Great designs can make streets so much better than what people expect from them. A good layout and high quality homes can create a community that will thrive. It encourages social interaction, improves security, and also makes people happier in their homes. As one of the top architects London has, we love looking at these designs.

Goldsmith Street

The most recent winner of the 2019 Stirling Prize is one of the most interesting projects in recent years. Unlike previous winners that were individual buildings, this is an entire street. Perhaps more importantly, the majority of the street is social housing. There are over 100 homes but the whole area feels like a real community. The residents are incredibly happy to live here and it sets a new standard for how good council streets can be.

The client for the project was Norwich City Council. The architects spent over twelve years working on it, creating a dense urban neighbourhood that would actually be a lovely place to live. The designs are conscientious, overcoming the issue with density by making the area feel more social. The layout also reduces overlooking and means homes are still private even though they are close together.

The homes are also among the most energy efficient in the whole of the UK. They exceed Passivhaus standards. Almost every aspect of the design looks to boost this. For example the homes don’t have traditional letterboxes on front doors to ensure there are no draughts. The whole area also has wonderful landscaping.

Will it change social housing designs?

Incredibly this was the first time social housing even got a nomination for the top architecture prize in the UK. It is even more amazing that it actually won. What is surprising then is that lots of people did not acknowledge the win. For example RICS did not mention it. Neither did Property Week. As a result it is safe to think that large housing developers, the companies responsible for building most social housing, will not have paid much attention either.

There is potential that the award could change views on social housing and lead to an improvement in designs. However it is important that the right people look at the project.

Work with passionate architects in London

Coffey Architects has experience designing social housing. In fact our small sites project won several awards. We think it is fantastic that a project like Goldsmith Street took the Stirling Prize.

If you are thinking about a project yourself, whether it is to create a home, housing, or even commercial architecture, speak to us. We can take your design to the next level. In addition, we give you the support and advice of some of the best architects in London. Call today or send us an email.