City boys and girls, if only for the sake of their health.
Who’s in your house?If you are a group of people who live, or work, within the same building and would like to be featured on this page, write to Who’s in the House?, The Independent Magazine, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London E14 5DL, giving a contact phone number, your address, and details of the type of building you occupy. Please also include recent photographs (which you do not want returned) of your homes or offices.Adam Whipps34, management consultantResident for five yearsAdam is about to move out of his one-bed flat in the north courtyard “You get drawn in,” he says. These days the regime is more lax, even, some might say, quite debauched. Fathers set free from their families are now more likely to be found at the RVPB than fatherless children. After serving as a hospital in the First World War, a detention centre in the Second, and a comprehensive school well into the Eighties, the grade-two listed building was converted into 29 luxury flats plus workshops and a drama school.

Queen Victoria would turn in her grave. In 1857, she laid the foundation stone of the Royal Victoria Patriotic Building in Wandsworth, London, built by public subscription to house children orphaned by the Crimean war. But its fiercely Gothic turrets, echoing cloisters, and chilly iron stairways proved a poor substitute for the family home – in 1862 a girl called Charlotte died in a fire while locked in solitary confinement in a bathroom It was finally shut down in 1938. Place 3 thin slices of goat’s cheese on top of each, and place briefly under a hot grill until the cheese starts to melt Serve, garnished with a little rock salt and parsley.. Place on a low heat, and slowly cook the onion until soft and golden Remove from the stove, and allow to cool.2. Roll out the puff pastry to make four discs 3mm (1/4 in) thick and 130mm (5in) in diameter, and chill them.3. Turn the tarts out onto plates, pouring over them any juices from the pans.5.

In 10cm (4in) ramekins, place the puff pastry discs on top of the onion halves, and fold down the sides. Put each dish in the oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.4. For each onion half put 10g each of butter and sugar in a non-stick blini pan, and push the half onion into the butter. Any sort of goat’s milk cheeses, which the French call chevres, will do – and there is a huge variety, in all shapes and sizes, to choose from.2 large Spanish onions, skinned40g unsalted butter40g caster sugar200g puff pastry100g goat’s cheeserock saltflat-leaf parsley to garnish1 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6 Top and tail the onions, and cut them in half. Place the shallots, parsley, capers, gherkins and eggs in five separate piles on the edge of the smoked salmon, and put the lemons in the middle.3. Make the horseradish cream by mixing together the horseradish sauce, cream, cayenne and lemon juice, and serve it in a little jug on the side, with the buttered brown bread.Tarte tatin of caramelised onion and goat’s cheeseServes 4If you have your puff pastry already made, this is a quick dish to produce and a popular starter.