Living by water: An Alternative approach to urban densification and affordability

floating house netherlands

With predicted figures in the event of migration to the urban space in future, an alternative way of addressing housing needs may not be satisfied only with limited land left for development (HSB, 2023). Therefore, the solution lies within the river basins linearly sprawling across the edge of many riverside city developments. Although, floating architecture Read the full article…

Community engagement: Fenham Futures

Fenham Parliament Photograph by Luke Leung

Photograph by Luke Leung In the recent decade, community planning has been rising in popularity as planners and local authorities, architects and other practitioners can all benefit from social discussion into shaping their local environment. Wates (2014) suggested, growing numbers of residents and communities are getting involved with professionals in shaping their environment. These involvements Read the full article…

Community Engaging Housing Schemes

Housing standards are rising thanks to collaborative housing concepts.  Also, these strategies prioritize inhabitants’ needs over private profit. But what does it mean by collaborative housing? Firstly, several words are used to denote different characteristics or types of community-led housing. These terms include concepts like ‘cohousing, social production of housing, and self-construction,’. As well as Read the full article…

The New Normal for High Streets

Think of a city and what comes to mind? Its Streets. -Jacobs, 1961:39   © Copyright- Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-walking-on-sidewalk-3703738/ Streets are an important part of city life. They serve as the foundation for the complex interactions that exist between the architectural fabric and human organisation. A “high street” is one such Read the full article…

Cycle a’way’ in Ouseburn!

Moving forward people are preferring sustainable transport options and there is a huge shift in the market from cars to bicycles. The aim of the module is to understand and analyse the National design guide and ouseburn design codes, and set out the characteristics of ouseburn that demonstrates what a good design means in practice. Read the full article…

‘Woonerf’: A Refuge Opportunity for Us All

 ‘Woonerf’: A Refuge Opportunity for Us All   “The modern street in the true sense of the word is a new type of organism, a sort of stretched out workshop, a home for many complex and delicate organs, such as gas, water and electric mains.” (Le Corbusier, 1929)   However, our streets are more than Read the full article…

Reflections on Metropolitan Workshop’s practice: People Powered Places

Metropolitan Workshop Metropolitan Workshop specialises in practice and research-based design programmes. It is a multidisciplinary team of architects and urban designers who work with a wide range of people (artists, carpenters, researchers, etc.). And they are highly skilled at working closely with client groups, local authorities, planners, community engagement consultants, and housing developers to ensure Read the full article…

Reflections on Practice: Community-Led Design

In recent years, it has become apparent that creating a cohesive community is essential for sustainable development. As a result of the housing industry needing to address a national housing shortage and financial uncertainty, we have seen a rise in uneven development, poor quality public space, and less civic participation. Many theorists and designers argue Read the full article…