Shaping Beauty

img.0Image © Peter Cook

The ‘courtyard housing project’ was undertaken by architecture firm Patel Taylor, along with the London borough of barking and dagenham. The homes are a contemporary, accessible adaptation of traditional English almshouses. With a refreshed design, the single-story dwellings for residents typically 65 years and older, provide plenty of space and simultaneously frees up other properties for families in desperate need of living arrangements. 

img.1‘Courtyard housing project’ Image © Peter Cook

Properties are owned and managed by the local authority, and take advantage of small undeveloped infill areas. Each unit contains its own private courtyard garden and provides full wheelchair accessibility. Phase one of the project is composed of 27 L-shaped dwellings split amongst two sites. They can be rotated to face any direction on the site to take advantage of natural light and are able to be built in small or large batches based on the available land.

img.2Each home also contains its own private courtyard garden Image © Peter Cook 

Single bay windows, pitched roofs and dominant chimneys differentiates one unit from another and a large, central landscaping area fosters a sense of community. At a time when london boroughs are facing extreme challenges to accommodate residents, the project provides high-quality living on a budget, which unlocks previously unused and abandoned land.

img.3Plot with common landscaped grounds in center Image © Peter Cook

img.4The design differentiates each property from one another Image © Peter Cook

img.5Detail of unit and main window Image © Peter Cook

img.6Units are constructed out of brick, with prominent chimneys and pitched roofs Image © Peter Cook 

img.7Master plan Image © Patel Taylor

img.8Plot organization Image © Patel Taylor

img.9Exploded view: single unit Image © Patel Taylor

Via Designboom