One Ellesmere Street – Forward to the C19th
May 8th, 2013
Always happy to follow policy, architects with an interest in sustainability are today proposing eco-back-to-backs as “affordable” housing. The housing form that John Burns opposed is re-imagined as the future for subsidised housing, crammed into expensive brownfield sites. (15) These homes will get planning permission. Architects will happily delude themselves that they are designing a double-density world devoted to an age of “eco-equality”. – Audacity
The A.J. from 28/11/12 brought unwelcome news of yet more modern back to backs passed for planning, this time in Manchester. A strong residents association in Hammersmith and Fulham successfully fought off a similar scheme by Peter Barber in the last couple of years at 282/292 Goldhawk Road but sadly a smaller version will be built in North Kensington and unless a similar group exists in Manchester these C19th dwellings will be built as designed.
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/first-look/housing-goes-back-to-back-to-back/8639039.article (paywall)
“It’s actually a kitchen by itself”
January 7th, 2013
“It’s actually a kitchen by itself” exclaimed the delightful Krystle as she stood in the 1000 sq ft Forest Hill ground floor flat and looked around her at the space.
“We could put a table in here” said Sam thus proving once again, if it needs proving, that separate kitchens with space for a table are a practical necessity welcomed by buyers and shouldn’t be a sought after luxury omitted by greedy developers unwilling to build walls in modern flats.
Forward to the 19th Century – 1 Ellesmere Street
November 28th, 2012
Always happy to follow policy, architects with an interest in sustainability are today proposing eco-back-to-backs as “affordable” housing. The housing form that John Burns opposed is re-imagined as the future for subsidised housing, crammed into expensive brownfield sites. (15) These homes will get planning permission. Architects will happily delude themselves that they are designing a double-density world devoted to an age of “eco-equality”. – Audacity
This weeks Architects Journal brings the unwelcome news of yet more modern back to backs passed for planning, this time in Manchester. A strong residents association in Hammersmith and Fulham successfully fought off a similar scheme by Peter Barber in the last couple of years at 282/292 Goldhawk Road but sadly a smaller version will be built in North Kensington and unless a similar group exists in Manchester these C19th dwellings will be built as designed.
http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/first-look/housing-goes-back-to-back-to-back/8639039.article (paywall)
Beds in sheds go legal
October 25th, 2012
Click photo for article (subscription required)
“Temporary structures that add low-cost housing to existing east London estates judged top in Building Trust International competition. Levitt Bernstein has defeated an 85-strong short list in the international contest to design low-cost, single-occupancy housing for urban areas. The studio’s winning proposal uses temporary structures to occupy redundant garages on housing estates in east London.”
How to beautifully separate kitchen from living room
September 9th, 2012
In brief: Fit wooden sliding doors or build a chimney breast
I do love my readers. The title of this piece is taken from a Google search from Norway and I was very taken by the phraseology.
The reader was looking at Alexandra Road which demonstrates a great way to combine kitchen and dining room while allowing separation from the living room. In the photo above the kitchen is behind the left hand partition wall.
“We was all one” – London SE1/16 remembered
September 7th, 2012
It was the singing of Jerusalem that got me, accompanied by the camera tracking past block after block of newly completed modernist housing. Here I thought is an anthem to a brighter future, a better tomorrow, a brave new world. Then as the music drew to a close the camera zoomed slowly in on a notice board and I read the word Aylesbury.
Open House London (P)oints (O)f (I)nterest file
August 24th, 2012
For the POI file we need four columns long | lat | name | description
With the help of Adrian Short I’ve created a new file for 2012 which you can download from the link below:-
I’ve tested it on my Garmin Nuvi 250W and it works fine.
If you want to improve it, and know the exact locations of the buildings listed, then you can use the online POI editor at http://garmin.gps-data-team.com/extra/ and reset the inaccurate locations. On saving the file, columns C and D will be merged and must be separated before reloading it to the satnav.
If you want somewhere to eat and drink while you are walking the streets of London looking at buildings then I can recommend J D Wetherspoon and their TomTom and Garmin files are here:-
Because I care about housing
May 16th, 2012
Those of you who count yourselves among my regulars, and there are a few, will be aware of the subtitle that graced this page for nearly three years. It used to say “because I care about housing and hate single aspect flats”.
Last Saturday (12th May) I was invited to join a DoCoMoMo walk around South London during the course of which we visited Lambeth Towers and some maisonettes at Cotton Gardens just along from the Imperial War Museum, among many other buildings..
How the other half live
May 3rd, 2012
Browsing the stats the other day I noticed a visit from Squire and Partners who converted the former Kensington Odeon into flats and a basement cinema. While looking at the drawings for the site, which normally contain outline images of kitchen units, sofas and a dining table, I was intrigued to notice that each of five apartments in a row, had a piano outlined. More in keeping with a music school than a residential street I would have thought or is this how the rich pass their time?
http://www.squireandpartners.com/index.php#/projects/1009/ – Drawing
I regularly cycle along a street of three storey houses through whose bay windows may be seen a baby grand in a least half of them but all? Perhaps it was simply wishful thinking on the part of the architects in order to generate sales.
I have written to Squires to ask but have not so far received a reply. I’ll let you know when I do.
Is [new] back to back housing still banned?
April 25th, 2012
One of my readers has asked the question in the title by way of Google. Here is the answer.
YES!
[I know about Castleford but either they've got forced air ventilation - yuk - or the local planning authority got it badly wrong.]
They were banned in 1909 by act of parliament for being unhealthy to live in, in fact they were first banned by several Northern cities in the 19th century . . .