16 September 2015
A number of self and custom build concepts have been included in a list of ideas to solve the London housing crisis, the result of an international competition.
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Organised by think tank New London Architecture (NLA), in collaboration with the Mayor of London, the competition attracted more than 200 entries from architects, developers, consultants, local boroughs and the general public each presenting radical ideas examining how to increase densities in town centres, around stations, and in the suburbs.
Redeveloping London’s suburbs was the theme selected by Alastair Parvin and Adam Towle in partnership with the WikiHouse Foundation who proposed the introduction of a new initiative called ‘Right to Replace’ – enabling homeowners to demolish their suburban properties to create their dream eco-home but only if they use half the space.
Baca Architects’ entry (pictured) would revolutionise London’s canal and river network creating 7,500 new fixed-placed floating pre-fabricated custom build homes on the city’s maze of water, which they believe could be completed in a mere 6-12 months.
Suggestions to develop self build communities ranged from an app that located sites for future development to a new ‘build-to-own’ financing and ownership model by Savills.
Lord Bob Kerslake, Chair, London Housing Commission said: “The scale of the challenge is so big that we genuinely need some fresh thinking. There are a lot of new ideas here particularly new approaches to tenure and off-site construction.”
The 100 shortlisted ideas will be on display at New Ideas for Housing – a free public exhibition at the NLA galleries in The Building Centre, London, from 15 October.
Ten winning ideas, selected by a distinguished jury, will be announced next month, with winning submitters invited to join a Greater London Authority working group to examine how their ideas can be applied to real London sites to deliver future housing for the capital.
