150 Homes for 150 Years

Yesterday saw Peabody, one of the largest housing associations in London, celebrate is 150^th year anniversary with a breakfast talk at the NLA (New London Architecture). In celebration of this Peabody launched the '150 homes for 150 years competition', for architects to design an 'exemplar housing development' consisting of 150 affordable homes to be developed on a 4 acre disused hospital site in Plaistow, Newham. The aim is to develop a scheme that infused Peabody's core value of making 'London a city of opportunity for all by ensuring as many people as possible have a good home, a real sense of purpose and a strong feeling of belonging', with new architectural designs and sustainably standards, that would in turn would create the ideal living environment.

Image courtesy of PCKO Architects 

All 20 short-listed designs as well as the winning scheme designed by PCKO Architects are now on display at the NLA http://www.newlondonarchitecture.org/ till the 9^th of June. PCKO architects describe the design as transforming the 'introspective site into a vibrant new place linked back into the urban network taking inspiration from the historical hospital buildings'. In particular there is a focus on giving ownership of space and the urban environment back to the community and residents. The 'Live how you want' approach, aims to be a move away from rigid 'tick-box' designs, aiming to allow residents to dictate how they live. An example of this will be implemented using the conceptual design contest's winners James Perry & Claire Harper's idea of creating open/vacant spaces within properties. This will in turn allow residents to use these space as they feel appropriate, such as for winter gardens, outdoor terraces or spilling their homes out into this space.