reconceptualising urban housing
research agency detail
Time Space Existence, Venice 2023
editorial prologue
‘Reconceptualizing Urban Housing’, an exhibition for Time Space Existence at the 2023 Venice Architectural Biennale, collected nine practices, led by women, from around the world with new work within the typology of urban housing that considers diversity, climate, economy, culture and social and environmental sustainability. These factors break into a more granular set of conditions: the balance of shared and private spaces, and the enabling of social connection, identity and agency have become drivers of form, not just hopeful ambitions. Natural light and air movement, landscape and food production embed each project in a specific local condition and demographic. Each urban housing project is thought of as a collective, not just assuming that a community will readily form in a housing project. The two are different: a collective is facilitated by design; a community forms between people despite architecture, viz. Grenfell which literally denied both individual agency, collective action and liveability to its inhabitants. 1 Alison Brooks Architects, London, UK Alison Brooks Architects ‘... advocate[s] for community building, designing for increased social engagement and fostering a sense of civic pride to promote inclusiveness and social diversity. ’ This is a wish list. How is it actually done? Unity Place (2021) is part of a 20-year regeneration plan for South Kilburn in London NW: 240 apartments in three 6-storey blocks, a reinterpretation of the London mansion blocks in the area, to replace two derelict 1960s tower blocks. There is a communal garden overlooked by residents, ground-level entrances, porticos and balconies. Apartments are dual aspect, with windows on both sides, optimising cross ventilation, natural light and views. Ceilings are 2.6m, windows full height. Much is made of being family-friendly and a safe environment, while being threaded into adjoining streets and buildings through gardens and trees.
How do the architects in this exhibition do this? How much agency does each architect take within the envelope of client, budget and program? The nine architects in this exhibition presented at least one built project and one in construction in 2023. Despite all of them being much awarded and recognised, this exhibition is not about laurels as much as it is about looking forward through their work. The difficulty in collapsing a fairly major exhibition of at least 18 projects, videos, interviews and presentations, is that this is a magazine with limited pages. Out of their statements, I’m choosing and paraphrasing the sentences that go beyond program. Perhaps out of this we can compile a new list of actions that address resilient and sustainable urban housing. This exhibition has been well published and has an extensive website, containing all the projects, interviews and videos: https://www.reurbanhousing.com/ It is also worth looking at the individual websites of each architect: such valuable work going on in this world.
Unity Place, three 6-storey blocks with clear street fronts and an inflected inner courtyard. All units have balconies, some full width, oriented to catch sun, something reflected in the way the blocks are sited. Balconies and the two story porticos allow both identity and delineation.
Extracted text and drawings from https://www. reurbanhousing.com/alison-brooks-architects where there are more images, text and diagrams. See also https://www.alisonbrooksarchitects.com
32 on site review 45: houses + housing
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