Back to the top

Forest Gate Co-housing

Status: Competition, Long-list
Client: Bedü
Location: Forest Gate, London
Team: Percy Weston, Tom Surman, Laura Micheli

This scheme offers a new type of generous co-living which combines spatial efficiencies achieved by sharing facilities, with the opportunities gained by clubbing together.

Our scheme encourages sociability but also allows privacy where traditional co-housing schemes wouldn’t. Whilst many facilities are completely shared, with the use of technology, certain facilities are semi-private, the luxurious bathroom and cinema room are both bookable via the house smartphone app – giving residents choice, control and privacy. Other ‘bookable’ facilities include a workshop and a guest bedroom. Generous fully shared spaces include a living room, a secluded roof-top courtyard and the south facing kitchen & dining room which looks onto a garden.

Both the architecture and the technology are designed to be flexible. The materiality is robust but changeable to encourage residents to make the building their own. The house app, which will be used for all house administration from controlling the heating to organising a group meal, will also evolve to meet the changing needs of the residents.

This project was long-listed to the final 10 from over 90 entries in an open competition organised by the Royal Institute of British Architects.

 

Back to the top