While there are 1.7 million people waiting for social housing in the UK, millions of “empty nesters” live in homes with spare bedrooms. Many of these people are interested in downsizing, but fail to do so due to a lack of attractive options.
Two new courtyard housing schemes, conceived by Patel Taylor Architects for the East London borough of Barking and Dagenham, now promise to deliver such an alternative. The goal was to motivate tenants aged 55 and over, to move out of their larger council homes, thereby freeing these homes for young families. Prior to the start of planning, a consultation process served to evaluate the preferences of the target group: a single-storey, clearly identifiable “house of their own” with its own front door and a pitched roof.
To implement the concept, the local council provided two brownfield sites located at the edge of a spacious nature reserve. One of the sites had previously served as a council depot, the other as a sports and leisure centre. A total of 39 courtyard houses were created, most of them one and two-bedroom homes, ranging from 72 to 88 m2 in size.
Two new courtyard housing schemes, conceived by Patel Taylor Architects for the East London borough of Barking and Dagenham, now promise to deliver such an alternative. The goal was to motivate tenants aged 55 and over, to move out of their larger council homes, thereby freeing these homes for young families. Prior to the start of planning, a consultation process served to evaluate the preferences of the target group: a single-storey, clearly identifiable “house of their own” with its own front door and a pitched roof.
To implement the concept, the local council provided two brownfield sites located at the edge of a spacious nature reserve. One of the sites had previously served as a council depot, the other as a sports and leisure centre. A total of 39 courtyard houses were created, most of them one and two-bedroom homes, ranging from 72 to 88 m2 in size.