architecture, planning, peopleA Way of Life
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Self build suburbs The way in which new developments by volume housebuilders are delivered do not fulfil wider social, cultural, and political aspirations. This project looks at whether self build could become a viable mainstream alternative for large scale developments. The project addresses some of the concerns in bringing this about from several different perspectives. And inscribes strategies for dealing with the possibilities of atomisation and profiteering. The project proposes a mechanism and process for the creation of a large scale suburban development, in which the majority of houses are built or developed by the residents themselves. The land development trust is initially a partnership to create a housing related social enterprise. Residents become part of the trust as they buy plots, and have a democratic say in how it is run. The trust has a long term stake in the area, as it retains the freehold of the land, and collects annual ground rents, which increase as the area matures, and values go up. These go towards the maintenance of roads and trees, and running of local initiatives such as car pools. The right to develop a plot comes with certain legal covenants intended to prevent amateur developers from build-to-let or build-to-sell, and encourage unique houses for long term residents. However there are no restrictions on the style or method each household uses to build. Smaller groups of residents manage their respective commonhold gardens and their boundaries. A range of building methods will be available to self builders. These will be analysed and a new ‘hybrid’ method proposed, which combines some of the practical advantages of prefabrication, and streamlined management, without losing the uniqueness and individuality possible when people self build. This method will primarily use structural insulated panels (SIPs). They were chosen for their speed, flexibility and material properties, after an assessment of the merits of various systems and services on the market. Part three is a worked through example of how a specific site in Kent could become a self build suburb. It suggests a way of including residents in making the local layout, whereby residents are obliged to interact with each other from the outset, in the hope of limiting social atomisation and selfishness. Urban detailing addresses the architectural qualities of these moments of negotiation. This is followed by a negotiated triple house, designed with SIPs, where details allow daily sharing of spaces and future adaptability. |
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what: 5th year thesis when: 2006-07 where: AA DIP14 online presentation: self build suburbs download paper: this academic paper was well recieved at the IAPS International Culture and Space Conference in 2009 book: inclusion in peer reviewed volume comming soon |
